INT Medical Thin Wall Introducer Set

Vascular access has moved steadily towards the wrist. Radial access reduces bleeding at the puncture site and lets patients sit up and walk sooner, and most coronary work in the UK now takes that route. What it costs is room to manoeuvre, because the radial artery is a fraction of the size of the femoral and it does not tolerate being stretched.

Two problems follow from that. The first is fit. A sheath has to pass into an artery that may measure only two to three millimetres, and the ratio between sheath and vessel governs how likely the artery is to be damaged or to occlude afterwards. Since the lumen cannot shrink without limiting what passes through it, the wall is the only place to save space. Thinner walls give a smaller outer profile for the same working channel, which is why this class of sheath exists.

The second is spasm. The radial artery is muscular and reactive, and instrumentation makes it contract. A sheath gripped by a spastic artery is painful to place and painful to remove, and in the worst case cannot be withdrawn without difficulty. Surface friction drives that reaction, so a hydrophilic coating on the part of the sheath sitting inside the vessel reduces it. Kink resistance matters for a related reason, since a thin-walled tube taken round a tortuous vessel would otherwise fold, and a woven shaft resists that.

Femoral access remains necessary for larger equipment, which is why the BFS series extends to 12F. Medigear.uk supplies the instructions for use with every order.

Thin Walls Between 0.18 and 0.26 mm

The published figures are genuinely slim, giving a smaller outer profile for the same lumen and easing access through narrower vessels.

Both Diameters Published

Outer and inner diameters are given for 4F to 8F, and outer diameter is what actually determines whether a vessel will accept a sheath.

Femoral and Radial in One Range

A 4F to 12F femoral series sits alongside three radial series, so both routes come from the same supplier and the same handling characteristics.

Three Wire and Access Options for Radial Work

BRI, BRS and BRN differ in the wire and access device supplied, so a unit can match the kit to its own radial technique.

Woven Shaft for Kink Resistance

Thin walls would otherwise be prone to folding, and a braided construction is what allows the wall to be reduced without losing shape.

Distal Hydrophilic Coating

Coating the section that sits inside the vessel reduces the friction that provokes radial spasm, which is the main handling problem at the wrist.

Three Sheath Lengths on Radial References

5.5, 7, and 11 c:m let sheath length be matched to how deep the vessel sits rather than accepting one fixed option.

Consolidated Supply Through Medigear.uk

Medigear.uk quotes all 45 references on one account alongside INT's guidewires, catheters and other access products.

BFS Femoral Series

Nine references from 4F to 12F at a single 11 cm sheath length.

BRI Radial Series

Twelve references from 4F to 7F, supplied with a hydrophilic wire and IV catheter.

BRS Radial Series

Twelve references from 4F to 7F, supplied with a stainless steel wire and 21G needle.

BRN Radial Series

Twelve references from 4F to 7F, supplied with a nitinol wire and 21G needle.

4F Dimensions

2.03 mm outer diameter against 1.67 mm inner, a 0.18 mm wall.

6F Dimensions

2.83 mm outer diameter against 2.33 mm inner, a 0.25 mm wall.

8F Dimensions

3.45 mm outer diameter against 3.00 mm inner, a 0.225 mm wall.

Sizes to 12F on the Femoral Series

The BFS range extends well beyond the radial sizes for larger equipment.

5.5 cm Sheath Length

The shortest radial option, coded with an A suffix.

7 cm Sheath Length

The intermediate radial option, coded with a B suffix.

11 cm Sheath Length

The longest option, coded with a C suffix and standard across the femoral series.

Tapered Sheath to Dilator Transition

The junction is tapered to reduce resistance at the puncture site.

The INT Medical Thin Wall Introducer Set is the most completely specified access range in INT's catalogue, and the central claim holds up. Walls between 0.18 and 0.26 mm are genuinely thin, and publishing both outer and inner diameter for every size from 4F to 8F is more useful than the French figure alone that most sheets give. Forty-five references cover femoral work to 12F and radial work across three wire configurations. Two matters warrant attention. Each stated inner diameter sits a full French size above its label, which is consistent across the range but worth clarifying. More significantly, this is now INT's third introducer sheath range, overlapping the PathFinder and BIS lines across the same middle sizes. Medigear.uk will obtain the dimensions above 8F, the valve rating, and the UK conformity position before offering this range.