Acupuncture Needle Packs
Single-Use Stainless Steel Shaft
This photo shows packs of sterile, single use acupuncture needles. The coins are presented for size comparison. The white translucent paper-like backing is a type of semipermeable packaging. Ethylene oxide gas is forced into the packs under pressure for sterilization purposes and then subsequently removed.
The ten pack of needles below the quarter are made of stainless steel. Needles may also be comprised of other metals including gold, platinum, and silver. Silver needles are never combined with electroacupuncture due to oxidation issues. Each needle in the ten pack is 0.22 mm in diameter and 25 mm in length. This is also referred to as a 1” needle of 34 gauge. The 34 gauge is used in the Chinese needle classification system and the Japanese system refers to this as a 4 gauge needle.
Below the ten pack is a five pack of needles. They are 0.25 mm in diameter. This is also referred to as a 32 gauge needle in the Chinese system and as a 5 gauge needle in the Japanese system. Below the 5 pack is a single pack of a 25 mm stainless steel needle with a plastic handle. In widespread use, the handle color is referred to as gold, yellow, or ivory by many needle manufacturing companies. The ivory color designates the needle as a 0.18 mm diameter needle, also referred to as a 38 gauge or 2 gauge needle. Below the plastic handle needle is a stainless steel needle of 0.18 mm diameter and 13 mm length, also referred to as a half inch needle. A yellow piece of plastic obscures the wound stainless steel handle. This piece of plastic holds the needle within a plastic guide tube.