Is there a 0.25 mL insulin syringe? The sizes that exist

No 0.25 mL insulin syringe appears in AccessGUDID, the FDA's device identification database. Its insulin-syringe census lists three capacities — 0.3 mL, 0.5 mL, and 1 mL — and nothing smaller. Within the same database's piston-syringe product code, the 0.25 mL syringes that do appear are ophthalmic syringes.

What the 0.3, 0.5 and 1 mL rows mean

AccessGUDID, the US National Library of Medicine's presentation of the FDA's Global Unique Device Identification Database, lists 1,258 records under the insulin-syringe device types. The database's volume facet prints ten spellings — .3, .30, 0.3, 0.30, .5, .50, 0.5, 0.50, 1, 1.0 (all "Milliliter") — which are three capacities: 0.3 mL, 0.5 mL, and 1 mL. No 0.25 mL value appears anywhere in that set. Two reads of the database's own size facet and one scan of all 1,258 records for 0.25 mL, .25 cc, 1/4 cc and 25 unit return no match. A 0.25 mL syringe does exist in the same database when the piston-syringe product code is filtered to 0.25 mL: Staclear's four StaClear records, catalogued as ophthalmic syringes (FDA product code QLY) under the GMDN term "General-purpose syringe/needle." Those are not insulin syringes.

Needle choice is tied to capacity across independent sources. UltiMed, Allison Medical and EXELINT all list the 28G only on 0.5 mL and 1 mL barrels — none lists a 28G on the 0.3 mL. Cardinal Health's luer-tip, luer-lock and detachable-needle rows are all 1 mL, and Chirana lists 25G, 26G and its Luer row at 1 mL only. Shina Med lists the 1/4-inch needles only on the two smaller barrels. The gauge range across the table runs from 25G to 31G.

Graduation interval is a property of the printed scale, not of the barrel alone. BD's 510(k) K212499 states its 0.3 mL syringe carries 1-unit and ½-unit increments and its 1 mL carries 2-unit increments; BD's separate U-500 510(k) states a 0.5 mL barrel at 5-unit lines; embecta's records name ½-unit scales on four 0.3 mL catalogue numbers (324910, 324930, 328440, 328449) and a 2-unit scale on one 1 mL number (329424); UltiMed prints 1-unit increments on both the 0.3 and 0.5 mL UltiCare barrels and 2-unit increments on the 1 mL. The same barrel can be ordered with different scales — UltiMed's 91006 and 91007 are both 3/10 mL, 31G × 6 mm, differing only in the scale; Allison's 22-6503 and 22-6504 differ the same way.

Only three unit ceilings are printed by the sources at all, and they are the UltiCare ones. Rows that do not state a ceiling are left blank here rather than filled by arithmetic — which is why most of that column is empty.

The 18 UltiCare rows carry an NDC and a UPC on the manufacturer's product page; the 18 SureComfort rows carry an NRC (this table follows Allison's published data sheet, whose number for 22-6003, 86227 0700 35, matches the sheet's own pattern). Three of the Staclear rows are listed by their GUDID catalogue number; SC250LS carries none in that field and is listed by its version or model.

Where to buy

The three UltiCare listings below are the same manufacturer, the same needle (31G × 8 mm) and the same 100-count box. Each listing names its barrel's ceiling: the 3/10 cc barrel reads to 30 units, the 1/2 cc to 50, the 1 cc to 100.

• UltiCare U-100 Insulin Syringes | 3/10cc, 31G x 8mm, 100 Count | Sterile Single-Use Syringes | Clear Unit Markings, Silicone Coating , Triple Bevel Needle For Comfortable, Accurate Dosing
• UltiCare U-100 Insulin Syringes | 1/2cc, 31G x 8mm, 100 Count | Sterile Single-Use Syringes | Clear Unit Markings, Silicone Coating , Triple Bevel Needle For Comfortable, Accurate Dosing
• UltiCare U-100 Insulin Syringes | 1cc, 31G x 8mm, 100 Count | Sterile Single-Use Syringes | Clear Unit Markings, Silicone Coating , Triple Bevel Needle For Comfortable, Accurate Dosing

Sources

• AccessGUDID (US National Library of Medicine / FDA) — insulin-syringe device-type census
• AccessGUDID — StaClear 0.25 mL piston-syringe results
• AccessGUDID — Embecta Medical II, LLC insulin syringe records
• AccessGUDID — Cardinal Health, Inc., Monoject records
• FDA — 510(k) K212499, BD Insulin Syringe (0.3 mL)
• FDA — 510(k) K151870, BD U-500 Insulin Syringe
• FDA — 510(k) K242434, Chirana T. Injecta
• FDA — 510(k) K250510, Shina Med Sure-Fine Insulin Syringes
• FDA — 510(k) K233794, Spm Medicare Insulin Syringe
• UltiMed, Inc. — UltiCare U-100 Insulin Syringes
• UltiMed — UltiCare 3/10 mL/cc 31G × 6 mm half-unit marking (91007)
• Allison Medical, Inc. — SureComfort data sheet 608-02-218_Rev.02_02-24
• EXELINT International, Co. — Insulin Syringes
• embecta Corp. — Ultra-Fine Insulin Syringes
• Banfield Pet Hospital — UltiCare VetRx U-100 Insulin Syringes Whole Unit Markings

Specifications last verified: 2026-08-01