This article explains, in educational terms, crossing support catheters — 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. INVAMED offers a comprehensive catheter and guidewire portfolio spanning sheaths, guidewires, guiding and support catheters, microcatheters, and retrieval devices. A guidewire is a thin, steerable wire that a clinician advances first to establish a path, over which catheters and other devices are then delivered.
Crossing and Support Catheters
Support and crossing catheters back up a guidewire and help it cross tight or resistant lesions, and can facilitate wire exchanges. Reinforced shafts, low profiles, and hydrophilic coatings are designed to aid pushability and navigation. 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 support catheter used is chosen by the operator to match the crossing challenge.
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. 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. All INVAMED catheter and guidewire devices are intended for use by trained clinicians under appropriate imaging guidance and per the IFU.
Key Considerations
- 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.
- For a device under active study such as the GuideX guide extension in the GUIDEX_FR trial (NCT06009757), any comparative claims are for the trial to establish.
- All INVAMED catheter and guidewire devices are intended for use by trained clinicians under appropriate imaging guidance and per the IFU.
Frequently Asked Questions
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.
What construction do the AngioCATH guiding catheters use?
AngioCATH Guiding Catheters use durable PEBAX/PA polymer construction with a PTFE-coated lumen and multiple tip shapes for cardiac and peripheral anatomies.
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.
About INVAMED
Device availability and regulatory status vary by country. Please contact INVAMED or your authorized local distributor for current regulatory information applicable to your region.
Clinical and Technical Context
InWIRE 0.014" & 0.018" CTO / Recanalization Guidewires provide these diameters with CTO-focused tip designs. Device selection for neurovascular access is directed by the neurointerventionalist. The support catheter used is chosen by the operator to match the crossing challenge. InWIRE Peripheral Guidewires provide 0.035 inch and 0.038 inch options with a choice of nitinol or stainless steel cores. 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. Guidewire selection for urological access is made by the treating clinician. The configuration selected depends on the crossing or delivery task as judged by the operator. These tools are applied across endovascular, neurovascular, and urological interventions, from crossing coronary and peripheral lesions to accessing the urinary tract.
Related on INVAMED
- Comprehensive Catheter & Guidewire Systems — product category
- Comparing Stiff (supportive) guidewire and Floppy (atraumatic) guidewire
- What is a CTO or recanalization guidewire?
- Guiding Catheters and Tip Shapes: Technology, Uses and Considerations
Important Disclaimer
The information here is provided for educational purposes and to describe device technology; it is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Only a licensed healthcare provider can determine whether a given procedure or device is appropriate for a specific patient. INVAMED products are restricted to use by qualified professionals following the official IFU. Regulatory clearance and labeling differ between regions, and not all products or indications are available in every market.
Reviewed by the INVAMED Medical Affairs team. Content is educational and technical in nature.