Pericardial access catheters and methods for use

An apparatus for accessing a region within a patient's body, comprising:

• a tubular member comprising a proximal end, a distal end sized for introduction into a patient's body, and one or more lumens extending between the proximal and distal ends;
• an imaging assembly on the distal end;
• and
• a substantially transparent expandable member attached to the tubular member distal end such the imaging assembly is disposed within an interior of the expandable member, the imaging assembly imaging through a surface of the expandable member,
• wherein the tubular member further comprises a drainage lumen extending from the tubular member proximal end to one or more drainage ports on the tubular member distal end proximal to the balloon.

A method for performing procedure within a pericardial space adjacent a patient's heart and pericardium, comprising:

• introducing a distal end of a catheter into the pericardial space adjacent the patient's heart;
• expanding an expandable member on the distal end to separate the pericardium from the patient's heart;
• imaging tissue within the pericardial space to identify a target location of the patient's heart;
• introducing a medical device through the catheter and out the distal end;
• performing a procedure at the target location using the medical device;
• and
• draining fluid from the pericardial space via one or more drainage ports on the distal end of the catheter adjacent the expandable member.