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New manual syringes: little changes add up to big improvements

By Lindy Miller
Agilent Product Manager

Agilent recently launched its new line of color coded manual syringes. Beyond the obvious advantage of a color coded barrel, these syringes offer additional features that improve their functionality.

Figure 1. New vertical-oriented scale makes it easier to read and use.

Get better visibility with a vertically oriented scale

Think about the last time you drew a sample into a syringe. Did you have to tilt your head 45 degrees to read the number scale? It’s not very user friendly – and it’s a pain in the neck.

When we developed our new color coded manual syringes, Agilent decided to break the age-old tradition of printing the scale horizontally on the syringe barrel. Instead, we used a vertical scale, so that you can keep your head straight and easily read the numbers when drawing a sample into the syringe (Figure 1). It’s a simple concept that instantly improves function and ergonomics!

Plunger-in-Needle provides a big answer for small samples

We introduced Agilent’s new line of color coded syringes at a recent trade show and a customer commented that we had made an error in our color coding. On display was a beautiful orange syringe labeled 5 µl and a lovely green one marked 50 µl. The customer noted the difference in size – the orange syringe was clearly larger than the green one although it was marked 50 µl. Even the larger plunger in the orange syringe didn’t account for the size difference. Therefore, it could not possibly be a 5 µl syringe.

We explained that more customers are working at lower levels of detection, increasing the need to measure and transfer fluids in volumes less than 1 µl. Small volume syringes can be fragile, and their plungers are prone to bending. Analysts need a durable product to handle small quantities of internal standard or sample, so Agilent’s color coded manual syringe line uses a Plunger-in-Needle approach (Figure 2) to make our 0.5 µl to 5 µl syringes sturdier.

Figure 2. Plunger-in-Needle approach makes for sturdier syringes and allows for easier handling of small quantities.

The 5 µl Plunger-in-Needle syringe needs to be larger than a 50 µl syringe because the design incorporates a multi-staged plunger. The top of the plunger is made of heavy gauge metal to add strength and increase syringe lifetime. It is fitted with a small gauge wire that threads through a shaft in the barrel and extends into the needle of the syringe. This creates a sheath and guide tube that lets you withdraw the plunger to the full 5 µl volume without removing the end-point of the fine gauge section of the plunger – or the sample – from the needle.

The strong, heavy gauge plunger provides greater stability while drawing and dispensing liquid. And a replacement needle/plunger kit is available should a repair ever be needed, adding additional value to this durable syringe.

Now, with the Plunger-in-Needle design, samples as small as 0.1 µL can be reliably measured and transferred with higher precision and accuracy – again and again.

Metal vs. glass protects product and people

Last year Agilent’s laboratory safety inspector warned our R&D chemists about leaving manual syringes lying on the bench top while preparing serial dilutions. The warning stated: sharp, pointy objects should be secured when not in use. This warning is especially apt with a syringe that has a glass flange that could roll and break.

To avoid the breakage problem, some customers put their syringes back into the box, but that makes it hard to tell if you are getting a clean new syringe or one that has been used. Many just toss them into drawers and risk bending the needles. Others simply leave syringes on the bench where they can roll and break.

Agilent solved this challenge by designing new manual syringes that have a metal – not glass – flange at the top. This metal flange will not wear or crack, and also prevents the syringe from rolling off the desktop.

Figure 3. Convenient packaging protects syringes before and after use.

For added protection during shipping and use, Agilent color coded manual syringes are packed in a PET clam shell (Figure 3). Once the package is opened, the clam shell quickly turns into a bench top stand to hold the syringe secure until needed, which offers even greater safety. It’s a unique yet simple solution to your syringe storage issue.

Small changes add up to big improvements

Agilent understands that even the smallest improvements can make your life easier in the lab, so we work hard to find new ways to help you meet the challenges you face. The new Agilent Manual Syringes are a simple, cost effective way to eliminate potential problems when preparing and injecting standard or sample – thanks to the combined impact of these new features:

• Color coding by volume
• Easy-to-read vertical scale
• Plunger-in-Needle small volume design
• Metal flange
• Bench top stand included with shipment

So take a moment now to learn how Agilent has increased the accuracy, durability and convenience of our new Manual Syringes.

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