Medical Persons / Suppliers needed for help

neville

So I am looking for a sharp steel cannula.


My understanding is they are using in/for/with IVs and are thicker than a typical syringe.

No I'm not a druggie or anything. This is for cooking.
Example of what I need it for: http://blog.khymos.org/2007/03/30/first-experiments-with-sodium-alginate/

So I've tried 3 medical supply places in the area, as well as pharmacies.
they all looked at me like I was crazy and claim they don't have it.
If hospitals use them, HOW CAN MEDICAL SUPPLY PLACES NOT CARRY THEM?

Arg.
If anyone knows a place I can get one, that would be very helpful.
Internet searches also yielded virtually nothing.

LoveIsUnity

http://shop.bmezine.com/product/play-piercing-needles/

They used to sell the actual syringes as well, but they kind of suck lately.

neville

I guess that's somethign, but without a syringe I can't use those. :S

LoveIsUnity

The syringe is the easy part. You can get those with little to no problem from most pharmacies.

neville

How do I know what size to get to fit the needle?

dispatch.o

neville wrote: »

How do I know what size to get to fit the needle?

Let me see the needle next to something for scale if you can.

There are literally thousands of types of cannula and inserts for them.

That image just looks like it has an 18g needle on it. I don't know why they're calling it a cannula specifically.

The size of the luer lock on syringes is pretty universal. Go get a 60cc syringe and ask for a 16g or 18g BLUNT needle. I don't see a reason for it to be sharp, it's not like they're expensive, though.

Buy a luer lock syringe and a selection of needles.

Don't go above a 19g and make sure it's not a slip tip syringe.

edit: They're looking at you like you're crazy because you just need a hypo needle, calling it a cannula would get some odd looks even at a hospital.

edit2: Smaller gauge = bigger needle.

edit3:
Syringe
Needles

edit4: We use a lot of things in hospitals you can't buy at medical supply. This isn't one of them.

RubberAC

find a diabetic with an insulin pump.

purplebubbles

You are after IV needles, not cannulas, and definitely not insulin pump needles. Most of the insulin pumps that I have seen have very small fine subcutaneous needles that sit in the tissue rather than the vein and aren't going to be big enough. You might be able to find some 16g needles, I know that they are very rarely stocked at work, but you should be able to come by 18-19g needles as well. And you can get blunt ones, but they might be harder to find.

You won't be able to buy cannulas as they are completely different thing. The cannula (or drip) is basically a fine plastic flexible tube that is introduced into the vein by the needle, then the needle is removed, leaving the plastic intact. So.. in other words, you aren't going to be able to use that.

Now as for syringes, you should be able to buy those at any pharmacy, people use them for multiple things, other than injections. Most needles will fit most syringes, you'd be VERY unlucky to come across ones that don't fit.