Merit Medical has announced the release of the Prelude IDeal hydrophilic sheath Introducer in European, Middle Eastern and African Markets. A press releases reports that the Prelude IDeal is designed primarily for use in radial access procedure and has the same outer diameter as the leading competitor’s product—making it a suitable option for use with a wide range of anatomy, including in patients with small and thin vessels. However, with a 13% thinner wall, the sheath body inner diameter is larger, meaning more working room for catheters and other devices.
Furthermore, according to the press release, it is constructed with proprietary flat wire braiding technology that provides 23% more resistance to kinking and 124% more resistance to sidewall compression compared to the leading competitor’s sheath.1 The Prelude IDeal utilizes a hydrophilic coating to the tip of the sheath tubing. Hydrophilic coatings have been proven in clinical studies to reduce the risk of radial artery spasm.
Fred Lampropoulos, chairman and CEO of Merit Medical, comments: “The Prelude IDeal really exemplifies Merit’s solutions-oriented approach to innovation. We heard from interventional practitioners that there was a need for a sheath introducer that was designed to reduce risk of compression and kinking while still facilitating easy passage of catheters and other devices.
The Prelude IDeal hydrophilic sheath introducer was launched in the USA earlier in 2018 and is already one of the company’s fastest growing products.
