Written and maintained by CASRAI Editorial Board
Published · Last updated
This page describes products and general use; it is not medical advice.
On this page
Who uses it: clinic and hospital staff who handle gravity IV sets, students learning the parts of an administration set, and buyers matching a set description to a product listing.
What an IV roller clamp is
An IV roller clamp is the small wheel-operated clamp on the tubing of a gravity IV administration set. Rolling the wheel pinches the tubing more or less, which narrows or closes the flow path. That role is an editorial description based on how manufacturers list the part, not a regulatory term: the federal regulation for these sets does not use the words “roller clamp”.
How it fits in an administration set
Under 21 CFR 880.5440, an intravascular administration set is “a device used to administer fluids from a container to a patient’s vascular system through a needle or catheter inserted into a vein.” The regulation says the device may include tubing, a flow regulator, a drip chamber, an infusion line filter, a stopcock, connectors, an injection-site side tube and a hollow spike. The roller clamp is the component that manufacturer listings describe in this flow-control position on gravity sets. FDA classifies these sets as Class II (special controls); the openFDA classification record for product code FPA is named “Set, Administration, Intravascular”, under regulation number 880.5440.
For the surrounding parts, see our guides on gravity tubing, the microdrip drop factor, the IV bag and the infusion set. For electronically controlled delivery, see what an IV infusion pump is.
Clamp variants on real set listings
The roller clamp is often listed alongside other clamps. The table shows how real device records in FDA’s GUDID (accessed through openFDA, checked 2026-10-30) describe the clamps, using the manufacturer’s own wording. DI is the device identifier.
| Listing (manufacturer, DI) | Clamps as listed | What it shows |
|---|---|---|
| Medline, 20197344008251 | “IV ADMIN SET, 15DRP, ROLLER CLAMP, 60” | Roller clamp as the only clamp named on a 15-drop set |
| Pathen Medical, 10850005864483 | Roller clamp on a 100-inch, 60-drop set with a vented/non-vented drip chamber and Y-site | Roller clamp on a 60-drop (microdrip-type) set |
| Pathen Medical, 00850005864059 | “Standard bore extension set with roller clamp” | Roller clamps also appear on extension sets, not only on primary sets |
| Pathen Medical, 10850005864209 | “slide clamp, roller clamp” | A roller clamp and a slide clamp on the same set |
| B. Braun Infusomat, 04046955585878 | “free flow protection clamp, roller clamp” | Roller clamp together with a free-flow protection clamp; the record is for a 60 drops/mL set |
| B. Braun Infusomat, 04046955324798 | “pinch clamp … free flow protection clamp, backcheck valve, roller clamp, slide clamp” | Several clamp types on one 15 drops/mL set |
All six records above are listed as single use.
What a laboratory study found about a fully open clamp
Short answer: in one laboratory study, a fully open roller clamp meant the delivered volume depended on factors outside the set, not on the set itself.
Pierce and colleagues (Anesthesia and Analgesia, 2013;116:614-8, PMID 23400996) noted that “when the roller clamp is fully open, flow in the drip chamber can be a continuous fluid column rather than discrete, countable, drops.” In their in vitro model (bag height 60 to 120 cm, catheters 14 to 22 gauge), volume delivered under these wide-open conditions “varied 2.9-fold (95% confidence interval, 2.84-2.96) depending on catheter size and fluid column height.” Micro-drip sets from three manufacturers behaved similarly. This is an in vitro laboratory model, not clinical guidance.
Labels and handling basics
- Follow the instructions for use that come with the specific set; the clamp, drop factor and other parts differ by product.
- Check the label: the records above state whether a set is single use, and the Infusomat records list free-flow protection clamps in addition to the roller clamp.
Common mistakes
- Assuming the roller clamp is the only clamp on a set. Listings show slide, pinch and free-flow protection clamps alongside it.
- Assuming the regulation names the roller clamp. 21 CFR 880.5440 uses the term “flow regulator”.
- Assuming a fully open clamp gives a fixed rate. In the 2013 laboratory study, delivered volume varied 2.9-fold under those conditions.
FAQ
What did the laboratory study on roller clamps find?
With the clamp fully open, delivered volume in an in vitro model varied 2.9-fold depending on catheter size and fluid column height (Pierce et al., 2013, PMID 23400996).
What does an IV roller clamp do?
It is the wheel clamp on gravity IV tubing that pinches the tubing to restrict or stop flow. Manufacturers list it among set components such as the drip chamber, spike and connectors.
Is a roller clamp the same as a slide clamp?
No. Device records list them as separate components, sometimes on the same set (Pathen Medical, DI 10850005864209).
Is a roller clamp regulated as its own device?
In FDA’s classification record for product code FPA, it appears as part of an intravascular administration set (21 CFR 880.5440, Class II, product code FPA), not as a separately classified device.
For related supplies, see infusion supplies, or our overview of IV supplies.
Sources
All sources last checked 2026-10-30.
- 21 CFR 880.5440, Intravascular administration set, Cornell LII, https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/21/880.5440 (checked 2026-10-30)
- openFDA device classification, product code FPA, https://api.fda.gov/device/classification.json?search=product_code:FPA (checked 2026-10-30)
- FDA GUDID records via openFDA, https://api.fda.gov/device/udi.json (checked 2026-10-30)
- Pierce ET et al., Anesth Analg 2013;116:614-8, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23400996/ (checked 2026-10-30)
