Apparatus and methods for implanting objects, such as bronchoscopically implanting markers in the lung of patients

A catheter assembly for delivering a marker into a lumen, the assembly comprising:

• a catheter having a proximal end and a distal end, the distal end configured to receive a marker, the distal end of the catheter configured to provide a rounded leading edge, wherein
• the catheter is configured to be passed into a lumen for deployment of the marker, and
• the distal end of the catheter has an unexpanded state and an expanded state;
• at least one marker contained at the distal end of the catheter, wherein the marker comprises a signal element configured to transmit location signals in response to an excitation energy, wherein
• when the distal end of the catheter is in the unexpanded state before the marker is loaded in the catheter, the marker has an outer diameter greater than an inner diameter of the distal end of the catheter, and
• when the distal end of the catheter is in the expanded state, the distal end of the catheter releasably retains the marker by expanding around the marker;
• an actuator having a housing coupled to a proximal end of the catheter and moveable between a first position and a second position;
• and
• a wire fixedly attached to the actuator, wherein the wire is contained in the catheter and extends co-axially substantially the entire length of the catheter.