Types of syringes and needles. Medical syringes: device and dimensions
The syringe (its name comes from the Germanspritzen) is the name of a tool used in engineering, cooking and medicine to inject and remove various liquids or gases by means of piston pressure.
Medical syringes - instruments usedfor injections, diagnostic punctures or suction of pathological contents from the cavities of the human body. The principle of its work is that when the piston rises and the needle is placed in any vessel with liquid, a vacuum is created between the surface and the tool. Since the liquid in the vessel is acted upon by atmospheric pressure, it rises to its cavity.
Basically, a syringe is nothing but a hollowgraduated cylinder with an open end (into which a piston with a rod is inserted) and with a cone at the other end (to which the needle is attached). Modern disposable syringes are almost entirely made of plastic, while some reusable syringes are made of metal.
Types of syringes and needles are distinguished depending on their size, purpose, design and number of possible uses.
Let's begin with the classification of tools by their design.
There are two-component and three-componentsyringes. What is their difference? We have already described the construction of two-component ones - they consist only of a cylinder and a piston. In the three-component to these two parts, a third plunger is added.
We will explain what it is and for what it is needed. A couple of decades ago, physicians noticed that the pain of the injection depends not only on how sharp the needle is in the syringe, but also on the smooth motion of the piston in it. The thing is that the nurse, making an injection, makes considerable efforts to "push" the piston inside the cylinder. Because of this, the whole syringe moves, and the needle that is in the human tissues, too. Actually, this is the cause of the pain.
Now go directly to the plunger. This is an ordinary rubber seal, which is attached to the piston for its more smooth movement along the cylinder of the syringe. Thus, the person who injects with less force presses on the syringe and the painful sensations almost disappear.
Currently, both species are used in medicine.
Consider also the classification of syringes by the number of uses. As is known, on this basis they are divided into disposable and reusable.
Disposable syringes (single-use disposable syringes)
Widely distributed in the early 80'syears. They are almost entirely made of plastic, except for the needle - it is made of stainless steel. For a single administration of drugs, a syringe (or sirrette) is also sometimes used.
Most often, medical disposable syringes are types of syringes for injections. Let's take a closer look at them.
Common disposable syringe
Conventional disposable syringes (types, the sizes of which we will consider later) are usually used to introduce various injections. Its principle of operation and structure are already described above.
There are types of disposable syringes with the followingvolumes: 2 ml, 3 ml, 5 ml, 10 ml, 20 ml and 50 ml. There are also some non-standard species, for example, a small insulin syringe or a Janet syringe with a volume of 150 ml.
Insulin syringes
These are the types of syringes used for administrationinsulin into the patient's body. The volume of such a syringe is 1 ml. It has a thin and fairly short needle, which makes the medication painless. In connection with the fact that this medicine is almost always independently administered by patients, this fact is very important.
All types of insulin syringes are marked not onlyin milliliters, but also in ED (units by which the dosage of insulin is performed). In all the drugs that exist today, 1 ml contains 100 units - no more, no less.
These syringes also have a special piston shape,which provides the maximum accuracy when the drug is administered. A standard insulin syringe is marked with a step of 1 unit, a syringe for children - 0.5 or 0.25 units.
Previously, syringes with a size of 40 units were also used, but at the moment they practically came out of use.
For the introduction of insulin, a pen-syringe is often used, too, since with its help it is easier to do. We will discuss these types of syringes later.
Despite the fact that the insulin syringe is considered disposable, it can be used several times until the needle comes up.
Syringe Janet
Of all types of medical syringes, this is the mostbig. Its capacity is 150 ml. The Janet Syringe is most often used for washing the cavities of the human body or sucking liquids, but can also be used for other purposes. For example, sometimes it is used for setting enemas. Can be used for intra-abdominal, intravenous or intratracheal infusions, for which a conventional syringe will be too small.
If you watched the "Caucasian captive", you shouldremember the scene in which Byvalomu put an intramuscular injection with sleeping pills with the same syringe Janet. We must understand that this is just a film, and in real life, the syringe is not used for such purposes.
Self-locking syringes
Types of disposable syringes that were designed specifically for regular large-scale programs of immunization of the population or any other injection in large volumes.
Their peculiarity is that reusesuch a syringe is impossible and eliminated mechanically. They are so constructed that after the first use the piston is blocked, and the syringe remains only to be thrown out. This is their main advantage over all other disposable species that can actually be used more than once.
Syringe tube
Medical syringes designed forsingle-dose administration of any drug. Such varieties are usually in the first aid kit of each paramedic. They are completely sterile and already contain the right dose of medicine in a sealed vessel-casing.
Types of syringes, photos of which you will find under the description, do not end with single-use syringes.
Now consider reusable models and their varieties.
Reusable syringes
It seemed that in the modern world there simply is no place for such unreliable things as reusable syringes. But no, some of their types are often used and completely safe.
