Catheter & IVUS Cable

Catheter & IVUS cable — ultra-fine 46–50 AWG micro coaxial, 0.19–0.30 mm OD, 50 Ω. 19-strand rope-lay for 1M+ flex cycles. For IVUS, ICE, EP mapping, ablation catheters. ISO 10993. OEM manufacturer.

Ultra-Fine Gauge × Ultra-High Core Density

ePTFE Low-Loss Dielectric Technology

Dual-Layer Shielding — Channel Isolation >40 dB

High-Flex — 1M Flex / 5M Torsion Cycles

ISO 9001 Certified · Fast Turnaround · Full Customization

Phase Matching ±1% — 100% TDR Verified

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IVUS Catheter Cable

Products

Specialty Cable Assemblies

Catheter-grade micro coaxial cables operate at the extreme edge of wire manufacturing capability. At 46 AWG, the conductor is 0.040 mm — requiring specialized wire drawing, micro-extrusion of ePTFE dielectric at 0.13 mm OD, and robotic shield braiding at 0.30 mm finished cable diameter. At 50 AWG, the conductor drops to 0.025 mm — thinner than a human hair — with 0.19 mm finished OD.

These dimensions are not smaller versions of standard micro coax. Catheter-grade cables require fundamentally different manufacturing processes, tighter dimensional tolerances, and 19-strand rope-lay conductors to achieve the 1,000,000+ flex cycles demanded by catheter navigation through coronary and cardiac anatomy.

We manufacture catheter and IVUS cables from 44 AWG to 50 AWG for intravascular ultrasound (IVUS), intracardiac echocardiography (ICE), electrophysiology (EP) mapping, ablation catheters, and next-generation catheter-based therapeutic devices.

Product Range

Product	AWG	Cable OD	Cores	Application
IVUS rotary catheter cable	46–50	0.19–0.30	1–4	Mechanical IVUS, OCT hybrid
IVUS phased-array cable	46	0.30 mm	16–64	Solid-state IVUS array
ICE catheter cable	44–46	0.30–0.38	64–128	Intracardiac echo, steerable
EP mapping cable	46–48	0.24–0.30	20–64	HD mapping basket catheter
Ablation hybrid cable	46(sig)+28(pwr)	2.0–2.6 mm total	20–32+4 pwr	Mapping + RF ablation
EUS catheter cable	44–46	0.30–0.38	32–64	Endoscopic ultrasound catheter
General catheter signal cable	44–50	0.19–0.38	1–32	Custom catheter Applications

Technical Specifications by AWG

Parameter	44 AWG	46 AWG	48 AWG	50 AWG
Conductor	0.051 mm	0.040 mm	0.032 mm	0.025 mm
Cable OD	0.38 mm	0.30 mm	0.24 mm	0.19 mm
Impedance	50 Ω ± 2 Ω	50 Ω ± 2 Ω	50 Ω ± 2 Ω	50 Ω ± 3 Ω
Capacitance	≤ 110 pF/m	≤ 125 pF/m	≤ 140 pF/m	≤ 160 pF/m
DC resistance	3,490 Ω/km	5,580 Ω/km	8,900 Ω/km	14,200 Ω/km
Loss at 20 MHz	1.2 dB/m	1.8 dB/m	2.5 dB/m	3.5 dB/m
Loss at 60 MHz	3.2 dB/m	4.5 dB/m	6.2 dB/m	8.5 dB/m
Flex (19-strand)	> 1M at 10 mm	> 1M at 8 mm	> 800K at 6 mm	> 500K at 5 mm
Yield	> 98%	92–96%	85–90%	75–85%
Lead time	Stock	4–6 wk MTO	5–7 wk MTO	6–8 wk special
Cost (vs. 44 AWG)	Baseline	+80–120%	+200–300%	+400–600%

Construction — Solid vs. 19-Strand

Factor	Solid Conductor	19-Strand Rope-Lay
Structure	Single wire at gauge diameter	19 individual wires, rope-lay twist
Flex life at min radius	> 100,000 cycles	> 1,000,000 cycles
Impedance tolerance	± 1.5 Ω (tighter)	± 2.0 Ω
Cost	Baseline	+60–80%
Recommended for	Disposable catheters (1–10 uses)	Reusable catheters (100+ uses)

For disposable IVUS catheters (the majority of IVUS market), solid conductor is the cost-effective choice — flex life of 100,000 cycles far exceeds the 10–50 insertion cycles of a disposable device.

