Universal shaft for magnetic manipulation of catheters

A shaft arrangement for an irrigated ablation catheter, comprising:

• a shaft comprising flexible tubing having a proximal end and a distal end wherein the distal end is configured for coupling to a tip electrode assembly;
• a magnet disposed inside said shaft at the distal end, said magnet having an axis and configured to respond to an externally-applied magnetic field, said magnet including a passage extending axially therethrough;
• and
• fluid lumen tubing comprising a fluid lumen extending through said shaft from the proximal end and completely through the passage of said magnet and configured for connection to an inlet of said tip electrode assembly;
• said shaft including a plurality of shaft segments each having a respective hardness associated therewith, said fluid lumen tubing having a plurality of lumen segments each having a respective hardness associated therewith, the shaft segments and the lumen segments being axially disposed relative to each other so as to match the flexibility of said fluid lumen tubing with that of said shaft.

A catheter, comprising:

• a shaft having a distal-most shaft segment having a first flexibility and a proximal segment;
• a first tip positioning magnet in said shaft in said distal-most shaft segment, said first tip positioning magnet having a first polarizing axis associated therewith;
• a second tip positioning magnet in said shaft in said distal-most shaft segment, said second tip positioning magnet having a second polarizing axis associated therewith that is different than said first polarizing axis of said first tip positioning magnet;
• wherein said second tip positioning magnet is movable relative to said first tip positioning magnet such that when said catheter is subjected to a consistent magnetic field, said first and second tip positioning magnets move relative to each other so that said second polarizing axis and said first polarizing axis align wherein said distal-most shaft segment deflect.