US Patent 7285116 Non-contact tissue ablation device and methods thereof

A catheter for ablating body tissue of the interior regions of the heart includes a handle assembly, a shaft, and a distal tip section coupled to the distal end of the shaft. The distal tip section has a non-compliant and non-porous cap that has a tubular wall that defines a bore, and an ablation element that is housed inside the bore and spaced apart from the wall of the cap.