Hypodermic tubing is available in regular wall, thin wall and extra thin wall sizes. While the gauge of the tubing does not change from one type of tubing to the next, the interior diameter opening does. For example, if you were to look at the specifications on 10 gauge tubing in each size, you would discover that the outer diameters were the same for each wall size. But, you will notice the inner diameter changes and becomes slightly larger as the wall sizes move from regular, thin and extra thin.
Use Different Wall Sizes of Hypodermic Tubing to Attain Desired Flow Rates
One reason why an organization will use different wall sizes of hypodermic tubing is to achieve proper fluid flow rates, without having to switch gauge sizes. Each wall size allows a different amount of fluid to flow through the tubing at a specified rate. The actual fluid rate does depend upon other factors, such as the amount of pressure on the fluid, as well as the type of fluid passing through the tube. For example, water often flows at a faster rate as compared to a thicker fluid, such as glue.