Preclinical Catheters

Sentinel Nord AS develops customized preclinical catheters for injections, sample collections, or to be used while imaging mice and rats. All catheters feature a user-friendly butterfly design with an easy-grip mechanism, allowing for precise tail cannulation procedures. Each catheter is individually tested for leaks and obstructions using PBS, sterilized with UV light, and packaged separately to ensure optimal efficiency and sterility preservation.

Catheters are available in a range of sizes, ranging from 25-30G, with a customized tube length of 8”-40″, specifically designed for preclinical and clinical imaging systems. This extended length allows for dynamic studies with the animal inside the system while keeping the tube end accessible for injection purposes in any imaging systems such as MRI, PET, CT, or bioluminescent imaging. The PE10 tubes have an inner diameter of 0.28 mm, ensuring a minimal dead volume of only 38-86uL.

Another option is the Long Tail Butterfly (LTButterfly™), where the catheter, regardless of its length or needle size, includes a “tail” that securely attaches to the animal’s tail once the cannulation is complete. This innovative design prevents catheter displacement or movement during transfer to the imaging bed or any other procedure, thus ensuring reliable and consistent results while enhancing animal welfare.