- A medical instrument used to inject fluids into the body or draw them from it.
- A hypodermic syringe.
[Middle English syryng, from Medieval Latin s[ymacr]ringa, from Late Latin, injection, from Greek sūrinx, sūring-, shepherd's pipe.]
syringe
Dictionary:
sy·ringe (sə-rĭnj', sîr'ĭnj)  |
| How Products are Made: How is a syringe made? |
The hypodermic syringe, also known as the hypodermic needle, is a device used by medical professionals to transfer liquids into or out of the body. It is made up of a hollow needle, which is attached to a tube and a plunger. When the plunger handle is pulled back, fluids are drawn into the tube. The fluid is forced out through the needle when the handle is pushed down. The syringe was introduced in the mid 1800s and has steadily improved with the development of new materials and designs. Today, it has become such an important medical tool that it is nearly a symbol synonymous with the practicing physician.
History
Since the advent of pharmaceutical drugs, methods for administering those drugs have been sought. Various important developments needed to occur before injections through a hypodermic syringe could be conceived. Early nineteenth century physicians were not aware that drugs could be introduced into the body through the skin. One early experiment that demonstrated this idea, however, was performed by Francois Magendie in 1809. In his published work, he outlined a method for introducing strychnine into a dog by using a coated wooden barb. In 1825, A. J. Lesieur described another method for administering drugs through the skin, applying them directly to blisters on the skin. Expanding on results from these experiments, G. V. Lafargue developed a procedure for introducing morphine under the skin using a lancet. A drip needle was invented by F. Rynd in 1844 for the same purpose. However, he did not publish his method until 1861, eight years after the first hypodermic syringe was described.
The first true hypodermic syringe was created by Alexander Wood in 1853. He modified a regular syringe, which at that time was used for treating birthmarks, by adding a needle. He then used this new device for introducing morphine into the skin of patients who suffered from sleeping disorders. A few years later, he added a graduated scale on the barrel and a finer needle. These modifications were enough to attract the attention of the rest of the medical community, resulting in its more widespread use.
Over the years hypodermic syringes have undergone significant changes that have made them more efficient, more useful, and safer. One such improvement was the incorporation of a glass piston within the cylinder. This innovation prevented leaks and reduced the chances of infections, making the device more reliable. The technology for the mass production of hypodermic syringes was developed in the late nineteenth century. As plastics developed, they were incorporated into the design, reducing cost and further improving safety.
Background
The way in which a hypodermic needle works is simple. Fluid, such as a drug or blood, is drawn up through a hollow needle into the main tube when the plunger handle is pulled back. As long as the needle tip remains in the fluid while the plunger handle is pulled, air will not enter. The user can determine exactly how much material is in the tube by reading the measuring marks on the side of the tube. The liquid is dispensed out through the needle when the plunger handle is pushed back down.
The term hypodermic syringe comes from the Greek words hypo, meaning under, and derma, meaning skin. These terms are appropriate because they describe exactly how the device functions. The needle is used to pierce the top layer of the skin, and the material in the tube is injected in the layer below. In this subcutaneous layer, most injected materials will be readily accepted into the bloodstream and then circulated throughout the body.
A syringe is one of three primary methods for introducing a drug into the body. The others are transepidermal (through the skin) and oral. Using a hypodermic needle as the method of drug administration has some significant advantages over oral ingestion. First, the drugs are protected from the digestive system. This prevents them from being chemically altered or broken down before they can be effective. Second, since the active compounds are quickly absorbed into the bloodstream, they begin working faster. Finally, it is more difficult for the body to reject drugs that are administered by syringe. Transepidermal drug administration is a relatively new technology, and its effects are generally not as immediate as direct injection.
Design
There are many hypodermic syringe designs available. However, all of them have the same general features, including a barrel, plunger, needle, and cap. The barrel is the part of the hypodermic needle that contains the material that is injected or withdrawn. A movable plunger is contained within this tube. The width of the barrel is variable. Some manufacturers make short, wide tubes, and others make long, thin ones. The exact design will depend to some extent on how the device will be used. The end of the barrel to which the needle is attached is tapered. This ensures that only the desired amount of material will be dispensed through the needle. At the base of the barrel away from the needle attachment, two arms flare out. These pieces allow the needle user to press on the plunger with the thumb while holding the tube in place with two fingers. The other end of the barrel is tapered.
