A method for positioning a medical device in a respiratory system is provided. The method includes providing a medical device system including a positioning apparatus having a body section and an upper section, the upper section slidably coupled to the body section, a flexible guide rod, a visible light source, and a medical device for treating the patient slidably receivable on the flexible guide rod. The method also includes inserting the flexible guide rod into a treatment portion of a respiratory system, emitting visible light from the visible light source, visually observing, outside the patient's body, the emitted visible light, and slidably moving the medical device distally along the flexible guide rod toward the distal end of the flexible guide rod to a selected position relative to the distal end of the flexible guide rod and within said treatment portion of the respiratory system of the patient's body.
