CATHETER SYSTEMS WITH IMAGING ASSEMBLIES

A catheter system comprises an elongate catheter body including a distal end, a cannulation lumen extending through the catheter body and terminating at the distal end of the catheter body, and a steering element extending through the catheter body for steering the distal end. The catheter system also comprises an imaging element secured to a distal end portion of the catheter body and configured to obtain optical images of an area located distally of the distal end of the catheter body. The catheter body includes a ridge extending axially along an outer surface of the distal end portion, wherein a width of the ridge measured about a circumference of the catheter body is less than a length of the ridge measured along the longitudinal axis, and the imaging element is radially aligned with the ridge with at least a portion of the imaging element disposed within the ridge.