A disposable anesthesia needle is three decisions machined into one instrument: how the tip is ground, how thick the shaft is, and how long it has to be to reach the space. Get the tip wrong and the practitioner feels it on every insertion; get the gauge wrong and the patient carries the consequence in the recovery room; get the length wrong and the needle simply does not reach the target on a larger patient. This category is the needle itself, separate from the kits that carry it.

The range covers the three families used in neuraxial and regional anesthesia. Spinal needles in 25G–27G with pencil-point (Whitacre) or Quincke bevel tips, where the tip design is chosen against the post-dural-puncture headache profile of the patient group. Epidural needles in 16G–18G with a curved Tuohy bevel for catheter passage. Nerve block needles in 21G–22G, with or without an insulated shaft and stimulator connection. All are single-use, EO sterilized, and supplied either loose for your own pack assembly or as part of a configured kit.

The buyers of this category are usually two different people: a distributor comparing penetration feel and lot documentation, and a manufacturer of procedure kits who needs a needle supply stable enough that their own pack specification never changes. Both need the same thing — a needle that measures the same in lot 500 as it did in lot 1.

Choosing between pencil-point and Quincke for your patient mix? Tell us the procedure, the patient group and the market you supply. We will explain how tip geometry trades PDPH risk against insertion feel — and send both tips so your clinicians can compare them rather than take our word for it.

Disposable Spinal Anesthetic Needle AN-S21G 21G Sterile Single-Use

Disposable Spinal Anesthetic Needle AN-S22G Sterile Single Use

Disposable Spinal Anesthetic Needle AN-S23G 23G Quincke Type

Disposable Spinal Anesthetic Needle AN-S25G 25G

Disposable Spinal Anesthetic Needle AN-S27G 27G

Disposable Anesthesia Needle in practice

Spinal anesthesia, obstetrics — 25G–27G pencil-point, chosen to minimise post-dural-puncture headache in a young population
Spinal anesthesia, orthopaedics and general surgery — 25G–27G, pencil-point or Quincke by departmental preference
Epidural and labour analgesia — 16G–18G Tuohy for catheter placement and continuous infusion
Combined spinal-epidural — length-matched spinal needle paired with the epidural needle
Peripheral and plexus nerve block — 21G–22G, stimulating or non-stimulating, short or facet bevel
Diagnostic lumbar puncture — atraumatic pencil-point tips to reduce headache in ambulatory patients

Choosing the right Disposable Anesthesia Needle

The tip is the decision that matters most; gauge and length follow:

Pencil-point or Quincke? A pencil-point (atraumatic) tip separates rather than cuts the dura, and consistently shows lower post-dural-puncture headache rates, which is why it is the default for young and obstetric patients. A Quincke bevel cuts more sharply and some practitioners prefer its feel and faster CSF flash. Both are defensible; the choice belongs to the department, not the catalogue.
Gauge against the patient. 25G–27G is the common spinal range: finer needles reduce headache further but slow CSF return and feel more flexible in the hand. For older or ambulatory patients a slightly larger gauge is often chosen because insertion is quicker and the difference in headache risk smaller.
Length for the patient's anatomy. Standard 90–120 mm covers most adults; the depth to the space is the variable that decides whether a longer needle is needed, and BMI is a poor substitute for measuring it.
Stimulating or non-stimulating. Nerve block needles carrying a stimulating connection are chosen where nerve localisation is part of the technique; plain block needles are for ultrasound-guided work where the image, not the response, drives the needle. Decide which technique your clinicians actually use.

