Needles and syringes must be tested to ensure the forces necessary to move the plunger and eject fluid from the barrel are not too high or too low. These forces depend on many factors, including the device materials, viscosity of the liquid, radiation processes used for sterilization, and instrument design. When injecting fluid into tissue, the host tissue is another factor influencing device performance.
We suggest using fixtures specific to the nature and application of the test. We have found that the lower fixture is typically designed to hold the barrel and an upper unit is designed to eject fluid from the barrel in a compression test. Our syringe fixture, combined with the Bluehill® 2 Software, is capable of determining the break-away force (force required to start the plunger moving) and the glide force ( a friction test of the plunger as it moves though the shaft). Our syringe testing fixture is highly adaptable and can accommodate a variety of syringe sizes and diameters. The syringe fixture can be mounted on single- or dual-column universal testing systems.
Alternatively, there are many other types of tests you may want to consider:
- a tensile test, to inspire fluid into the barrel
- a horizontal test, to more accurately simulate the position of the syringe during use
In order to do the horizontal test, we would configure a single column 5544 universal testing system on its side and provide a different set of fixturing for this type of test.