SUMMARY

Plastic hypodermic needles are a potential solution to the problem of disease spread through needle reuse due to the ease of their destruction. A key issue in their acceptance is the force required to penetrate a patient. A smaller force is associated with less pain. The effect of the main needle parameters - geometry, tip radius, diameter, material, and lubricant - on penetration force is studied through penetration, buckling, and coefficient of friction testing. The tests are conducted on steel needles, which serve as a control group, as well as two varieties of plastic needles. The outcome of this thesis is a quantitative understanding of the effect that the various parameters have on penetration force, which is used to inform plastic needle design.