An esophagus isolation catheter for deflecting an esophagus of a patient away from an ablation site in the left atrium of the patients heart is provided. The catheter comprises an elongated catheter body and a deflectable section. In one embodiment, the catheter comprises a deflectable intermediate section mounted at the distal end of the catheter body and a generally straight tip section mounted at the distal end of the intermediate section. In this embodiment, the catheter comprises two puller wires, one anchored proximal the other. The intermediate section deflects to form a generally C-shaped curve. In an alternative embodiment, the catheter comprises a deflectable tip section mounted at the distal end of the catheter body. In this embodiment, the catheter comprises only one puller wire. The tip section carries a tip electrode having an atraumatic design to prevent damage to the esophagus upon deflection.
