Written and maintained by CASRAI Editorial Board
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This page describes products and general use; it is not medical advice.
A Vacutainer needle is a multi-sample blood collection needle: a needle used to draw blood from a vein that attaches to a holder, so that more than one collection tube can be filled during a single venipuncture. “Vacutainer” is a brand name that BD uses for its blood collection products, and people often use it for the whole product class. The generic description is a multi-sample (evacuated-tube) blood collection needle. Phlebotomists, nurses, clinic and laboratory staff use it, and buyers and students look it up.
What a Vacutainer needle is
BD describes its Vacutainer Eclipse blood collection needle as a “safety-engineered, multi-sample blood collection needle” for drawing blood from a vein. Because “Vacutainer” is a brand name, the general class is called a multi-sample blood collection needle on this page.
Who uses it: clinicians and technicians who collect venous blood specimens, the staff who stock and buy for them, and students learning the equipment. The World Health Organization notes that phlebotomy uses large, hollow needles to remove blood specimens for laboratory testing or blood donation, and that it carries risks for both patients and health workers.
How it is built
A multi-sample needle for a venipuncture set has these parts, using the BD Eclipse needle as the example:
- The needle: a hollow needle, supplied in 21 G and 22 G configurations on the BD Eclipse product, each 1.25 in long.
- A safety shield: on the Eclipse needle, a shield that covers the needle after the draw. It is activated with one hand, and BD says it “confirms proper activation with an audible click.”
- A holder: the needle attaches to a holder. BD sells the Eclipse needle on its own and with a preattached holder, and states that the preattached holder “increases OSHA single-use holder compliance.”
Types and variants
The most important dividing line is whether the needle has a built-in safety feature. OSHA’s bloodborne pathogens standard defines “sharps with engineered sharps injury protections” as a sharp, needle or non-needle, used to draw fluids, access a vein or artery, or give medication or fluids, with “a built-in safety feature or mechanism that effectively reduces the risk of an exposure incident.”
| Variant | Typical use | Key difference | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Safety-engineered multi-sample needle (example: BD Eclipse, 22 G, black shield) | Drawing blood from a vein | Shield covers the needle after the draw; one-handed activation with an audible click | BD product page |
| Safety-engineered multi-sample needle (example: BD Eclipse, 21 G, green shield) | Drawing blood from a vein | Same shield design; a different gauge, shown by a green shield | BD product page |
| Eclipse needle with preattached holder (22 G black, 21 G green) | Drawing blood from a vein | Holder comes attached; BD states this increases OSHA single-use holder compliance | BD product page |
Straight needles used with a holder and winged (butterfly) sets are covered on their own pages: see what a butterfly needle is and butterfly versus straight needles for venipuncture.
Sizes and specifications
| Configuration (BD Eclipse) | Gauge | Length | Shield colour |
|---|---|---|---|
| Needle only | 22 G | 1.25 in | Black |
| Needle only | 21 G | 1.25 in | Green |
| With preattached holder | 22 G | 1.25 in | Black |
| With preattached holder | 21 G | 1.25 in | Green |
These values apply to the BD Eclipse product as listed on BD’s page (checked 29 October 2026). Other makers and other BD needles can differ, so check the instructions for use of the exact product.
How to choose
The one selection criterion that a regulator states is the engineering control. Under 29 CFR 1910.1030(d)(2)(i), “engineering and work practice controls shall be used to eliminate or minimize employee exposure.” A needle with an engineered sharps injury protection is one such control. Gauge, tube type and the patient or setting are decided by the product’s instructions for use and the facility’s own procedures, not by this page.
Safe use and handling basics
- OSHA requires that contaminated needles “shall not be bent, recapped or removed unless the employer can demonstrate that no alternative is feasible” or that a specific medical or dental procedure requires it (29 CFR 1910.1030(d)(2)(vii)(A)).
- Where recapping or removal is permitted, it “must be accomplished through the use of a mechanical device or a one-handed technique” (29 CFR 1910.1030(d)(2)(vii)(B)). The one-handed shield on the BD Eclipse needle is an example of a design that works with one hand.
- Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for use for the exact needle and holder, and your facility’s exposure control plan. For sharps disposal, see where to take a sharps container.
Common mistakes
- Treating “Vacutainer” as a single specification. It is a brand, and sizes, shields and holders vary by product.
- Recapping or bending a used needle by hand when a safer alternative is feasible, which the OSHA text above prohibits unless no alternative is feasible.
- Assuming any needle is “safety” equipment. OSHA’s definition requires a built-in safety feature or mechanism.
FAQ
Is “Vacutainer” a type of needle or a brand?
It is a brand name that BD uses. The generic class is a multi-sample blood collection needle.
What gauges does the BD Eclipse needle come in?
BD lists 22 G (black shield) and 21 G (green shield), both 1.25 in long.
What does safety-engineered mean?
OSHA defines it as a sharp with a built-in safety feature or mechanism that effectively reduces the risk of an exposure incident.
Where do I find related equipment?
See the phlebotomy supply checklist and the page on hypodermic needles. Suppliers list injection needles by category.
Sources
- BD, BD Vacutainer Eclipse Blood Collection Needle, checked 29 October 2026.
- eCFR, 29 CFR 1910.1030, Bloodborne pathogens, checked 29 October 2026.
- World Health Organization, WHO guidelines on drawing blood: best practices in phlebotomy (2010), checked 29 October 2026.
