What is a Monoject™ Syringe?

A Monoject™ syringe is a syringe in the Monoject™ product line produced under the Kendall brand name by the Covidien company. The syringes come in a variety of sizes and configurations depending on their intended use. Monoject™ general purpose syringes are primarily used for delivering liquid medications or for extracting blood or other fluids from the body. Specialized models are designed for insulin injections or to irrigate or flush out body cavities or medical devices.

The word syringe has a double meaning. It refers both to the plastic cylinder or barrel that holds a volume of liquid and to a combined barrel and needle. This syringe line includes three syringe types—plastic barrels intended for use by themselves, plastic barrels to which consumers can attach needles, and plastic barrels already permanently attached to needles. Monoject™ insulin syringes have permanently attached barrels and needles.

The barrels and plungers of these syringes are made from translucent polypropylene, a type of hard plastic. The plungers are tipped with seals made of polyisoprene, a synthetic version of natural rubber. Thus, all Monoject™ syringes are latex free. This is important because some people are allergic to latex.

Most of the barrels in these syringes are marked with liquid units, typically milliliters or cubic centimeters, so liquid volumes can be accurately measured. Insulin syringes are also marked with insulin units, as insulin is dosed in specialized units. The bold black markings are heat-etched into the barrels so they cannot be smudged or washed off during use.

The bottom of each Monoject™ syringe barrel includes a slender tube-shaped nozzle called the tip. Syringe tips come in a wide variety of lengths, diameters and shapes. Most tips are relatively short and straight because they are designed to be attached to needles or other medical equipment, such as tubing. Barrels used for delivering oral medications often have long, curved tips for reaching into a patient’s mouth.

Monoject™ syringes that the consumer can attach to needles have tips in two commonly used configurations in the syringe industry. A Luer lock tip is threaded inside, and a needle with a Luer lock collar or hub is screwed onto the tip to make the completed syringe. A Luer slip tip is connected to a corresponding needle by pressing the two together. In other words, the needle hub slides onto the tip with no screwing required.

The vast majority of syringes in the Monoject™ syringe line are disposable, meaning they are intended for single-use only. These syringes are sterilized by the manufacturer prior to being sold to consumers. Some Monoject™ syringes are reusable, but must be sterilized again after each use. This is accomplished through gas sterilization or autoclaving, which is a treatment using high-pressure steam.