hypodermic needle

Syringe on left, hypodermic needle with attached colour coded Luer-Lock connector on right Hypodermic needle features

A hypodermic needle (from Greek ὑπο- (hypo- = under), and δέρμα (derma = skin)) is a very thin, hollow tube with one sharp tip. As one of the most important intravenous inventions in the field of drug administration, it is one of a category of medical tools which pierce the skin, called sharps. It is commonly used with a syringe, a hand-operated device with a plunger, to inject substances into the body (e.g., saline solution, solutions containing various drugs or liquid medicines) or extract fluids from the body (e.g., blood). Large-bore hypodermic intervention is especially useful in catastrophic blood loss or treating shock. It was invented by Francis Rynd in 1844.