The size of medical needles is based on their intended use. For example, needles that will penetrate the muscle will be longer than needles that are only used to penetrate fat. If you want to determine the size of your medical needles, you can do so with the appropriate tools in just a few seconds.
Instructions
1. Set the plastic part of the medical needle down on a piece of paper. If possible, do not remove the plastic that is protecting the metal part of the needle. Needles need to be clean and sterile prior to use, and by removing the plastic, you run the risk of contaminating the needle. If the plastic is already removed, do not let the tip of the needle touch the paper.
2. Make a mark on the piece of paper where the metal shaft of the needle begins. Make another mark on the paper where the metal shaft of the needle ends. Remove the needle from the paper and place it back in its storage container.
3. Use a tape measure to find the distance between the two marks you made on the piece of paper, in millimeters. This is the total length of the medical needle.
4. Place the mouth of a caliper around the tip of your medical needle. Tighten the caliper around the needle so that both of the points on the caliper are touching the shaft of the needle. Read the millimeter measurement on the caliper to find the distance, in millimeters, of the diameter of the needle. Use a needle gauge size chart to match your measurement up with the gauge of the needle. For example, a measurement of 1.270 millimeters would correspond to a gauge of 18.
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