There are surprising moments in history that can have a profound impact on the advancement of medical device technology. Flexor technology was conceived from one of these seemingly ordinary circumstances.
In 1965, a casual conversation between physicians in the cafeteria of the UCLA Medical Center in California, USA, led to a substantial innovation in minimally invasive procedures. As Drs. Richard Hoffman and Donald Desilets sat together drinking sodas, they realized a straw-like pathway was the tool they needed to access a vessel without exchanging wires and catheters through tissue.
The first sets of catheter sheaths were homemade by Desilets and Hoffman from DuPont Mylar® soda straws. Shortly after, the physicians worked with Cook to produce the very first introducer sheath, which was fabricated from the same Mylar material as the straws. In 1969, thin-walled Teflon® replaced the Mylar.
Decades later, as procedures evolved, clinicians desired kink-resistant, longer, soft-tipped sheaths to support the challenges of device delivery. Cook delivered on that need by developing the Flexor guiding sheath to help physicians access a vessel without exchanging wires and catheters through the tissue.
“Flexor guiding sheaths provide a reliable track from access point to treatment point, facilitate device exchanges, and provide support for the treatment products, like balloons and stents,” said Rikke Matthiesen, a product manager at William Cook Europe.
Flexor is an established technology that’s been on the market since 1991. Over time, this core technology product has evolved to offer nine Flexor “families” with a broad range of sizes, lengths, and designs adding up to more than 100 variations in EMEA alone. Flexor technology is currently used for aortic and peripheral applications, including for carotid, iliofemoral, radial, renal, and below-the-knee interventions.
Presenting a reliable tool for carotid intervention
Cook offers multiple options of Flexor guiding sheaths for iliofemoral procedures
Flexor provides options for renal interventions
Treating below the knee
Mylar is a registered trademark of DuPont Teijin Films.
Teflon is a registered trademark of E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company.