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General product information only, not medical advice. It does not cover how to use a syringe on a patient or any dosing.
A BD syringe is a syringe made by Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD). BD sells several product lines, and the practical difference between them is the tip: Luer-Lok, Luer slip, eccentric Luer slip or catheter tip. This page lays out BD’s published tip types and sizes, explains the Embecta rebrand of the insulin line, and answers the common questions about the BD name.
Overview
BD is the maker’s name, not a specification. What separates one BD syringe from another on the shelf is the tip, the barrel volume and whether a needle is attached. BD’s conventional syringes and needles page (bd.com, read 2026-11-07) lists four tip types: Luer-Lok, Luer slip, eccentric Luer slip and catheter tip. The sections below set out those tip types, how the tip maps to what a syringe connects to, what BD’s page says about sterility and single use, and the Embecta rebrand of the insulin line.
What does BD on a syringe mean?
BD stands for Becton, Dickinson and Company, the manufacturer. The letters on a barrel or carton identify the maker, not a size, tip type or material. Those details are printed separately on the packaging and the barrel.
BD syringe tip types and sizes
BD’s conventional syringes and needles page (bd.com, read 2026-11-07) describes the following tip types. For a general comparison of tip designs across all makers, see syringe tip types.
| Name | What it is (per BD) | Best for (per BD) | Limits (per BD’s listed sizes) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Luer-Lok | Tip that provides a secure connection to other devices | Connections to other devices where a secure fit is wanted | Listed in 1, 3, 5, 10, 20, 30 and 50 mL |
| Luer slip | Friction-fit tip, pushed and twisted into the needle hub | Fitting a needle hub by push and twist | Listed in 1, 3, 5, 10, 20, 30 and 50 mL |
| Eccentric Luer slip | Slip tip that lets the syringe sit close to the skin | Venipuncture and aspirating fluids | Listed in 20 and 50 mL only |
| Catheter tip | Tip for catheters, gastrostomy tubes and other devices | Flushing catheters, gastrostomy tubes and other devices | Listed in 50 mL only |
BD’s page also names its PrecisionGlide needles, described as thin wall, tri-bevel and lubricated. For size questions such as the BD 1 mL, 3 mL, 5 mL or 10 mL syringe, the table above gives the tip types BD lists in those volumes; see also what a 10 mL syringe is. Needle gauge is a separate specification, covered in needle gauge sizes, and the small-barrel needle format in tuberculin needles.
How to choose by setting
BD’s page does not assign these products to a home, clinic, hospital or laboratory; its navigation only carries audience labels such as Clinician, Laboratory, Pharmacy and Surgery. The setting therefore does not select the syringe. What the sources do state is what each tip is described as being for, so the decision below is organised by the connection or task, and the choice itself belongs to the clinician, pharmacist or laboratory procedure that specifies the product.
| If the item being connected or filled is | Tip type BD describes for it | Volumes BD lists |
|---|---|---|
| Another device that needs a secure connection | Luer-Lok | 1 to 50 mL |
| A needle hub that is pushed and twisted on | Luer slip | 1 to 50 mL |
| Venipuncture or aspirating fluids with the syringe close to the skin | Eccentric Luer slip | 20 and 50 mL |
| A catheter or gastrostomy tube being flushed | Catheter tip | 50 mL |
| A pre-attached needle combination | BD syringe and needle combinations, supplied in single sterile packaging | See BD’s product page |
Whatever the setting, the same label checks apply: tip type, barrel volume, and whether a needle is attached. Home-care insulin users, for example, should note that the diabetes lines are a separate product family from the general lines above; see the Embecta section below. This page gives no instruction on using a syringe on a person.
What are BD syringes called now?
The general-purpose BD syringe lines are still presented under the BD name on bd.com. The change concerns the diabetes lines. Pharmac, New Zealand’s medicines funding agency, notified that BD Ultra Fine and Ultra Fine II insulin syringes and BD Micro Fine pen needles moved to Embecta-branded packaging from 1 July 2026, with new Pharmacodes (product codes). Pharmac states: “Although the packaging looks different, there has been no change to the actual syringe or pen needle.” That notice applies to New Zealand; this page makes no claim about timing elsewhere.
For insulin syringe barrel volumes and needle choices in general, see insulin syringe sizing.
Do they still make BD syringes? Are BD needles discontinued?
BD continues to list conventional syringes and needles, including PrecisionGlide needles, on its product pages (read 2026-11-07), so the brand is not discontinued on that evidence. For the insulin line, Pharmac’s update of 23 October 2026 notes limited supply of some Embecta syringe gauges and says this is “not related to the packaging change”. A supply limit in one country is not a discontinuation.
Care and replacement
BD’s page describes its tuberculin syringe as “a sterile, single-use device” and says its syringe and needle combinations “come in single sterile packaging”. It also describes BD tip caps as minimising touch-contamination risk and protecting the contents of the syringe. The page makes no statement about disposal, latex or reuse, so this page makes none either; follow the instructions for use in the product’s own packaging and the disposal rules set by the facility or local authority.
How regulators classify a piston syringe
In the openFDA device classification database (read 2026-11-07), the product code FMF, “Syringe, Piston”, is a Class 2 device under 21 CFR 880.5860. Class 2 devices are regulated with general and special controls. A syringe sold in the United States is therefore a regulated medical device, whichever brand name is on it.
What to check on the label
- The tip type (Luer-Lok, Luer slip, eccentric or catheter tip), because it decides which needles, tubing or devices the syringe connects to.
- The barrel volume in mL, from the sizes in the table above.
- Whether the carton names the product as a syringe alone or a syringe with needle attached; the needle details (gauge, length) are printed separately.
- For insulin syringes, whether the carton carries BD or Embecta branding; per Pharmac the product itself is unchanged.
FAQ
What does BD on a syringe mean?
Becton, Dickinson and Company, the manufacturer.
What are BD syringes called now?
General syringes remain BD. The BD Ultra Fine, Ultra Fine II and Micro Fine diabetes products are in Embecta packaging in New Zealand from 1 July 2026, per Pharmac.
Do they still make BD syringes?
Yes, BD lists conventional syringes in 1 to 50 mL on its product pages.
Are BD needles discontinued?
Not according to BD’s product pages or Pharmac’s notice, which reports limited supply of some insulin syringe gauges in New Zealand, unrelated to the packaging change.
Sources
- BD, Conventional Syringes and Needles: bd.com product line page, read 2026-11-07 (tip types, sizes, sterile single-use statements).
- Pharmac, Embecta medicine notice: pharmac.govt.nz, read 2026-11-07 (update dated 23 October 2026).
- U.S. FDA openFDA device classification, product code FMF, 21 CFR 880.5860, read 2026-11-07.
