Hypodermic Needles & Syringes, Insulin Syringes & Medical Needles

The word hypodermic has two roots; hypo, which means under, and dermic, which refers to the skin. A hypodermic needle is, therefore, a needle that is used to inject something under the skin. The hollow needle is often used in conjunction with a syringe or injection pen to inject any substance or material into the body tissue, as well as to extract fluid from the body.

The most commonly used material for the manufacture of hypodermic needles is stainless steel. This is largely because stainless steel has a very low carbon content. The process of making a hypodermic needle is called tube drawing, in which the tube is passed through dies that are made smaller and smaller.

The end point of a hypodermic needle has a sharp tip, to ensure easy penetration into the skin. Sharps and needle disposal bins are used precisely because the tips of needles are so sharp. Properly disposing of hypodermic needles is essential to avoid accidental harm and potential transmission of germs and disease.

We offer a wide variety of high-quality hypodermic needles here at Allegro Medical. You can find hypodermic needles in various gauge sizes, including 18, 21, 22, 23, 25, and 27 gauge; as well as of medical needles of various lengths, including ½, ¾, 5/8, and 1 inch sizes. We also offer a range of additional necessities when handling hypodermic needles safely, such as alcohol wipes to disinfect the skin before penetrating.

Used medical needles and sharps are considered medical waste and should be disposed of safely and carefully. To dispose of used insulin needles, or any other sharp and needle disposal, the first step is to put them in a separate container as soon as they have been used. This will minimize the risks of mistakenly re-using the needles.

For disposal, there may be different community guidelines depending on your area. For instance, there may be special residential special waste pickup facilities, or hazardous household waste collection sites, where you can dispose of the used insulin needles safely.

Insulin syringes are available in multiple gauge and barrel sizes, to make it easy for you to inject the required amount of insulin. A 28 gauge insulin needle has a needle size of 3/16th of an inch, with a barrel capacity of 0.3ml. A 29 or 30 gauge insulin needle comes with a needle size that is 5/16th of an inch, with a barrel capacity of 0.5ml. A 31 gauge insulin needle has a needle size that is 1/2 of an inch, with a 1.0ml barrel capacity.

A hypodermic needle is designed to inject substances into the cellular tissue layer that is beneath the dermis. These types of needles are commonly used for insulin injection.

Other types of medical needles can be used to deliver any substance directly into the vein, and are often used to administer medications, so they kick in faster as they hit the bloodstream.

In most cases, you will have to buy syringes separately, to use with hypodermic needles. However this can depend on what product you buy and where you buy it from; for instance, our Easy Touch Insulin Syringe with Needle is packaged with both.

An insulin pen is a device designed specifically to deliver the required dosage of insulin into the body. They usually come with a cartridge container, a special dial to adjust the dosage being injected, as well as disposable needles. This specially designed device makes insulin administration much easier and more accurate. A hypodermic needle is just a needle that needs to be combined with a separate syringe, filled with the measured amount of insulin, and then injected into the body. That process is more complicated, which is why insulin pens are popular.