St. Jude Medical Announces U.S. Launch Of TigerWire Steerable Guidewire

St. Paul, MN - St. Jude Medical, Inc. recently announced U.S. launch of the TigerWire Steerable Guidewire. The newest member of the St. Jude Medical GuideRight family of steerable guidewires, the TigerWire Steerable Guidewire is designed to enhance physicians' ability to steer through challenging peripheral arteries, the vessels that supply blood to the legs and arms.

A guidewire is a thin, flexible wire that physicians use to help guide and steer a catheter (a flexible tube) through the arteries. Catheters are used to assist in diagnosing and treating blockages caused by a build-up of plaque inside artery walls. Plaque build-up can block blood flow and lead to heart attack or stroke.

The TigerWire Guidewire's tip is designed with enhanced flexibility to aid in navigation through the vessels. Its supportive design provides distinct zones of flexibility that make it easier for physicians to track and position the guidewire through challenging anatomy.

"The TigerWire Steerable Guidewire has been engineered for improved steerability," said Frank Callaghan, president of the St. Jude Medical Cardiovascular Division. "It gives physicians a tool that can ease access to difficult-to-reach vessels when performing complex diagnostic and interventional procedures."

The insertion of a guidewire is a first step in interventional procedures in which physicians thread catheters through the arteries to diagnose the severity of disease or deliver treatments, including devices such as stents that open blockages and restore blood flow.

Each year, an estimated 4 million cardiovascular catheterization procedures are performed in the U.S., according to IMV, a research and publishing firm specializing in the medical imaging and clinical diagnostic instruments markets.

SOURCE: St. Jude Medical, Inc.