WPI's NanoFil: Gas Tight Injection System in Animal Research

Are you looking for a gas tight, zero dead volume microliter syringe that holds blunt or beveled needles as small as 36 gauge (G)?

WPI’s NanoFil is the answer. We offer NanoFil syringes with NanoFil needles or the option to connect the NanoFil syringe to quartz tubing to use in research studies, mainly involving Gas Tight Injection System volume injections into animal tissues.

WPI’s NanoFil™ is a gas-tight microliter injection system for small-animal research that supports needles down to 36 gauge. Its ultra-low dead volume enables direct sub-microliter injections without oil backfilling, and a patented silicone gasket allows quick needle switching with minimal sample loss. Compatible with GC/CE capillaries and various tubing, it offers blunt and unique 25° tri-surface beveled needles (26–36G) that reduce tissue damage and improve durability. The system is widely used for precise tissue injections, including ophthalmic applications, and is supported by application kits and peer-reviewed studies.

Why Select WPI’s NanoFil (Syringe and Needle) System?

Zero Dead Volume

There is virtually zero dead volume for all NanoFil™ models, and there is a 1:1 connection between the needle and plunger making for a true vacuum once it is properly primed. This means ultimate control over your low-volume samples, down to the sub-microliter scale. Injecting precious samples into highly specific targets has become more reliable than ever with WPI’s NanoFilTM. Skeptical? Reach out to our team to inquire about a sample to see the difference today.

Why this matters:

• Highly maintainable vacuum seal in a primed system means less risk of sample loss, increased sample control
• Faster setup and cleanup
• Increased cohort viability, because successful sample localization results in reliable data This is particularly valuable in: · Viral vector (AAV) delivery into tissues such as the brain or eye · Cannulations · Pathway mapping studies

This is particularly valuable in:

• Viral vector (AAV) delivery into tissues such as the brain or eye
• Cannulations
• Pathway mapping studies

Easily Switch Needles During Experiments

NanoFil™ does not use a Luer connector. It is the only of its kind where the needle inserts directly into the syringe barrel for a zero-gas exchange environment. The system has a patented gasket design that allows for easy needle exchanges during an experiment, just be sure to re-prime. Choose the appropriate NanoFilTM needle gauge suitable to inject at the specific tissue site. WPI offers 33-36G blunt or beveled styles, mounted to a 26G base for increased stability for delicate needle tips. The 26G base also helps to reduce any environmental disturbances such as vibration that may compromise localization into a target site.

This design provides:

• Gas-tight sealing for precious sample handling
• Negligible sample loss or “sticking” to inner needle barrel
• Consistent performance at very low injection volumes (e.g. 0.2µL or less)

This seal integrity and design with respect to the needle is a key reason NanoFil™ outperforms competitor syringes in volume-sensitive injections.

Variety of Syringe Injection Tip Options (Needles and Quartz Tubing)

The patented silicone gasket of NanoFil™ syringe lets you couple not only needles, but also quartz tubing. WPI’s flexible quartz tubing can be used in Gas Chromatography (GC) and Capillary Electrophoresis (CE) where it can be coupled to the NanoFil™ syringe. Other types of tubing can be connected to the syringe, provided the outer diameter (OD) of the tubing is close to, but not more than the inner diameter (ID) of the inside barrel (460 µm) of the NanoFil™ syringe.

The Nanofil can be coupled with our Retinal Pigment Epithelial (RPE) and Intra Ocular (IO) injection kits. These kits permit a lighter handheld experience for delicate injections into the eye, making the NanoFil™ versatile for a variety of applications and injection approaches.

Interchangeable Needles, Valuable During an Experiment

A common workflow:

1. Prime the NanoFil™ syringe with the desired 33, 34, 35, or 36G blunt/beveled NanoFil™ needle mounted.
2. Mount the primed syringe onto the UMP3 syringe pump that is fixed to your stereotax, manipulator, or general mounting system
3. Pipette your AAV virus onto a piece of Parafilm® wax paper, and using an articulating stereo microscope, position the tip of the syringe over the AAV sample that has been transferred to the wax film
4. Using your MICRO4 or MICRO2T controller, set up parameters to withdraw your sample into the tip of the needle to front fill. You can select Run/Stop continuously to ensure a successful front fill without introduction of any air pockets
5. Program your system for your desired infusion rate and target volume delivery for your experiment on your controller.

Variety of NanoFil Needles Sizes (26-36G)

The replaceable needles used with the NanoFil™ are available with either blunt or beveled tip designs. The blunt tip is used for injection into soft tissue and when a uniform solution distribution is needed. The beveled style NanoFil™ needles are used for applications that involve the penetration through a tough tissue. NanoFil™ needles are offered in sizes of 26G to 36G (OD of 460 µm to 120 µm). WPI has a proprietary tri-bevel tip style that provides a sharper insertion and removal in tissue for reduced mechanical damage, and overall better localization in sensitive tissues/targets.