Disposable Anesthesia Needle specifications

Needle type	Gauge	Length	Tip / feature	Primary use
Spinal, pencil-point	25G / 26G / 27G	90 / 103 / 120 mm	Atraumatic (Whitacre-type)	Low-headache spinal, obstetrics
Spinal, Quincke	22G / 25G / 26G	90 / 103 mm	Cutting bevel, stylet	Spinal with fast CSF flash
Epidural, Tuohy	16G / 18G	80 / 100 mm	Curved bevel, depth marks	Epidural catheter placement
CSE spinal needle	27G	Matched to Tuohy	Length-matched to set	Single-puncture CSE
Nerve block needle	21G / 22G	50 / 80 / 100 / 150 mm	Short or facet bevel, insulated option	Peripheral and plexus block
Lumbar puncture needle	22G / 25G	90 / 120 mm	Atraumatic tip	Diagnostic lumbar puncture

Note: gauges and lengths shown are the configurations we produce most. Hub type, stylet format and depth marking are confirmed on the drawing before production.

How we control quality for Disposable Anesthesia Needle

Needle performance is judged over hundreds of insertions, so consistency is the whole product:

Tip geometry control. Point angle and bevel are ground to a controlled geometry and inspected at batch level — a tip that varies within a lot is felt as inconsistency in the department long before it is caught in inspection.
Sharpness verification. Penetration force is measured on samples from each production batch against an internal limit, with the result retained in the release record.
Shaft straightness and stiffness. Tubing straightness is checked before assembly and on finished needles; shaft stiffness is specified so a fine needle does not deflect unpredictably on deeper insertions.
Stylet fit and free passage. Stylet insertion and removal force is checked so the stylet neither falls out nor jams, and hub-to-shaft joints are tested for leakage and separation.
Sterilization and biocompatibility. EO sterilized to SAL 10⁻⁶ with residuals tested to ISO 10993-7; ISO 10993 biocompatibility for a tissue- and blood-contacting device.
Traceability. Lot number on each unit links to grinding batch, tubing batch and sterilization record. A specimen traceability sheet is available for your technical file.

Common questions about Disposable Anesthesia Needle

What is the difference between a pencil-point and a Quincke needle?

A pencil-point (atraumatic) tip has a closed, rounded end with a lateral eye. It separates dural fibres rather than cutting them, and is associated with a lower incidence of post-dural-puncture headache — this is why it is the usual choice for obstetric and younger patients. A Quincke needle has an open, cutting bevel that penetrates more sharply and often gives a faster cerebrospinal fluid flash, which some practitioners prefer for insertion speed and feel. Both are widely used; the choice is a departmental protocol decision.

Which gauge spinal needle causes the least headache?

Headache incidence falls as needle diameter decreases, so 27G pencil-point needles show the lowest rates of the atraumatic designs, followed by 26G and 25G. The trade-off is that finer needles return cerebrospinal fluid more slowly and feel more flexible during insertion, which extends procedure time slightly. Many departments therefore standardise on 25G–26G pencil-point as a balance, reserving 27G for patients at highest headache risk.

Is a 16G or 18G Tuohy needle better for epidural placement?

18G Tuohy is the more common general-purpose epidural needle: adequate for catheter passage with less tissue trauma and a lower incidence of accidental dural puncture than a larger gauge. 16G is selected where a larger-bore or multi-orifice catheter is used, or where departmental protocol calls for it. Both are supplied with centimetre depth markings and a matched stylet, and both accept standard epidural catheters.

What length spinal needle do I need for a larger patient?

90 mm is sufficient for most adults, but depth to the subarachnoid space varies with body habitus and the intended interspace, and a longer needle (103–120 mm) is needed when the space is deep. Measuring rather than estimating from body weight is the reliable approach. For safety, longer needles are used with the depth marked and the stylet in place until the space is reached.

Do you supply needles for nerve blocks with a stimulating connection?

Yes. Block needles are available with an insulated shaft and a hub connection for nerve stimulation, in 21G–22G and lengths from 50 mm to 150 mm, with short or facet bevel tips. Plain (non-insulated) block needles are also supplied for ultrasound-guided techniques where needle visualisation rather than nerve response guides placement.

Can these needles be supplied loose for our own kit assembly?

Yes. Needles are supplied loose, in bulk, or as a component of a configured procedure kit. Distributors who assemble their own packs generally take them loose with their own sterilisation and packaging step; distributors who ship finished packs take them assembled. Traceability documentation is provided either way.

Disposable Anesthesia Needle