To provide a catheter with a control handle having a multiple control mechanism to deflect and contract a portion of the catheter.

The catheter for use in a patient's heart, especially to map the tubular area of the heart, includes a catheter body, a deflectable middle portion, and a distal mapping assembly adapted to be located on or in the tubular area of the heart and having a roughly circular portion. The control handle of the catheter enables one-hand operation of a variety of control mechanisms capable of deflecting the middle area and contracting the mapping assembly by a deflection control assembly and a linear control assembly. The deflection control assembly includes a deflection arm and a rocker member. The linear control assembly includes a linear control member, an inside rotation member, and a cam. A pair of traction members bidirectionally deflects the middle area in response to the deflection control assembly. A third traction member contracts the nearly circular portion of the mapping assembly in reaction to the linear control assembly.