Leur Loops for Easy and Secure Needle Zippers

Needle Zippers can be fun and very intense. The challenge with needle zippers is that they can be dangerous if care is not taken to ensure that the needles that are pulled from the body are not lost during the pull. Lost needles can pose significant needle-stick/cross-contamination risk to the bottom, the top, or bystanders of the scene.


In the past, I have seen many methods of attaching string to the hubs of hypodermic needles for zippers.

Some of them include;

  • Taping the string to the hub

  • Tying the string around the hub

  • Skewering the string with the needle


All of these methods, in my experience, can be difficult to execute in ways that will reduce the chance of losing a needle during a pull. But there is a solution that I've found that increases my ability to control the needles during the pull.

Leur Loops…

Each loop consists of two nylon components; 1x MTLP-1 and 1x MLLR-1.


These two parts are combined to make a single loop that screws onto the hub of the hypodermic needle.

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Here is what the finished product looks like on an 18G hypodermic needle, with neon green Dacron thread through the loop.


Great! How Do I Get Some?

The challenge is that the most reliable source for these parts is to purchase them from the manufacturer, Value Plastics, Inc. (a subsidiary of Nordson Medical). The manufacturer has a relatively pricey minimum purchase for these components (1000 pieces each as of 10/6/2021).

MLLR-1: https://www.nordsonmedical.com/Shop/Fluid-Management/Products/MLLR-1

MTLP-1: https://www.nordsonmedical.com/Shop/Fluid-Management/Products/MTLP-1