Patent ID: 8016749

Claim:
A vision catheter, comprising: a shaft having a distal end, a proximal end and a number of lumens therein including a working channel lumen and a separate imaging channel lumen, the shaft having a diameter that allows it to be inserted into an instrument channel of an endoscope; a position sensor positioned at or adjacent the distal end of the shaft that aids in determining the position of the distal end in a patient; and an imaging mechanism positioned in the imaging channel lumen for obtaining images of the patient, wherein the position sensor and the imaging mechanism can be simultaneously present in the shaft, wherein the imaging channel lumen comprises a C-shaped lumen open to an external environment along a longitudinal portion of the imaging channel lumen; wherein the shaft includes an additional channel that has a tear-drop shape having a rounded portion and a tapered portion; wherein the rounded portion of the tear-drop shaped additional channel is positioned adjacent to the C-shaped lumen, and the tapered portion of the tear-drop shaped additional channel tapers away from the C-shaped lumen to a narrowest portion of the tear-drop shaped additional channel.