Impact of catheter orientation
Some important considerations regarding parallel-to-tissue contact remain: While the force acting on the very distal end of the catheter produces accurate results, even a slightly more proximal application of the force naturally results in a reduced deflection of the tip (law of leverage) and therefore in an underestimation of the true force. In addition, forces acting on even more proximal parts of the catheter cannot be measured at all. This limitation of the technology applies to all models and should be considered when the catheter is oriented parallel to the tissue as can be the case during ablation of the ridge on the left pulmonary veins.