Generally, a smaller needle tip diameter is better to limit diffusion occurring at the needle tip, however in dense tissues where heavier re-use is anticipated, 35-36G may not be the best suited, where a 33-34G would last longer without clogging or dulling. The expansive range of NanoFilTM needles allows for wide variety of application uses and possibilities.

WPI’s Unique Beveled Needle Tip Design

• Efficient for Injection and Causes Less Tissue Damage – All WPI's NanoFil beveled needles have a unique 25° tri-surface bevel design as oppose to a standard 10° single-surface beveled needle design. WPI’s 25° tri-surface needle design creates the needle tip surface like a point, whereas a 10° single-surface bevel creates a tip surface like a blade. Unlike standard 10° single-surface bevels, NanoFil™ beveled needles use a 25° tri-surface geometry.
  
• Better Durability – Our NanoFil needle’s tri-surface 25° beveled tip design allows it to penetrate through a tissue surface and the needle tip encounters less physical resistance from the tissue during penetration. As mentioned before, the 25° tri-surface needle creates a pointed surface containing 3 blades as compared to 10° single-surface beveled needle. The single-surface beveled needle tip is more prone to dulling after or during tissue penetration. The pointed tip design of our NanoFil needle is less prone to dulling and remains functional longer.

Advantages

• Reduced penetration force
• Shallower insertion depth to reach target tissue
• Lower risk of tearing or excessive tissue response

Outcome 

• More precise placement
• Less inflammation
• Improved post-injection tissue viability

Common Use Cases (Stereotaxic Injection)

• Recommended needle: 33-34G beveled or blunt
• Volume range: 50 nL – 5 µL
• Benefit: minimal backflow and diffusion at injection site, excellent localization.

Overall, the NanoFil™ system is a very popular product in research meeting demands of extremely low-volume, sensitive samples into tissues/sensitive target structured featuring a zero-dead volume, and truly gas-tight environment.

Recent Citations

Kocherlakota, S., Nicol, et al. “Pharmacological Blockade of LPAR1 Does Not Provide Neuroprotection in a Rat Model of Ocular Hypertensive Glaucoma.” Translational Vision Science & Technology” 15(1) (2026): 328–340.

Nikolaev, T., Goszczyńska, E., et al. “The role of prefrontal somatostatin interneurons in emotional contagion.” Acta Neurobiologiae Experimentalis (2025): 187–195.

Mahkam, N., Chen, Y., et al. “Rigid Hollow Microparticles for Enhanced Focused Ultrasound Treatment Under Optoacoustic Guidance.” Advanced Science (2025).

See Selection

Frequently Asked Questions

I already have a glass microliter syringe in our lab, why would I consider the NanoFil™ over my current system?

A majority of competitor syringes use a cannula-like fixture which the needle is attached to. The seating of this versus the internal plunger do not directly touch. This space equals up to 5-10µL of dead volume, essentially making it impossible to consistently maintain a gas-tight environment between multiple surgeries. Further, the longer needles many of these competitor designs feature introduce excess vibration which can wick your small sample droplet up into the needle wall, contributing to sample loss/unequal volume dispersion. Both design factors directly contribute to too much or not enough of your sample extruding from your syringe, or leakage into undesired sites during removal of the system from your target/tissues. Try NanoFil™ and start seeing consistent results today

What key problem does NanoFil™ solve for sub-microliter injections?

NanoFil’s virtually zero dead volume makes a true gas‑tight, sub‑microliter injection possible without worry.

Can NanoFil™ connect to quartz capillaries or other tubing? What are the size constraints?

Yes. The silicone gasket couples directly to quartz capillaries used in GC/CE and to other tubing, as long as the tubing’s outer diameter is close to, but not greater than, the syringe barrel’s inner diameter (460 µm). This flexibility lets you integrate NanoFil™ with quartz tubing and a variety of microfluidic setups.

Which needle sizes and tip styles are available, and how do I choose?

NanoFil™ needles come in 26–36G (approximately 460–120 µm OD) with blunt or beveled tips. Use blunt tips for soft tissue and when uniform solution distribution is desired; choose beveled tips to penetrate tougher tissues and reduce overall mechanical damage where this is a major concern..

What’s special about WPI’s 25° tri‑surface beveled needle design?

Unlike a standard 10° single‑surface bevel (blade‑like), WPI’s 25° tri‑surface bevel forms a pointed tip that penetrates efficiently with less required depth, reducing local tissue damage and unwanted tissue response. It also encounters less resistance and is less prone to dulling, improving durability over repeated penetrations.