What is the purpose of the cobra catheter in TACE/SIRT?

The cobra catheter is specifically designed to navigate through the complex vascular anatomy associated with the mesenteric arteries. Its unique shape allows for enhanced maneuverability and can facilitate selective catheterization of these arteries, which may be crucial during procedures like Transarterial Chemoembolization (TACE) or Selective Internal Radiation Therapy (SIRT). By securing access to these vessels, the cobra catheter ensures that treatments can be delivered precisely to the targeted tumor locations within the liver, optimizing the therapeutic effect while minimizing exposure to healthy tissue.

While providing patient comfort, enhancing imaging quality, and delivering embolic agents are important considerations in interventional radiology, they are not the primary purpose of the cobra catheter. Its design and functionality are primarily focused on enabling clinicians to achieve effective access to challenging vascular territories during targeted therapies.