Caption of Fig 3: Grey wire is a soft tip catheter; green wire is a traditional catheter used in this study. A, non-medal soft sphericity tip. B, 10 cm flexible distal part. Compare with current most used TVCP catheter, the grey catheter proximal part stiff as the same, while distal part more flexible.
While TPPM must operate under fluoroscope by a cardiologist with sufficient operator skills, which may not be available in an emergency or other reason, the TVCP catheter in this study has a smooth and stiff metal tip (the distal electrode). A soft tip design of TVCP catheter (Grey wire in Fig 3): proximal catheter as rigid as traditional TVCP catheter to keep operability, while soft sphericity tip and more flexible distal lead would prevent the catheter from penetrating the right ventricular wall which may cause pericardial tamponade, and lighten mechanical cardiac injury.