Vascular Solutions Rolls Out New Versions of its Turnpike Catheter

Vascular Solutions Inc. launched two new versions of its Turnpike catheters for use in complex coronary and peripheral interventions. The original version of Turnpike was introduced in January, and the company has added the Turnpike Spiral and Turnpike Gold versions to the product line.

“Physicians have responded enthusiastically to our launch of the original Turnpike catheter, which is turning out to be one of our most successful new product launches in recent years,” said Howard Root, CEO of Vascular Solutions. “At a time when physicians are performing a greater number of complex interventional procedures, we are pleased to broaden our Turnpike product line with two new devices that provide unique clinical benefits. Since launching our GuideLiner guide extension catheter in 2009, Vascular Solutions has been focused on providing tools for use in the most challenging interventions, and we expect our Turnpike catheters to make a significant added contribution in this rapidly growing clinical specialty worldwide.”

One of the early adopters of the Turnpike catheters is James Spratt, M.D., consultant cardiologist at Forth Valley Acute Hospitals in the United Kingdom. “A major focus of my practice is the treatment of complex cases, and these interventions require specialized devices to navigate in highly tortuous vessels and through extremely tight plaque lesions,” Spratt said. “I have been very impressed with the new Turnpike catheters and have incorporated these devices into my practice. The design of these catheters allows for excellent tracking in tortuous vessels and superior passage through difficult stenoses.”

All three versions of the Turnpike are over-the-wire catheters with an advanced shaft design that provides superior tracking and advancement over an 0.014-inch guidewire. The single-lumen catheters are constructed in five layers:  two layers of polymer encapsulating both a braid and a dual-layer coil.

The original version of the Turnpike, launched in January, extends the catheter’s braid and dual-layer coil into a soft, radiopaque distal tip which, following a non-tapered polymer-only section, gradually tapers to a smooth distal edge. The new Turnpike Spiral version uses the same shaft and tip configuration but adds an outer coil attached to the distal 2 centimeters of the shaft, which is useful in procedures in which physicians need additional rotational advancement of the catheter through tortuous anatomy, according to the company. The new Turnpike Gold version uses the same shaft but features a threaded, gold-plated tip designed for rotational advancement in cases in which an 0.014-inch guidewire has been advanced through a lesion but even the smallest balloon catheter is unable to be delivered over the wire. All three versions feature a hydrophilic coating on the distal 60 centimeters of the catheter for smooth advancement.

The Turnpike catheters are intended to be used to access discrete regions of the coronary and/or peripheral vasculature. The catheters may be used to facilitate placement or exchange of guidewires and to subselectively infuse/deliver diagnostic and therapeutic agents.

Minneapolis, Minn.-based Vascular Solutions develops clinical solutions for coronary and peripheral vascular procedures. The company’s product line consists of more than 90 products that are sold to interventional cardiologists, interventional radiologists, electrophysiologists, and vein specialists.