Syringe 147923 225061500 2008-07-11T18:23:26Z 222.161.25.59 /* Medical syringes */ [[Image:Syringe2.jpg|thumb|200px|A typical medical syringe with needle]] A '''syringe''' is 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" came from the [[Greek language|Greek]] συριγξ = "tube" via extracting a new singular from its Greek-type plural "syringes" (συριγγες) ==Medical syringes== [[Image:Syringe.jpg|thumb|200px|The threads of the [[Luer taper|Luer lock]] tip of this 12ml disposable syringe keep it securely connected to a tube or other apparatus.]] Hypodermic syringes are used with [[hypodermic needle]]s to [[Injection (medicine)|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. 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 [[Sterilization (microbiology)|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 disease]]s. 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===<!-- This section is linked from [[Insulin pump]] --> [[Image:Standard insulin syringe.JPG|thumb|200px|Insulin syringes are marked in insulin "units".]] 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 [[diabetes|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 drug]]s. ==Non-medical uses== The syringe has many non medical applications. ===Laboratory applications=== [[Image:Laboratory grease 1.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Laboratory grease used to lubricate [[ground glass joint]]s and [[stopcock]]s are sometimes loaded in syringes for easy application]] 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 analysis (chemistry)|quantitative chemical analysis]]), because their [[tolerance (engineering)|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 [[septum|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. [[Image:Aa syringe graduations.jpg|right|thumb|200px|25ml re-usable glass hypodermic syringe, and inch cube for scale.]] ===Cooking=== Some [[culinary]] uses of syringes are injecting liquids (such as [[gravy]]) into other foods, or for the manufacture of [[candy|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 cartridge]]s with [[ink]]. Sometimes a large hypodermic syringe is used without a needle for very small baby [[mammal]]s 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. To administer [[enema]]s or [[douche]]s, there are bulb syringes where a bulb is fitted with a nozzle, liquid is pumped into it, the [[nozzle]] is inserted into the [[rectum]] or [[vagina]] and the bulb is pressed upon for injection. 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. 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: The [[Iraqi]]/[[Egyptians|Egyptian]] [[surgeon]] Ammar ibn 'Ali al-Mawsili' technically invented the first such syringe in the 9th century using 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 Pravez|Charles Gabriel Pravaz]] and [[Alexander Wood (physician)|Alexander Wood]] first 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. *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== *[[Jet injector]]- injects without a needle, by squirting the injection fluid so fast that it makes a hole in the skin. * [[Hypodermic needle]] *[[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]] ==References== {{Unreferenced|date=May 2008}} ==External links== {{commons|Syringe}} {{Wiktionary}} *[http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blsyringe.htm Inventors of the hypodermic syringe] *[http://www.qiaoyun.net/medicalsupplies/syringes/syringe.htm Hypodermic syringe patents] *[http://www.patentinformationsearch.com/medical_syringe/index.php Medical syringe patents] [[Category:Medical equipment]] [[ar:حقنة]] [[bn:সিরিঞ্জ]] [[bg:Спринцовка]] [[ca:Xeringa]] [[de:Kolbenprober]] [[es:Jeringa]] [[fr:Seringue]] [[it:Siringa (attrezzo medico)]] [[he:מזרק]] [[nl:Injectiespuit]] [[ja:注射器]] [[no:Sprøyte]] [[pl:Strzykawka]] [[pt:Seringa]] [[ru:Шприц]] [[ur:مِحقِنَہ]] [[zh:注射器]]