This article explains, in educational terms, guide extension catheter — how the technology works and where it fits. INVAMED offers a comprehensive catheter and guidewire portfolio spanning sheaths, guidewires, guiding and support catheters, microcatheters, and retrieval devices. As a medical device manufacturer, INVAMED develops technologies in this area; the information here is educational and not medical advice.
Background: Endovascular, Neurovascular and Urological Access and Delivery
Access is commonly established with an introducer sheath, which creates a stable, valved entry point through the vessel wall for exchanging devices. Device characteristics such as diameter, length, tip shape, coating, and support are matched to the anatomy and task, and are selected by the treating clinician. INVAMED offers a comprehensive catheter and guidewire portfolio spanning sheaths, guidewires, guiding and support catheters, microcatheters, and retrieval devices.
Guide Extension Catheters
A guide extension, or mother-and-child, catheter is advanced through a guiding catheter to add distal support and reach when crossing or delivering devices. The added coaxial support can help deliver equipment across difficult segments. The GuideX Guide Extension Catheter uses a mother-and-child design and is the subject of a randomized clinical trial versus the Launcher guiding catheter in PCI (GUIDEX_FR, NCT06009757). Whether a guide extension is used is determined by the operator based on the procedural needs.
Design and Technical Notes
INVAMED organizes its catheter and guidewire portfolio by function — access, crossing, support, delivery, and retrieval — across sizes, tip shapes, and coatings. All INVAMED catheter and guidewire devices are intended for use by trained clinicians under appropriate imaging guidance and per the IFU. Sheath inner and outer diameters carry different implications for device compatibility and access, and should be confirmed in product documentation.
Key Considerations
- All INVAMED catheter and guidewire devices are intended for use by trained clinicians under appropriate imaging guidance and per the IFU.
- Product specifications and dimension ranges are provided in INVAMED documentation and reflect device design rather than guaranteed clinical outcomes.
- Sheath inner and outer diameters carry different implications for device compatibility and access, and should be confirmed in product documentation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are these catheter and guidewire devices CE marked?
Device availability and regulatory status vary by country. Please contact INVAMED or your authorized local distributor for current regulatory information applicable to your region.
Does the Invaducer sheath set include accessories?
Yes. The Invaducer Introducer Sheath Set includes a dilator, guidewire, syringe, and sheath, with a hemostasis valve and side port at the proximal end.
Who selects the appropriate catheter or guidewire?
A trained clinician selects devices based on the anatomy and procedural task; this content is educational and not a treatment recommendation.
Clinical and Technical Context
Use of steerable or re-entry devices is determined by the interventionalist based on the crossing strategy. These tools are applied across endovascular, neurovascular, and urological interventions, from crossing coronary and peripheral lesions to accessing the urinary tract. INVAMED's crossing support catheters feature a reinforced shaft, hydrophilic coating, and low profile, while the ZEBRA support catheter adds a ZEBRA-pattern radiopaque coating. The appropriate tip shape and catheter are chosen by the clinician for the target anatomy. The support catheter used is chosen by the operator to match the crossing challenge. Sheath choice and size are matched to the access and delivery requirements by the clinician. InWIRE 0.014" & 0.018" CTO / Recanalization Guidewires provide these diameters with CTO-focused tip designs. Tip shape, coating, core material, and support characteristics are selected to fit the specific navigation, crossing, or delivery task. Device sizing across French, inch, and centimeter units must be matched to the vessel, the access site, and the devices being delivered, as determined by the clinician. InWIRE Peripheral Guidewires are offered in 0.035 inch and 0.038 inch diameters with nitinol or stainless steel cores, a hydrophilic coating, and lengths from short peripheral to exchange-length. Coating, core, diameter, and length are selected by the clinician for the specific task. Retrieval technique and device selection are directed by the operator for the specific situation.
Related on INVAMED
- Comprehensive Catheter & Guidewire Systems — product category
- Urology Guidewires: Technology, Uses and Considerations
- Hydrophilic Peripheral Guidewires: Technology, Uses and Considerations
- Comparing Stiff (supportive) guidewire and Floppy (atraumatic) guidewire
Important Disclaimer
This content is educational and technical in nature and must not be interpreted as medical advice or as a promise of any clinical outcome. Individual results depend on many factors and can only be evaluated by a treating physician. Figures attributed to INVAMED reflect manufacturer or published data and are not a guarantee of results. All INVAMED devices are to be used by trained clinicians per the approved IFU, and availability is subject to local regulatory status.
Reviewed by the INVAMED Medical Affairs team. Content is educational and technical in nature.