A catheter having an extended treatment zone for cooling tissue is
provided. The catheter includes an elongate catheter body having a distal
tip, and a fluid injection conduit disposed inside the catheter body
defining a return lumen therein. The fluid injection conduit further
defines two or more injection orifices including a first distal orifice
near the distal tip, and a second orifice longitudinally offset along the
fluid injection conduit to be less proximate the distal tip than the
first orifice. Fluid cryogen flowing through the orifices creates an
extended tissue cooling contour about the distal end portion of the
catheter. At least one ECG ring electrode is provided about the catheter
body near the second orifice. The catheter may thus provide for
electrocardiographic mapping of tissue nodes lying transversely between
the distal tip and the ECG ring electrode.