Also known as an injector gun or a medical injector, an injection gun is a device that is used to efficiently and safely inject medication into the body. Devices of this type are sometimes used in place of traditional needle syringes, since they offer a higher degree of accuracy at the injection site. As an added benefit, the gun makes is possible to deliver a more precise dosage than is usually possible with a traditional syringe. In many countries, no type of injection gun is available to the general public without the express permission of a licensed healthcare provider.
An injection gun can be used for just about any type of medication injection. This includes the delivery of pain medication, or of antibiotics that are designed to help alleviate or control the underlying cause of an illness. While there is some variation in the design, most of these injectors are equipped with a chamber for the medication, a barrel, and a trigger. The barrel is connected to the chamber at one end, and is fitted to accommodate a needle at the opposite end. The trigger is located below the chamber and barrel, making it easy to hold the device in one hand, position the needle at the point of entry, and squeeze the trigger to insert the needle and deliver the dose of medication.
One of the more common uses of an injection gun is in the administration of measured doses of insulin. Diabetics who require daily injections often find that the guns are a substantial improvement over using syringes. The injectors are easier to manipulate, which in turn allows the user to self-inject with a higher degree of accuracy. Many diabetics who make use of these injectors report less pain than with traditional needles, as well as less incidence of bruising.
The injection gun is also very useful in the process of inoculating patients for various types of diseases. Because of the precise and rapid delivery of the medication that is administered during the vaccination process, patients are less likely to experience discomfort during or after the procedure. For healthcare professionals charged with the task of administering the vaccinations, the easy use of the trigger mechanism is less likely to cause fatigue after repeated uses, a benefit that is especially helpful when vaccinating a large number of people in a short period of time.
While many injection guns are configured to accurately deliver medication into veins or muscles, there are guns designed for injecting medication into bones. A bone injection gun is equipped with a strong needle that can pierce the outer crust of the bone and make it possible to inject medication directly into the marrow. A variation of this device can also be used to harvest bone marrow for use in transfusions or for testing.
