Diagnostic catheters include pigtail for ventriculography, Judkins Right and Left for coronary catheterization, and multipurpose catheters for various vascular territories. Shape selection depends on aortic root anatomy and target vessel.
Guidewire tip stiffness ranges from floppy (~1g) for atraumatic navigation to extra-stiff (12-20g) for CTO crossing. Workhorse wires handle routine cases, moderate-support wires aid in tortuous anatomy, and CTO wires penetrate organized thrombus.
Microcatheters are ultra-thin (1.5-3F) catheters for small tortuous vessels that standard catheters cannot reach. They feature steam-shapeable tips and hydrophilic coatings for embolization, selective drug delivery, and guidewire support.
