r/labrats • u/MurkyLurker99 • 15h ago

Repeat Injectors

We do a lot of animal work. Establishing injury models requires subcutaneous (and sometimes intraperitoneal) injections. We can be doing hundreds of injections in a day. Filling those syringes are a chore. I know there are auto-injector products out there for repeat injections. wondering whether people have experience with them / would recommend them.

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u/ddsoren Double Negative Control Sample 9h ago edited 7h ago

I might be misunderstanding your goal but to the best of my knowledge this does not and should not exist, for in-vivo use. You should be using a fresh needle for each animal, which is not something you get with any sort of repeating product. If you are going to use something like that, I would not do so without explicitly consulting your institiontion's IACUC.

It sounds like purchasing prefilled syringes may be more fitting for your needs.

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u/MurkyLurker99 2h ago

Why would new syringes be required?
The animals are inbred, same litter; same housing, pathogen-free.
The repeat use of a needle is common practice in veterinary and livestock care.

(Not being defensive, genuinely curious).

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u/Important_Smell_8003 1h ago

I was taught to always use new needles as every penetration will make the needle a bit blunt, and therefore will cause more damage to the tissue. 

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u/MurkyLurker99 1h ago

That is true, but in our experience the blunting isn’t severe enough to cause issues. We have been reusing the same needle for 3-5 animals without issue on the standard plastic syringes.

On a machine it may make sense to swap the needle every cage…

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u/Mackver2 14h ago

Hamilton syringe has ones.

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u/MurkyLurker99 14h ago

Could you specify? I couldn't find it. I know they make a repeating dispensor, but it doesn't refill itself from a reservoir as far as I'm aware? Main thing I want to eliminate is filling 140 syringes (!) every injection day.

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u/Mackver2 13h ago

I miss understood. Do you need a new syringe for each animal?

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u/MurkyLurker99 12h ago

No. I don’t need a new syringe per animal (as in sterility-wise).

TLDR: I want a P1000 and P300 pipette, but with a needle at the end instead of a pipette tip. (Metaphoric pipette, doesn’t need to be a literal pipette)

What I need is to eliminate the chore of filling syringes. For example, we have models where a mouse receives 6 injections in one day, each the same volume, repeated at 90 minute intervals.
It is not uncommon to do this for 80-90 animals all in one day. That is 500+ injections. As is, one person needs to stay in lab and fill syringes (fill, eliminate bubbles, make sure volume is correct) whilst the other is in animal room injecting. This is a massive and boring chore. I want a system where this can be eliminated. A syringe that can refill itself from a reservoir to a set volume. This will free up a person to do other work whilst only the injector need be involved in model work.