A catheter is configured to indicate contact force between the catheter and tissue. The catheter includes an elongate deformable shaft having proximal and distal ends. The catheter includes an inner tip member projecting outwardly from the distal end, the inner tip member defining a fluid delivery lumen extending therethrough, and an outer tip member coupled to the distal end and disposed about the inner tip member. The inner and outer tip members define a gap therebetween in fluid communication within the fluid delivery lumen and the tip members are configured such that the size of the gap varies in response to contact of the outer tip member with the tissue. The catheter further includes first and second fluid sensing tubes defining ports upstream and downstream from the gap wherein a difference in fluid pressure between the ports is indicative a contact force between the catheter and the external surface.