Bundle OD Reference for Catheter Application

Element Count	44 AWG OD	46 AWG OD	48 AWG OD	Catheter French Size Fit
1	0.38 mm	0.30 mm	0.24 mm	Any — single element rotary IVUS
8	1.3 mm	1.1 mm	0.9 mm	3.5 Fr (1.17 mm ID) — 48 AWG only
16	1.8 mm	1.4 mm	1.1 mm	5.5 Fr (1.83 mm ID) — 46/48 AWG
32	3.0 mm	2.4 mm	1.9 mm	8 Fr (2.67 mm ID) — all gauges fit
64	4.3 mm	3.4 mm	2.7 mm	10 Fr (3.33 mm ID) — 46/48 AWG
128	5.8 mm	4.6 mm	3.7 mm	Not catheter-scale (probe territory)

Biocompatibility and Regulatory

All catheter-grade cables use materials compliant with ISO 10993 biocompatibility testing:

PFA jacket: ISO 10993-5 (cytotoxicity — pass), ISO 10993-10 (irritation/sensitization — pass). PFA is the standard jacket for patient-contact catheter cables.

ePTFE dielectric: Inherently biocompatible fluoropolymer. No extractables or leachables at body temperature.

Silver-plated copper conductor: Enclosed within sealed cable construction — no patient contact. Silver plating prevents copper oxidation that could compromise soldering.

We provide biocompatibility declarations for catheter cable assemblies. For novel material configurations or Applications requiring full biocompatibility testing (10993-5, -10, -11), we coordinate third-party testing at accredited laboratories (add 4–6 weeks and testing fee).

Comparison — Our Catheter Cable vs. Junkosha and Proterial

Our catheter cable matches Junkosha and Proterial on every published electrical and mechanical parameter. The advantages — shorter lead time, lower MOQ, and lower pricing — enable catheter development programs to iterate faster with lower inventory risk. Particularly valuable during the design-freeze-to-first-clinical-use phase where specification changes are common.

Frequently Asked Questions

What AWG do I need for my catheter?

Determined by catheter shaft internal diameter and element count. Rule of thumb: calculate required bundle OD from the element count table above, then verify it fits within your catheter lumen after subtracting guidewire channel, steering wires, and clearance. If 46 AWG fits, use it (best yield and cost). Step down to 48 or 50 AWG only when 46 AWG bundle OD exceeds available lumen space.

Solid or 19-strand for disposable IVUS?

Solid conductor. Disposable IVUS sees 1–5 procedures (10–50 insertions × 5–10 flex cycles per insertion = 50–500 total flex cycles). Solid conductor flex life of 100,000 cycles provides > 200× safety margin. Cost saving: 40–60% versus 19-strand.

Can catheter cables be sterilized?

PFA jacket withstands EtO (standard for catheter sterilization), hydrogen peroxide plasma, and gamma radiation. Autoclave (134°C steam) is also compatible but less common for disposable catheters.

Do you provide catheter-level assembly or just cable?

We supply cable assemblies — cable with connectors terminated at both ends, tested and documented. We do not perform catheter-level assembly (bonding cable to catheter shaft, installing transducer elements, catheter packaging). Our cable assemblies are designed as components for catheter manufacturers to integrate.

Can you match cables for IVUS/OCT hybrid catheters?

Yes. IVUS/OCT hybrid catheters require micro coaxial cable (IVUS ultrasound signal) alongside single-mode optical fiber (OCT light). We integrate both in a hybrid assembly — see our Hybrid Composite Cable product page for construction details.

Developing IVUS, ICE, EP, or ablation catheters? Share French size, element count, and operating frequency — we will specify the optimal AWG and construction

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Applications

Ultrasound Probe & Transducer

Modern 3D ultrasound probes contain 128–512 piezoelectric elements requiring precisely matched electrical path lengths for accurate beamforming. Multi-core micro coaxial cable provides per-channel shielding with phase-matched construction, serving as the core interconnect for GE, Philips, Siemens, and Mindray platforms.

Medical Endoscope Camera

Endoscope insertion tubes of 2–4 mm diameter must transmit HD/4K video while enduring 1M+ flex cycles. Using 42–46 AWG stranded conductors, OD achieves as small as 1.2 mm, supporting HD-SDI and 4K LVDS signals while meeting ISO 10993 biocompatibility requirements.

Robotic Surgery Cable

Robotic surgery arms must carry imaging signals, electrosurgical RF power, motor drive currents, and fiber optic illumination through ±270° articulating joints — all within a single hybrid assembly. Micro coaxial elements serve as the signal core, qualified to 5 million torsional flex cycles.

NDT Ultrasonic Testing (PAUT / TOFD)

Weld inspection and corrosion mapping in petrochemical, nuclear, and aerospace industries use PAUT and TOFD — requiring 16–256 core, phase-matched ±1%, 50 Ω micro coaxial bundles with industrial PUR/FEP/PTFE jackets, compliant with ASME V and EN 583-2 standards.

MRI-Compatible Device Cables

The MRI bore presents three electromagnetic environments requiring all metals to pass ASTM F2503 ferromagnetic assessment. Non-magnetic silver-plated copper alloy conductors meet 1.5T/3T MRI safety requirements for MRI-guided interventions, coil connections, and CT detector array interconnects.

Semiconductor / Industrial Robotics / Aerospace

Semiconductor wafer AOI inspection, industrial robot joint routing, and aerospace sensor arrays all demand high-density, fine-gauge cables with tight impedance control and signal integrity — areas where micro coaxial cable delivers unmatched performance in high-frequency transmission, channel isolation, and compact construction.