Choosing the right needle means aligning patient need, safety and therapeutic payoff. The checklist below covers core metrics, material pros/cons and real-world purchasing tips.
- Key decision metrics
- Biocompatibility: zero sensitisation, even with prolonged retention.
- Physicals: tensile strength (bend & break resistance), corrosion immunity, plus thermal/electrical conductivity for smooth insertion and reliable stimulus.
- Cost-effectiveness: balance purchase price against single-use vs. reuse cycles and patient willingness to pay.
- Quick material map
- Stainless steel: highest strength, lowest cost—handles 90 % of cases.
- Copper: rapid heat conduction; ideal when moxa or warming is planned.
- Silver: natural biocide + top conductivity—first pick for diabetics or high infection risk.
- Titanium alloy: nickel-free, lightweight, ultra-inert—insurance for metal-sensitive patients.
- Buying & reuse protocol
- Verify: demand ISO 13485 certificate and batch material report.
- Match: cold pattern → copper; infection risk → silver/titanium; routine → stainless.
- Manage: reusable stainless or Ti = “one patient, one use, one sterilisation cycle”; disposables are never re-processed.
Follow these three filters, spend where it matters and skip the hidden headaches—patients relax, clinicians work smarter.
