Below is an educational, technical answer to a question many patients and clinicians ask. Access is commonly established with an introducer sheath, which creates a stable, valved entry point through the vessel wall for exchanging 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. 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. These tools are applied across endovascular, neurovascular, and urological interventions, from crossing coronary and peripheral lesions to accessing the urinary tract.
What is a guiding catheter and what tip shapes are used?
A guiding catheter provides a conduit and backup support to deliver devices, with a preformed tip shaped to engage a specific vessel origin. Different tip shapes are designed for cardiac and peripheral anatomies to seat the catheter appropriately. INVAMED's AngioCATH Guiding Catheters use PEBAX/PA polymer construction with a PTFE-coated lumen and multiple tip shapes for cardiac and peripheral anatomies. The tip shape and catheter are chosen by the clinician for the target vessel.
What This Means in Practice
Tip shape, coating, core material, and support characteristics are selected to fit the specific navigation, crossing, or delivery task. 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
- Tip shape, coating, core material, and support characteristics are selected to fit the specific navigation, crossing, or delivery task.
- Product specifications and dimension ranges are provided in INVAMED documentation and reflect device design rather than guaranteed clinical outcomes.
- 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.
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.
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).
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.
About INVAMED
INVAMED operates a dedicated R&D center (INVAcenter) focused on minimally invasive device development. INVAMED states it holds more than 100 international patents across its device portfolio.
Clinical and Technical Context
Sheath inner and outer diameters carry different implications for device compatibility and access, and should be confirmed in product documentation. Guidewire selection for urological access is made by the treating clinician. Coating, core, diameter, and length are selected by the clinician for the specific task. The Zebra Guidewire for Urological Procedures features a high-visibility striped coating and a flexible atraumatic tip, complementing INVAMED's broader urology guidewire range. Catheters and guidewires are the working tools of minimally invasive procedures, used to gain vascular access and navigate to a target inside the body. The Invaducer Introducer Sheath Set includes a dilator, guidewire, syringe, and sheath, with a hemostasis valve and side port at the proximal end. The configuration selected depends on the crossing or delivery task as judged by the operator. Sheath choice and size are matched to the access and delivery requirements by the clinician.
Related on INVAMED
- Comprehensive Catheter & Guidewire Systems — product category
- Guiding Catheters and Tip Shapes: Technology, Uses and Considerations
- Comprehensive Catheter & Guidewire Systems: A Complete Technical Guide
- Understanding Endovascular Snares
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.