Medtronic (NYSE:MDT) said today it launched its Telescope guide extension catheter, touting the device as its entry into the guide extension catheter market.

The newly launched Telescope guide extension catheter is designed to provide additional backup support and access to distal lesions, aiding in the delivery of coronary stents, balloons and other interventional devices during angioplasty procedures, Medtronic said.

“It is not an exaggeration to say that guide extension technologies have greatly impacted the ability to deliver devices to the distal coronary vasculature, especially for cases where traditional guide support may be limited. In this light, the Telescope – a guide extension catheter with specific design optimizations aiming to stably deliver devices through tortuous anatomy – is a welcome addition to the interventional toolbox,” Dr. Ajay Kirtane of the NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Cardiac Catheterization Laboratories said in a prepared statement.

Fridley, Minn.-based Medtronic said that the Telescope guide extension cath combines a solid, round pushwire with a coil-reinforced hydrophilic-coated distal segment to improve pushability and deliverability. The system also features the company’s TruFlex soft polymer tip and SmoothPass technology.

“Before bringing this important technology to market, we collaborated with more than 700 interventional cardiologists to ensure Telescope was addressing unmet needs in complex PCI. We will continue to make investments in cutting edge interventional technologies, clinical evidence expansion, and robust physician training programs, which we believe will make a meaningful difference for physicians and their patients,” Medtronic coronary and renal denervation biz GM Dave Moeller said in a press release.

Yesterday, Medtronic inked a deal with Ireland-based Q3 Medical Devices to distribute its Archimedes biodegradable biliary and pancreatic stents intended for use as an alternative to traditional plastic stents.