This guide offers an educational, technical overview of comprehensive catheter & guidewire systems and the device technologies used in this field. Catheters and guidewires are the working tools of minimally invasive procedures, used to gain vascular access and navigate to a target inside the body. 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. These tools are applied across endovascular, neurovascular, and urological interventions, from crossing coronary and peripheral lesions to accessing the urinary tract. 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.
Core Technologies and Options
Introducer Sheaths. An introducer sheath creates a stable access channel through the vessel wall so that guidewires and catheters can be exchanged without repeated trauma. A hemostasis valve limits blood loss, while a side port allows flushing or contrast injection during the procedure. Hydrophilic Peripheral Guidewires. A hydrophilic coating becomes slippery when wet, which is designed to reduce friction as a guidewire is advanced through tortuous or narrowed vessels. This can aid navigation across challenging anatomy compared with an uncoated wire. 0.035 and 0.038 inch Guidewires. The 0.035 inch and 0.038 inch guidewire sizes are common workhorse diameters in peripheral and general endovascular access. Larger-diameter wires generally provide more support for advancing catheters and sheaths. 0.014 and 0.018 inch CTO Guidewires. Smaller-diameter guidewires such as 0.014 inch and 0.018 inch are used for fine navigation and for crossing challenging lesions including chronic total occlusions (CTOs). CTO-focused tip designs are intended to help negotiate hard, resistant occlusions. Neurovascular Guidewires. Neurovascular navigation demands guidewires with atraumatic tips and responsive torque to steer through delicate intracranial vessels. Flexible distal tips are designed to reduce the risk of vessel trauma during navigation. Guiding Catheters and Tip Shapes. Guiding catheters provide a conduit and backup support to deliver devices to a target, with preformed tip shapes to engage specific vessel origins. Different tip shapes are designed to suit cardiac and peripheral anatomies and the vessels being engaged.
Comparing the Approaches
Hydrophilic coating vs PTFE coating. Hydrophilic coatings become slippery when wet to reduce friction during navigation, while PTFE coatings provide a low-friction surface commonly used on catheter lumens. InWIRE guidewires use a hydrophilic coating, while AngioCATH Guiding Catheters use a PTFE-coated lumen. Nitinol core vs Stainless steel core. A nitinol guidewire core is valued for flexibility and kink resistance, while a stainless steel core can provide different support and torque behavior. InWIRE Peripheral Guidewires are offered with either nitinol or stainless steel cores so the clinician can match the case. Introducer sheath vs Guiding catheter. An introducer sheath establishes a valved access channel through the vessel wall, while a guiding catheter is advanced to a target to engage a vessel and deliver devices. INVAMED offers the Invaducer Introducer Sheath Set for access and AngioCATH Guiding Catheters with multiple tip shapes for delivery.
INVAMED Portfolio in This Area
INVAMED's related devices include: Invaducer Introducer Sheath Set, InWIRE Peripheral Guidewires, InWIRE 0.014" & 0.018" CTO / Recanalization Guidewires, InWIRE NEURO Neurovascular Guide Wire, AngioCATH Guiding Catheters, GuideX Guide Extension Catheter, Lotus Single Lumen & Double Lumen, JaGuar Guiding Sheath, Jaguar Braided Long Sheath, Keeper Endovascular Snare, Zebra Guidewire for Urological Procedures, Urology guidewire range. Detailed specifications for each are provided in the product documentation.
Key Considerations
- 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.
- All INVAMED catheter and guidewire devices are intended for use by trained clinicians under appropriate imaging guidance and per the IFU.
Frequently Asked Questions
What guidewire diameters does INVAMED offer?
INVAMED's InWIRE range includes 0.014 and 0.018 inch CTO / recanalization wires and 0.035 and 0.038 inch peripheral wires, plus a dedicated neurovascular guidewire; the choice is made by the clinician.
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.
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.
Related on INVAMED
- Comprehensive Catheter & Guidewire Systems — product category
- What guidewire lengths are available?
- Single and Double-Lumen Microcatheters: Technology, Uses and Considerations
- How does an introducer sheath work?
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.