Hardware for Interventions

Appropriate hardware is essential for ensuring the success of an image-guided intervention. Hardware planning is a major pre-requisite to avoid unwarranted complications and long procedure times. Puncture needles are used to obtain access into the blood vessels for endovascular interventions. Vascular sheaths are used for securing endovascular access once it is obtained. The diameter and the length of the sheath are decided based on the planned intervention. Angiographic catheters come with various tip shapes that help in selective cannulation of the vessel of interest. Embolization is a commonly performed image-guided intervention and choosing an appropriate agent is one of its most crucial steps. Temporary embolizing agents include gelatin foam, and permanent ones include coils, plugs, and liquid and particulate agents.