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What is an Injection Gun?
Malcolm Tatum
Malcolm Tatum
Also known as an injector gun or a medical injector, an injection gun is a device that is used to efficiently and safely inject medication into the body. Devices of this type are sometimes used in place of traditional needle syringes, since they offer a higher degree of accuracy at the injection site. As an added benefit, the gun makes is possible to deliver a more precise dosage than is usually possible with a traditional syringe. In many countries, no type of injection gun is available to the general public without the express permission of a licensed healthcare provider.
An injection gun can be used for just about any type of medication injection. This includes the delivery of pain medication, or of antibiotics that are designed to help alleviate or control the underlying cause of an illness. While there is some variation in the design, most of these injectors are equipped with a chamber for the medication, a barrel, and a trigger. The barrel is connected to the chamber at one end, and is fitted to accommodate a needle at the opposite end. The trigger is located below the chamber and barrel, making it easy to hold the device in one hand, position the needle at the point of entry, and squeeze the trigger to insert the needle and deliver the dose of medication.
One of the more common uses of an injection gun is in the administration of measured doses of insulin. Diabetics who require daily injections often find that the guns are a substantial improvement over using syringes. The injectors are easier to manipulate, which in turn allows the user to self-inject with a higher degree of accuracy. Many diabetics who make use of these injectors report less pain than with traditional needles, as well as less incidence of bruising.
The injection gun is also very useful in the process of inoculating patients for various types of diseases. Because of the precise and rapid delivery of the medication that is administered during the vaccination process, patients are less likely to experience discomfort during or after the procedure. For healthcare professionals charged with the task of administering the vaccinations, the easy use of the trigger mechanism is less likely to cause fatigue after repeated uses, a benefit that is especially helpful when vaccinating a large number of people in a short period of time.
While many injection guns are configured to accurately deliver medication into veins or muscles, there are guns designed for injecting medication into bones. A bone injection gun is equipped with a strong needle that can pierce the outer crust of the bone and make it possible to inject medication directly into the marrow. A variation of this device can also be used to harvest bone marrow for use in transfusions or for testing.
Malcolm Tatum
After many years in the teleconferencing industry, Michael decided to embrace his passion for trivia, research, and writing by becoming a full-time freelance writer. Since then, he has contributed articles to a variety of print and online publications, including WiseGEEK, and his work has also appeared in poetry collections, devotional anthologies, and several newspapers. Malcolm’s other interests include collecting vinyl records, minor league baseball, and cycling.
Learn more...
Malcolm Tatum
After many years in the teleconferencing industry, Michael decided to embrace his passion for trivia, research, and writing by becoming a full-time freelance writer. Since then, he has contributed articles to a variety of print and online publications, including WiseGEEK, and his work has also appeared in poetry collections, devotional anthologies, and several newspapers. Malcolm’s other interests include collecting vinyl records, minor league baseball, and cycling.
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![Administering insulin is one of the most common uses of an injection gun.]()
By: Ljupco SmokovskiAdministering insulin is one of the most common uses of an injection gun.
Discussion Comments
This is a really good idea for diabetics. Anything that can take a bit of the pressure off the skin from repeated injections is a good thing. One of my friends has diabetes and she keeps having to change sites because her body gets so damaged from the injections. It just kills me that she has to put up with that on top of everything else.
@browncoat - It wasn't the needle they were dipping in the antiseptic, it was the whole gun. Jet injector guns don't need a needle at all, that's why they were considered completely safe, but there are still ways for disease to spread if they aren't used properly.
Basically the liquid is in such a thin thread and pushed with a lot of pressure so it's the liquid itself that penetrates the skin, rather than a needle. It's actually a much better idea than a needle, and there have been very few reports of diseases spreading in this way, but it's still possible if people don't take every precaution.
I always thought these things looked really cool, but apparently they had a bit of controversy in the 1980s when someone realized that they were actually acting as a transmission vector for some kinds of diseases. They thought just dipping the needle in antiseptic solution after use was enough, but of course it wasn't.
These days I think that they just discard the part that has contact with people, so they are perfectly safe, but the problem is that in some countries they can't afford to keep buying disposable injection parts, so they reuse them.
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