# Are syringes made out of glass ever used today? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 5, 2018, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-syringes-made-out-of-glass-ever-used-today/805946 "2018-01-05T21:55:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![rastafarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6a8cbe/32.png) [@rastafarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rastafarian)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2018, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-syringes-made-out-of-glass-ever-used-today/805946/1 "2018-01-05T21:55:24Z")
I searched on Google and saw they were used in “early” modern medicine but it seems like plastic is the choice for all types used today. I’ve been able to buy hypodermic plastic syringes but not glass ones on Amazon or eBay. Maybe I’m wrong but I would have believed that a standard plastic hypodermic syringe would be replaced by a glass one in some medicinal/scientific experimentation using corrosive acids or bases like concentrated NaOH, HCL, H2SO4 etc. Is it that plastic syringes today can hold destructive acids for administration in an animal/plant/object without being dissolved themselves? ---
**Author:** ![Shmendrik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Shmendrik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shmendrik)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2018, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-syringes-made-out-of-glass-ever-used-today/805946/2 "2018-01-05T22:04:00Z")
They are still used for epidural injections where location of the epidural space is done by tactile feedback, which many find to be enhanced with a glass syringe. Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![Ignotus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ecc23a/32.png) [@Ignotus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignotus)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2018, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-syringes-made-out-of-glass-ever-used-today/805946/3 "2018-01-05T23:21:24Z")
You can still get them from[Sigma-Aldrich](https://www.sigmaaldrich.com/catalog/product/aldrich/z181404?lang=en®ion=US). I believe heat (and possibly some organic solvents) might be more of a concern with respect to plastic syringes than concentrated acids. Most of those used to come in PTFE bottles back when I was in college! ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2018, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-syringes-made-out-of-glass-ever-used-today/805946/4 "2018-01-06T02:46:54Z")
I see someone still makes the stereotypical old-fashioned three-finger-holed syringe. [https://www.sigmaaldrich.com/catalog/product/aldrich/z181773?lang=en®ion=US&cm\_sp=Insite-\_-prodRecCold\_xviews-\_-prodRecCold10-9](https://www.sigmaaldrich.com/catalog/product/aldrich/z181773?lang=en®ion=US&cm_sp=Insite-_-prodRecCold_xviews-_-prodRecCold10-9) Was this type meant to drain as well as inject? ---
**Author:** ![SuperAbe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f17d59/32.png) [@SuperAbe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuperAbe)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2018, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-syringes-made-out-of-glass-ever-used-today/805946/5 "2018-01-06T03:28:59Z")
> [@rastafarian](#): > > I searched on Google and saw they were used in “early” modern medicine but it seems like plastic is the choice for all types used today. I’ve been able to buy hypodermic plastic syringes but not glass ones on Amazon or eBay. Quantitative analytical chemistry folks often use the glass-on-glass syringes regularly - Hamilton is the standard brand. When using most forms of mass spectrometry, for example (GC or LC-MS), glass syringes are invaluable: lots of organic solvents and the instruments are sensitive enough to pick up trace levels of plasticizers. Glass syringes often have a smoother delivery that, when using a syringe pump at low flow rates, for example, can be important as well. ETA: searching for ‘Hamilton glass syringe’ on eBay gives me about 475 hits - might be the brand name that you’re missing… ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2018, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-syringes-made-out-of-glass-ever-used-today/805946/6 "2018-01-06T06:30:27Z")
> [@rastafarian](#): > > … by a glass one in some medicinal/scientific experimentation using corrosive acids or bases like concentrated NaOH, HCL, H2SO4 etc. There are very few medical situations that call for the hypodermic injection of such corrosive concentrates. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2018, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-syringes-made-out-of-glass-ever-used-today/805946/7 "2018-01-06T12:39:03Z")
> [@t-bonham@scc.net](#): > > There are very few medical situations that call for the hypodermic injection of such corrosive concentrates. True, but there are some drugs that react with plastics. [Cite.](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6414793) ---
**Author:** ![brainstall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@brainstall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brainstall)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2018, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-syringes-made-out-of-glass-ever-used-today/805946/8 "2018-01-06T12:49:57Z")
Maybe not exactly what you’re asking, but one of the Rheumatoid Arthritis medications I had to inject came in a glass syringe. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2018, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-syringes-made-out-of-glass-ever-used-today/805946/9 "2018-01-06T13:43:53Z")
I know of a few, I’m sure there are more: Various brands of growth hormone Testosterone Glucagon Vaccines mmm ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2018, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-syringes-made-out-of-glass-ever-used-today/805946/10 "2018-01-06T16:01:21Z")
> [@Ignotus](#): > > You can still get them from[Sigma-Aldrich](https://www.sigmaaldrich.com/catalog/product/aldrich/z181404?lang=en®ion=US). I was wondering about the “rubber” seal on the plunger still being an issue. Apparently these are so finely made, with plunger matched to tube, that there is no other seal required.