Syringes
The first hypodermic syringes appeared simultaneously in 1853 made by Charles Wood in Scotland and Charles Pravaz in France. The Pravaz syringe would enjoy a great success in France, at first by subcutaneous and later, by intravenous injection. The maker, Charrière improved the device and importantly, invented the bevelled hollow needle. The modern glass hypodermic syringe was made by Fournier, a French glassblower in 1894. Finally, syringes could be sterilised but interchangeability of the piston and the body was not achieved until 1934 by Beckton – Dickinson which then became the standard device. Disposable plastic syringes appeared after the Second World War but were not widely – used until the 1970s.
Hypodermic needles
Different needles were invented for specific applications including subcutaneous, intramuscular, intravenous, olive – shaped and epicranial for paediatric use (1965). Here are a few examples.
Infusion bottles
These were initially glass tulips with a cover that allowed filling with a sterilised liquid. Later, in 1940 prefilled glass bottles appeared. Bottles prefilled under a vacuum were not used in France until 1946. Finally, plastic infusion bags appeared in the 1980s. Infusion tubing was initially made of sterilisable rubber and later disposable plastic.
Infusion pumps and syringe drivers
The precision and safety of infusion and injection were improved by the development of infusion pumps and syringe – drivers which allowed the delivery of medications for all clinical situations.