The plunger, which is responsible for creating the vacuum to draw up materials and then discharge them, is made of a long, straight piece with a handle at one end and a rubber plunger head on the other. The rubber head fits snugly against the walls of the barrel, making an airtight seal. In addition to ensuring an accurate amount of material is drawn in, the squeegee action of the plunger head keeps materials off the inner walls of the tube.
The needle is the part of the device that actually pierces the layers of the skin. Depending on how deep the injection or fluid extraction will be, the needle orifice can be thinner or wider, and its length varies. It can also be permanently affixed to the body of the syringe or interchangeable. For the latter type of system, a variety of needles would be available to use for different applications. To prevent accidental needle stick injuries, a protective cap is placed over the top of the needle when it is not in use.
Raw Materials
Since hypodermic syringes come in direct contact with the interior of the body, government regulations require that they be made from biocompatible materials which are pharmacologically inert. Additionally, they must be sterilizable and nontoxic. Many different types of materials are used to construct the wide variety of hypodermic needles available. The needles are generally made of a heat-treatable stainless steel or carbon steel. To prevent corrosion, many are nickel plated. Depending on the style of device used, the main body of the tube can be made of plastic, glass, or both. Plastics are also used to make the plunger handle and flexible synthetic rubber for the plunger head.
The Manufacturing
Process
There are many manufacturers of hypodermic needles, and while each one uses a slightly different process for production, the basic steps remain the same, including needle formation, plastic component molding, piece assembly, packaging, labeling, and shipping.
Making the needle
- The needle is produced from steel, which is first heated until it is molten and then drawn through a die designed to meet the size requirements of the needle. As it moves along the production line, the steel is further formed and rolled into a continuous, hollow wire. The wire is appropriately cut to form the needle. Some needles are significantly more complex and are produced directly from a die casting. Other metal components on the needle are also produced in this manner.
Making the barrel and plunger
- There are various ways that the syringe tube can be fashioned, depending on the design needed and the raw materials used. One method of production is extrusion molding. The plastic or glass is supplied as granules or powder and is fed into a large hopper. The extrusion process involves a large spiral screw, which forces the material through a heated chamber and makes it a thick, flowing mass. It is then forced through a die, producing a continuous tube that is cooled and cut.
- For pieces that have more complex shapes like the ends, the plunger, or the safety caps, injection molding is used. In this process the plastic is heated, converting it into a liquid. It is then forcibly injected into a mold that is the inverse of the desired shape. After it cools, it solidifies and maintains its shape after the die is opened. Although the head of the plunger is rubber, it can also be manufactured by injection molding. Later, the head of the plunger is attached to the plunger handle.
Assembly and packaging
- When all of the component pieces are available, final assembly can occur. As the tubes travel down a conveyor, the plunger is inserted and held into place. The ends that cap the tube are affixed. Graduation markings may also be printed on the main tube body at this point in the manufacturing process. The machines that print these markings are specially calibrated to ensure they print measurements on accurately. Depending on the design, the needle can also be attached at this time, along with the safety cap.
- After all of the components are in place and printing is complete, the hypodermic syringes are put into appropriate packaging. Since sterility of the device is imperative, steps are taken to ensure they are free from disease-causing agents. They are typically packaged individually in airtight plastic. Groups of syringes are packed into boxes, stacked on pallets, and shipped to distributors.
Quality Control
The quality of the components of these devices are checked during each phase of manufacture. Since thousands of parts are made daily, complete inspection is impossible. Consequently, line inspectors randomly check components at fixed time intervals to ensure they meet size, shape, and consistency specifications. These random samples give a good indication of the quality of the hypodermic syringe produced. Visual inspection is the primary test method. However, more rigorous measurements are also performed. Measuring equipment is used to check the length, width, and thickness of the component pieces. Typically, devices such as a vernier caliper, a micrometer, or a microscope are used. Each of these differ in accuracy and application. In addition to specific tests, line inspectors are stationed at various points of the production process and visually inspect the components as they are made. They check for things such as deformed needles or tubes, pieces that fit together incorrectly, or inappropriate packaging.
