Vascular Solutions has announced the US launch of its enhanced line of VSI Radial introducer sheaths for use in the introduction of guidewires and catheters into veins and arteries. The VSI Radial introducer sheaths are specifically designed for patients undergoing transradial catheterisation procedures, one of the fastest-growing practices in the field of interventional cardiology in the USA.
The new versions of the VSI Radial introducer sheaths enhance the original versions that were launched in early 2015. The new versions feature a superior sheath-to-dilator transition and an extended hydrophilic coating that includes both the sheath and the dilator. In addition, an angled tip wire has been added to the options.
“Vascular Solutions is committed to providing a complete range of specialised devices for radial artery catheterisation procedures, and therefore we are excited by the availability of our new introducer sheaths,” said Howard Root, CEO of Vascular Solutions.
“Radial access procedures represented fewer than 2% of all cardiac catheterisation procedures in the USA just seven years ago. Today, we believe radial access is used in approximately 25% of cath lab procedures. Yet, we expect this percentage to continue to grow over the next several years, and Vascular Solutions is well-positioned to contribute to and benefit from this major trend in US interventional practice.”
Vascular Solutions now offers 17 models of the VSI Radial introducer sheaths. The sheaths are available in 4F, 5F, and 6F diameters and in 7cm, 11cm, and 24cm lengths. Three kit configurations are available to accommodate a variety of radial access techniques: standard kits designed for the single-wall micropuncture technique, access kits designed for the double-wall micropuncture technique, and 0.035” kits designed for converting a 4F or 5F diagnostic procedure into a 6F intervention.
