Patent attributes
Guide extension catheters and related methods are disclosed. A guide extension catheter can comprise an elongate tube member, a push member, and a removable support member. The push member can be eccentrically coupled directly or indirectly to the elongate tube member and can extend proximally therefrom for slidably positioning the elongate tube member within and partially beyond a distal end of a guide catheter. The removable support member can comprise a structure that surrounds at least a portion of the push member. The removable support member alone, or when placed over the push member, can be more rigid along its longitudinal axis than the elongate tube member and can have a cross-sectional dimension that is greater than a maximal cross-sectional dimension of the push member.