Hypodermic syringe production is strictly controlled by the United States government, specifically the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). They have compiled a list of specifications to which every manufacturer must comply. They perform inspections of each of these companies to ensure that they are following good manufacturing practices, handling complaints appropriately, and keeping adequate records related to design and production. Additionally, individual manufacturers have their own product requirements.
The Future
Since Alexander Wood introduced the first device, hypodermic syringe technology has greatly improved. Future research will focus on designing better devices that will be safer, more durable, more reliable, and less expensive to produce. Also, improvements in device manufacture will also continue. One example of this is the trend toward utilizing materials such as metals and plastics that have undergone a minimum of processing from their normal state. This should minimize waste, increase production speed, and reduce costs.
Where to Learn More
Books
Chicka, C. and Anthony Chimpa. Diabetic's Jet Ejectors. Diabetic Gun for Personal Insulin Injection. H.W. Parker, 1989.
Trissel, Lawrence. Pocket Guide to Injectable Drugs: Companion to Handbook of Injectable Drugs. American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, 1994.
[Article by: Perry Romanowski]
| Dental Dictionary: syringe |
(sirinj′)
n
n
An apparatus of metal, glass, or plastic material consisting of a nozzle, or needle, barrel, and plunger or rubber bulb; used to inject a liquid into a cavity or under the skin.
Medical syringe. (Potter/Perry, 2001)
| Sports Science and Medicine: syringe |
An instrument consisting of a hollow tube with a tight fitting piston. A syringe is used for injecting a fluid, washing out a body cavity, or removing substances from a pars of the body.
| Veterinary Dictionary: syringe |
An instrument for introducing fluids into or withdrawing them from the body.
- bulb s. — a compressible rubber bulb with a pierced, pointed end that allows suction and expulsion of fluids. Useful in irrigating ears or small cavities as in abscesses.
- s. driver — an electronically controlled syringe used for delivering small volumes of fluid at a constant rate.
- hypodermic s. — one for introduction of liquids through a hollow needle into subcutaneous tissues.
- pole s. — a syringe on a long pole so that the syringe can be operated from a distance, e.g. through the bars of a cage.
- projectile s. — see blow dart.
| Word Tutor: syringe |
IN BRIEF: A device for drawing in a liquid and then pushing it out in a stream.
The doctor hid the syringe so she wouldn't scare her young patient.
| Dream Symbol: Syringe |
A syringe is a fairly obvious symbol of male sexuality. A dream about being injected with a syringe can reflect concerns about one's health, or it can be a more general anxiety dream if we have a particular dislike of shots and of having our blood drawn. It could also represent a feeling that we are being influenced by someone else. (See also Needle; Vaccination).
| Wikipedia: Syringe |
A syringe is a simple piston pump consisting of a plunger that fits tightly in a tube. The plunger can be pulled and pushed along inside a cylindrical tube (the barrel), allowing the syringe to take in and expel a liquid or gas through an orifice at the open end of the tube. The open end of the syringe may be fitted with a hypodermic needle, a nozzle, or tubing to help direct the flow into and out of the barrel. Syringes are often used to administer injections, apply compounds such as glue or lubricant, and measure liquids.
The word "syringe" is derived from the Greek συριγξ syrinx = "tube" via back-formation of a new singular from its Greek-type plural "syringes" (συριγγες syringes)
Contents |
Medical syringes
Hypodermic syringes are used with hypodermic needles to inject liquid or gases into body tissues, or to remove from the body. Injecting of air into a blood vessel is undesirable, as it may cause an air embolism; preventing embolisms by removing air from the syringe is one of the reasons for the familiar image of holding a hypodermic syringe upside down, tapping it, and expelling a small amount of liquid before an injection into the bloodstream. However, the primary reason air bubbles are removed from the syringe prior to injection is to make sure an accurate dosage is delivered.[citation needed]
The barrel of a syringe is made of plastic or glass, and usually has graduated marks indicating the volume of fluid in the syringe, and is nearly always transparent. Glass syringes may be sterilized in an autoclave. However, most modern medical syringes are plastic with a rubber piston, because this type seals much better between the piston and the barrel and because they are cheap enough to dispose of after being used only once, reducing the risk of spreading blood-borne diseases. Re-use of needles and syringes has caused spread of diseases, especially HIV and Hepatitis among intravenous drug users. Syringes are, however, commonly re-used by diabetics and this is safe, if the syringe is only used by one person.
