Dental Cartridge Glass Tubes

A dental cartridge — or carpule — is the small glass tube of local anesthetic that loads into a dental syringe. It is sealed at one end by a rubber plunger and at the other by a thin rubber diaphragm held under a crimped aluminum cap; in the syringe, a needle pierces the diaphragm while the plunger is pushed forward to inject the dose.

The format gives the dentist a sterile, pre-measured single dose loaded in seconds, and the precise small-bore Type I borosilicate tube ensures the anesthetic stays stable and is delivered cleanly through an aspirating system.

Dental local anesthetic — lidocaine, articaine and similar — in aspirating syringe systems, in dental clinics and surgeries, oral and maxillofacial work, and veterinary dentistry, for single-patient sterile dosing.

A slim Type I borosilicate cartridge with a rubber plunger (bung) at the rear and a pierceable rubber diaphragm at the front held by a crimped aluminum cap. Standard carpule volumes (around 1.7–2.2 ml) fit standard dental syringes. The small precise bore and inert glass keep the anesthetic stable and the dose accurate.

Carpules are sterile, single-use and part of a validated container-closure system; the diaphragm and plunger are matched to the syringe and needle. They are stored as directed (some anaesthetics are light- and temperature-sensitive) and inspected for cracks, cloudiness or a displaced plunger before use. The glass tube must be intact to withstand the injection pressure.

Cartridges are converted from Type I borosilicate tubing to precise dimensions, then assembled with the plunger, diaphragm and crimp cap and aseptically filled. Dimensional accuracy (for syringe fit and seal), container-closure integrity and sterility are the critical controls for an injectable delivered chairside.