This article explains, in educational terms, introducer sheath — how the technology works and where it fits. 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. 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
INVAMED offers a comprehensive catheter and guidewire portfolio spanning sheaths, guidewires, guiding and support catheters, microcatheters, and retrieval 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. These tools are applied across endovascular, neurovascular, and urological interventions, from crossing coronary and peripheral lesions to accessing the urinary tract.
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. The Invaducer Introducer Sheath Set includes a dilator, guidewire, syringe, and sheath, with a hemostasis valve and side port at the proximal end. Sheath French size and length are matched to the intended devices and access site by the clinician.
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. Tip shape, coating, core material, and support characteristics are selected to fit the specific navigation, crossing, or delivery task. 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.
- 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.
- Sheath inner and outer diameters carry different implications for device compatibility and access, and should be confirmed in product documentation.
Frequently Asked Questions
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.
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.
What is the GuideX guide extension catheter?
GuideX is INVAMED's mother-and-child guide extension catheter, which is the subject of a randomized clinical trial versus the Launcher guiding catheter in PCI (GUIDEX_FR, NCT06009757).
Clinical and Technical Context
InWIRE Peripheral Guidewires are available with nitinol or stainless steel cores in 0.035 inch and 0.038 inch diameters. The JaGuar Guiding Sheath uses braided construction for kink resistance, while the Jaguar Braided Long Sheath adds a coil-reinforced shaft, a radiopaque marker, and an approximately 5 cm hydrophilically coated distal tip. INVAMED offers a neurovascular microcatheter line and a distal access catheter for neurovascular use within its portfolio. 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. InWIRE NEURO Neurovascular Guide Wire features flexible atraumatic distal tips with high torque response. The appropriate tip shape and catheter are chosen by the clinician for the target anatomy. Guidewire selection for urological access is made by the treating clinician.
Related on INVAMED
- Comprehensive Catheter & Guidewire Systems — product category
- Single and Double-Lumen Microcatheters: Technology, Uses and Considerations
- Comparing Stiff (supportive) guidewire and Floppy (atraumatic) guidewire
- What do guidewire sizes 0.014, 0.018, and 0.035 mean?
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.