Medical syringes are sometimes used without a needle for orally administering liquid medicines to young children or animals, or milk to small young animals, because the dose can be measured accurately, and it is easier to squirt the medicine into the subject's mouth instead of coaxing the subject to drink out of a measuring spoon.
Standard U-100 insulin syringes
Syringes for insulin users are designed for standard U-100 insulin. The dilution of insulin is such that 1 ml of insulin fluid has 100 standard "units" of insulin. Since insulin vials are typically 10 ml, each vial has 1000 units.
Insulin syringes are made specifically for self injections and have friendly features:
- shorter needles, as insulin injections are subcutaneous (under the skin) rather than intramuscular,
- finer gauge needles, for less pain, and
- markings in insulin units to simplify drawing a measured dose of insulin.
Multishot needle syringes
There are needle syringes designed to reload from a built-in tank (container) after each injection, so they can make several or many injections on a filling. These are not used much in human medicine because of the risk of cross-infection via the needle. An exception is the personal insulin autoinjector used by diabetic patients.
Governmental control of syringes
In some jurisdictions, the sale or possession of hypodermic syringes may be controlled or prohibited without a prescription, due to its potential use with illegal intravenous drugs.[citation needed]
Famous needle and syringe manufacturers
The largest needle and syringe producers worldwide have traditionally been of British origin.[citation needed] The centre of the needle and syringe industry in the United Kingdom was Redditch, near Birmingham.
The biggest needle and syringe company was Henry Milward & Sons, before this was taken over by a rival, Coats plc in the early 1970s.
The largest manufacturer of both syringes and hypodermic needles currently is BD company.
Non-medical uses
The syringe has many non medical applications.
Laboratory applications
Medical-grade disposable hypodermic syringes are often used in research laboratories for convenience and low cost. They are often used for measuring and transferring solvents and reagents where a high precision is not required. Alternatively, microliter syringes can be used to measure and dose chemicals very precisely by using a small diameter capillary as the syringe barrel.
The polyethylene construction of these disposable syringes usually makes them rather chemically resistant. There is, however, a risk of the contents of the syringes leaching plasticizers from the syringe material. Non-disposable glass syringes may be preferred where this is a problem. Glass syringes may also be preferred where a very high degree of precision is important (i.e. quantitative chemical analysis), because their engineering tolerances are lower and the plungers move more smoothly. In these applications, the transfer of pathogens is usually not an issue.
Used with a long needle or cannula, syringes are also useful for transferring fluids through rubber septa when atmospheric oxygen or moisture are being excluded. Examples include the transfer of air-sensitive or pyrophoric reagents such as phenylmagnesium bromide and n-butyllithium respectively. Glass syringes are also used to inject small samples for gas chromatography (1 μl) and mass spectrometry (10 μl). Syringe drivers may be used with the syringe as well.
Cooking
Some culinary uses of syringes are injecting liquids (such as gravy) into other foods, or for the manufacture of candies, such as Fruit Gushers.
Syringes may also be used when cooking meat to enhance flavor and texture by injecting juices inside the meat, and in baking to inject filling inside a pastry.
Others
Syringes are used to refill ink cartridges with ink.
Sometimes a large hypodermic syringe is used without a needle for very small baby mammals to suckle from in artificial rearing.
Historically, large pumps that use reciprocating motion to pump water were referred to as syringes. Pumps of this type were used as early firefighting equipment.
There are fountain syringes where the liquid is in a bag or can and goes to the nozzle via a pipe. In earlier times, clyster syringes were used for that purpose.
