Should I Tilt or Should I Push? Effect of Contact Force and Catheter Inclination in Cardiac RF Ablation

Radiofrequency ablation is a minimally invasive treatment for cardiac arrhythmias. During the procedure, the catheter is placed at the arrhythmogenic site to deliver electric current. There is uncertainty in the contact force and the catheter orientation, which can be affected by many factors, including the cardiac anatomy and the heartbeat. In this work we explore the impact of the contact force and different catheter inclinations on the resulting lesion. An improved electrical model allows to properly account for the current that flows to the tissue through the blood, a relevant aspect when the catheter is not per-pendicular. The lesion size consistently increases with the catheter inclination, regardless of the contact force.