Systems and methods for guilding diagnostic or therapeutic devices in interior tissue regions

A system comprising

• a catheter tube having a distal region,
• an operative element on the distal region,
• a support structure on the distal region surrounding the operative element, the support structure having a predetermined spatial geometry,
• a steering element coupled to the operative element to move the operative element relative to the support structure,
• an identification code that uniquely identifies the predetermined spatial geometry of the support structure,
• an identification element attached in association with the support structure to retain the identification code and adapted to provide an identification output representative of the identification code, and
• a guidance element including a generating component to generate an electric field within the support structure, the electric field being characterized, at least in part, by the predetermined spatial geometry of the support structure, a sensing component to sense spatial variations in the electric field during movement of the operative element, an input to receive the identification output, and a processing component to generate an output that locates the operative element relative to the support structure based upon an analysis of the sensed spatial variations, and also taking into account the identification output.