Loose snus is often applied using modified syringes.[citation needed] The nozzle is removed so the opening is the width of the chamber. The snus can be packed tightly into the chamber and plunged into the upper lip. Syringes, called portioners, are also manufactured for this particular purpose.
Historical timeline
- 9th century AD: The Iraqi/Egyptian surgeon Ammar ibn 'Ali al-Mawsili' technically invented the first such syringe in the 9th century using a hypodermic needle, a hollow glass tube, and suction to remove cataracts from patients' eyes, a practice that remained in use up until at least the 13th century and which came into renewed use in the 20th century.
- c. 1650: Blaise Pascal invented a syringe (not necessarily hypodermic) as an application of what is now called Pascal's law.
- 1760: Forms of intravenous injection and infusion began.
- 1844: Irish physician Francis Rynd invented the hollow needle and used it to make the first recorded subcutaneous injections, specifically a sedative to treat neuralgia.
- 1853: Charles Pravaz and Alexander Wood developed a medical hypodermic syringe with a needle fine enough to pierce the skin. Shortly thereafter, the first recorded fatality from a hypodermic-syringe induced overdose was Wood's wife from self administered morphine.
- 1946: Chance Brothers in Smethwick, Birmingham, England produce the first all-glass syringe with interchangeable barrel and plunger, thereby allowing mass-sterilisation of components without the need for matching them.
- 1956: New Zealand pharmacist and inventor Colin Murdoch granted New Zealand and Australian patents for a disposable plastic syringe.
- 1974: First US patent for a plastic disposable syringe received by African American inventor, Phil Brooks, U.S. patent #3,802,434 received on April 9, 1974.
See also
- Hypodermic needle
- Jet injector- injects without a needle, by squirting the injection fluid so fast that it makes a hole in the skin.
- Luer Taper, a standardized fitting system used for making leak-free connections between syringe tips and needles.
- Syrette - similar to a syringe except that it has a closed flexible tube (like that used for toothpaste) instead of a rigid tube and piston.
- Syrinx
External links
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Look up syringe in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. |
References
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This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
| Translations: Syringe |
Dansk (Danish)
n. - injektionssprøjte, engangssprøjte
v. tr. - rense med sprøjte, indsprøjte
Nederlands (Dutch)
(injectie)spuit, naald
Français (French)
n. - seringue
v. tr. - (Méd) seringuer, (Hort) seringuer
Deutsch (German)
n. - Spritze
v. - spritzen, ausspritzen
Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - (ιατρ.) σύριγγα, κλύσμα
v. - ψεκάζω ή καθαρίζω με σύριγγα ή κλύσμα
Português (Portuguese)
n. - seringa (f)
Русский (Russian)
шприц, спринцовка, пожарный насос, помпа, опрыскиватель, поливальная установка, спринцевать, впрыскивать
Español (Spanish)
n. - jeringa, jeringuilla, clister
v. tr. - jeringa, jeringuilla, jeringar, inyectar (con jeringa)
Svenska (Swedish)
n. - spruta, injektionsspruta, bollspruta
v. - spruta
中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
注射器, 皮下注射器, 注射, 洗涤
中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 注射器, 皮下注射器
v. tr. - 注射, 洗滌
한국어 (Korean)
n. - 주사기, 세척기, 주입기
v. tr. - ~에 주사를 놓다, 씻다, 세척하다
日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 注射器, 洗浄器, 浣腸器
v. - 注射する, 洗浄する
العربيه (Arabic)
(الاسم) ابرة للحق , محقنه (فعل) يحقن
עברית (Hebrew)
n. - מזרק, חוקן
v. tr. - הזריק
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 | Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Dental Dictionary. Mosby's Dental Dictionary. Copyright © 2004 by Elsevier, Inc. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Sports Science and Medicine. The Oxford Dictionary of Sports Science & Medicine. Copyright © Michael Kent 1998, 2006, 2007. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Veterinary Dictionary. Saunders Comprehensive Veterinary Dictionary 3rd Edition. Copyright © 2007 by D.C. Blood, V.P. Studdert and C.C. Gay, Elsevier. All rights reserved. Read more |
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