Conventional reusable syringes
For the first time reusable glass syringes appearedin the distant 1857 and they looked almost the same as modern. The idea of creating a glass syringe belongs to the glass-blower Fournier. In the late 19th century, his idea was bought by a French company and immediately introduced glass syringes into practice. It was from that moment on, that reusable syringes became the property of mankind. Even then they were produced in different sizes, from 2 to 100 ml. The syringe of that time had a graduated glass cylinder, ending with a cone. Inside the cylinder was a piston. This structure was sterilized by boiling. The glass was thermally stable and could withstand temperatures of up to 200 degrees.
To replace such a model in 1906 came a syringeof the “Record” type, which had a metal needle, a glass cylinder, embedded on both sides into metal rings, and a metal piston with rubber rings for sealing.
Sterilized syringes are usually stored in a densebrown paper. It was called “craft”. Reusable needles were attached with a syringe. At the time of using these tools, the injection procedure was really very painful, since the reusable needles were very quickly blunt due to repeated boiling. Before the process itself, the syringes were cleaned with a special wire - “mandrin”. Pharmacies of the time sold special containers for storing instruments.
Probably not worth talking about the possibility of transmission of various infections with the help of such syringes here.
Fortunately, today such constructions are no longer used. The following types belong to reusable syringes of our generation:
Syringe pen
This type of syringe has already been mentioned in the article. With it, people with diabetes inject insulin.
This syringe got its name because of the visiblesimilarity with a pen. It consists of several parts: the body itself, the cartridge (or sleeve, cartridge) with an insulin dose, a removable needle, which is put on the tip of the cartridge, the mechanism for triggering the piston, case and cap.
Just like an insulin syringe, a penhas a very thin needle, for a less painful procedure. With this device, the procedures are almost imperceptible, which means a lot to people who inject several times a day.
The difference of this device from the insulin syringe is a reduction in the complexity of the operation and greater convenience.
The mechanism of dispensing the syringe pen is unmistakableallows you to enter the right dose of medication. It is advisable to recharge the cartridge once every few days. It takes only a few seconds to change the liner with insulin.
Some models of the syringe pen have a removable needle, in this case, it must be changed at least once a week. In models where the needle can not be replaced, it must be sterilized.
Syringe pen is widespread throughout the world.
Cartridge syringes
Despite the fact that in modern medicine disposable carpool syringes are increasingly being used, we still attributed them to the “reusable” section.
Carpool syringe refers to the injection andmainly used in dentistry. Yes, it is with the help of this metal device with an ampulka and a thin needle that we are injected with anesthesia during dental treatment.
Sometimes it is also used to administer other drugs.
In 2010, AERS-MED patented the first disposable syringe cartridges. Every year they only gain popularity, gradually crowding out their predecessors.
Syringe gun
Wonderful device for those who are afraid of fireinjections. It is also called the Kalashnikov syringe, but not because of the similarity with the machine itself, but because of the name of the person who invented it. The whole mechanism was invented for quick and painless administration of the drug and is designed for independent use. It's very simple: install a 5 ml syringe in the design (pre-filled with medicine), bring it to the skin and pull the trigger.
It is very important that the volume of the syringe used is exactly 5 ml, then it will hold tight and will not fall out during the process.
The inventor indicates that his mechanism makes the procedure painless and completely safe, that is, the needle will hit the target precisely and it will not hurt anything.
Syringe dart
Types of syringes that are most often used in veterinary medicine. With their help, anesthetics or any drugs are injected into sick animals.
Also this type of syringes is used during hunting for wild animals, or when a large animal needs to be put to sleep for a while.
There are special veterinary rifles, instead of cartridges, they shoot such darts with sleeping pills.
Syringes: types, length of needles for syringes
As you already understood, this article is not only about syringes. Types of syringes and needles for them are closely interrelated. There are two types of medical needles - injection and surgical. We are interested only in the first ones intended for the introduction or removal of any fluid into / from the organism (a). They are hollow inside, and their most important property is absolute sterility.
Hollow needles are classified by type andcaliber. There are 5 main types of the point: AS, 2, 3, 4, 5. We will not consider each separately, we only specify that in medicine most often used are type 4 needles, with the point beveled at 10-12 degrees. According to the caliber, there are 23 types of needles, from the 33rd caliber to the 10th. In medicine, any can be used.
Below is a small compatibility table. Syringes (types by volume) are indicated in the left column, and the corresponding needles for them are in the right.
Volume of syringe used | Suitable needle |
Insulin 1 ml | 10 x 0.45 or 0.40 mm |
2 ml | 30 x 0.6 mm |
3 ml | 30 x 06 mm |
5 ml | 40 x 0.7 mm |
10 ml | 40 x 0.8 mm |
20 ml | 40 x 0.8 mm |
50 ml | 40 x 1.2 mm |
Janet's syringe, 150 ml | 400 x 1.2 mm |
We reviewed the medical syringes and needles that are used with them. Without a doubt, other types of tools can also be given an entire article, but in this one we will not focus on them.
