A standard intermittent catheter has a straight tip. They come in a variety of materials; PVC, Red Rubber or latex as well as Silicone, for individuals with latex allergies.

This is an intermittent catheter with a curved tip. The angle of the tip allows for male patients to snake around strictures or pass an enlarged prostate. There are several types of Coude tip styles, including olive tip (a more bulbous tip), a Tiemann tip (this has an exaggerated angle) or standard Coude tip with a round ending at a basic curved angle.

These intermittent catheters have a coating on the outside of the product that reacts with water and becomes very slick for insertion. Often times this product will come with a water sachet or packet and will need to be broken before opening the package. Once the packet is broken, it is recommended to “see-saw” the package back and forth to fully lubricate the catheter. Other hydrophilic catheters will come pre-lubricated, meaning they are ready for insertion upon opening the package. Some pre-lubricated catheters are non-hydrophilic but are covered in a gel like, sterile lubricant that is ready-to-use upon opening.

These intermittent catheters are about the size of a cosmetic item, are pre-lubricated, and ready-to-use. They typically have shorter lengths than the usual lengths, 6” for females and 16” for males, but will reach the bladder and effectively drain for most people.

Catheterization insertion kits or catheter insertion trays provide everything to conduct a catheter insertion in one convenient, sterile compact container. These kits are available with or without an intermittent catheter, so that you can have more flexibility in your choice. A typical intermittent catheter insertion kit includes; an Underpad, Exam Gloves, Collection Bag, Swab Sticks and/or other Sterilization Wipes, and Lubricating Jelly. Some kits and trays can include an intermittent catheter, a fenestrated drape, a specimen container, gauze, and a tray. The trays come standard in every insertion tray

Closed System Intermittent Catheters allows you to maintain a sterile field throughout the process of intermittent catheterization reducing the risk of urinary tract infections (UTI’s). The closed system catheters have an added benefit of improving the ease of the self catheterization process by offering a convenient, discreet, secure and reliable catheterization regardless of where you are. The closed systems feature either a pre-lubricated straight or coude catheter tip with an integrated collection bag. Some of the closed systems feature an ‘introducer tip’ that allows the catheter to skip through the first millimeter of the urethra, where most of the bacteria is found, therefore, reducing the risk of an infection even more. They are available in a kit configuration as well, which will typically include a closed system catheter, gloves, an underpad, sterile wipes and/or swabsticks, and an underpad.