BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — October 29, 2026 – Rampart, a leader in enhanced radiation protection, today announced the launch of Rampart Vanguard™, a new radiation protection solution purpose-built for interventional imagers working at the head of the table.

Vanguard will debut at Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics® (TCT) 2026, taking place October 31 through November 3 at the San Diego Convention Center. Rampart will also share early data from real-world Vanguard cases demonstrating the system’s potential to significantly reduce occupational radiation exposure without compromising patient access or procedural workflow.

Interventional imagers play a critical role in complex structural heart procedures, yet their radiation protection needs have historically been overlooked. Studies show they can receive up to five times the radiation dose of interventional cardiologists during certain procedures.1,2 Their proximity to the patient and need for continuous probe manipulation make it difficult to avoid scatter radiation or achieve adequate protection with conventional shielding.

“Rampart was founded on the belief that clinicians should not have to sacrifice their own health to care for patients,” said Bob Foster, MD, Founder and Chief Medical Officer of Rampart. “Vanguard brings that mission to a group of clinicians who have been underserved by traditional radiation protection. It represents an important step toward providing total-body, lead-free protection to everyone in the interventional lab and moving the industry closer to a future where every member of the team can safely Shed the Lead.”

Vanguard provides greater than 99% radiation dose reduction across the head, eyes, axilla, chest, hips, and knees while preserving the direct patient and probe access required during image-guided procedures.

Key features include:

• Total-body protection: Greater than 99% dose reduction across areas that may remain exposed with conventional shielding.3
• Gateway Access™: A protected, adjustable opening that allows direct probe manipulation and patient access while the imager remains behind the Vanguard.
• Flexible positioning: Configurable for different operator heights, positions, and left- or right-hand preferences and adjusts to varied room setups.
• Biplane compatibility: Designed to support C-arm movement without requiring mid-procedure reconfiguration.
• Compact design: Foldable design with minimal lab footprint that integrates seamlessly into crowded interventional environments.

“I’ve experienced firsthand the physical toll of wearing lead and the difference it makes when you no longer have to,” said Ali J. Ebrahimi, MD, UAB Interventional Cardiologist and clinical design collaborator for Vanguard. “As physicians, our ability to perform at the highest level is critical because patients’ lives and outcomes depend on it. Vanguard represents an opportunity to protect ourselves, extend our careers and continue delivering the best possible care to our patients.”

The launch comes at a pivotal time for occupational radiation safety. A new multisociety expert consensus statement endorsed by six leading cardiovascular and interventional medical societies calls for the immediate adoption of enhanced radiation protection devices in fluoroscopy laboratories, emphasizing the need to reduce radiation exposure and the orthopedic burden of heavy lead apparel while extending total-body protection to the entire procedural team. 

Vanguard helps translate that guidance into action with purpose-built protection at the head of the table. As a part of Rampart’s broader portfolio of lead-free enhanced radiation protection solutions, Vanguard™ works alongside Guardian™ and Bunker™ to extend >99% total-body attenuation across the procedural environment, helping protect physicians, imagers, nurses, technologists, and other members of the care team without adding unnecessary weight to clinicians or the patient table.

At TCT 2026, Rampart will share new clinical findings demonstrating Vanguard’s performance during real-world structural heart procedures at UAB. Initial case data showed greater than 99% total-body dose reduction at the head of the table, with additional findings from 15 procedures demonstrating greater than 98% reduced eye-level radiation exposure with Vanguard.3 Dr. Ebrahimi will present the eye-level findings at TCT:

TCT 354: Reduction in Eye Radiation Exposure Using a Novel Head-of-Bed Radiation Shield During Structural Heart Interventions
Sunday, November 1 | 1:40 p.m. | Station 10
Presenter: Ali J. Ebrahimi, MD

“These early findings show what’s possible when radiation protection is designed around the clinician and the procedure,” Foster said. “We shouldn’t have to accept radiation exposure, heavy lead apparel, or workflow disruption as part of the job. We can expect better.”

TCT attendees can experience Vanguard and learn more about the early clinical findings at Rampart Booth 4727.

To learn more about Vanguard, visit https://rampart.com/solutions/#vanguard 

1. McNamara DA, et al. Median head-level radiation dose per case during 60 LAAO and TEER procedures at a single center. JAMA Netw Open. 2022;5(7):e2220597.
2. Garcia-Sayan E, et al. Occupational radiation exposure among interventional echocardiographers and sonographers. J Am Soc Echocardiogr. 2024;37:698-705.
3. Rampart data on file.

About Rampart

Rampart is a Birmingham, Alabama–based medical device company redefining interventional radiation safety through rigorous clinical evidence. Supported by two randomized controlled trials and peer-reviewed real-world evidence in more than 1,700 procedures across 150+ sites, Rampart’s solutions deliver greater than 99% scatter radiation reduction and are proven to be up to 20x more effective than lead aprons and traditional shields.

Designed with zero pounds of wearable burden and engineered so that it adds no weight to the clinician or the procedure table, Rampart eliminates the orthopedic strain long associated with wearing lead aprons while preserving full procedural freedom. As the sole worldwide manufacturer of ClearShield® Technology — a proprietary lead-free bismuth acrylic that delivers consistent 1mm lead equivalency protection — Rampart is the only ERPD built from completely lead-free materials, supporting a more sustainable approach to radiation safety without compromises of traditional lead-based shielding.  Available nationwide and through global distribution partnerships, Rampart provides Total Body, Total Team Protection™ for every member of the interventional team – enabling clinicians everywhere to safely Shed the Lead®.