The Luer taper is a standardized

Standardization

Standardization is the process of developing and implementing technical standards.The goals of standardization can be to help with independence of single suppliers , compatibility, interoperability, safety, repeatability, or quality....

 system of small-scale fluid fitting

Piping and plumbing fittings

Fittings are used in pipe and plumbing systems to connect straight pipe or tubing sections, to adapt to different sizes or shapes, and for other purposes, such as regulating or measuring fluid flow...

s used for making leak-free connections between a male-taper

Taper

In cymbal making, taper refers to the gradual change in thickness from the bell to the rim of the cymbal. It is one of the key features that determines the tone of the cymbal....

 fitting and its mating female part on medical and laboratory instruments, including hypodermic

Hypodermic needle

A hypodermic needle is a hollow needle commonly used with a syringe to inject substances into the body or extract fluids from it...

 syringe

Syringe

A syringe is a simple pump consisting of a plunger that fits tightly in a tube. The plunger can be pulled and pushed along inside a cylindrical tube , allowing the syringe to take in and expel a liquid or gas through an orifice at the open end of the tube...

 tips and needles or stopcock

Stopcock

A stopcock is a valve used to restrict or isolate the flow of a liquid or gas through a pipe.In Great Britain a stopcock, not to be confused with a gate valve or a DiCiaccio branch, is used to prevent flow of water into a domestic water system. There are usually two stopcocks for a home...

s and needles. Named after the 19th century German medical instrument maker Hermann Wülfing Luer, it originated as a 6% taper fitting for glass bottle stoppers. Key features of Luer Taper connectors are defined in the ISO 594 standards. It is also defined in the DIN

Din

DIN or Din or din can have several meanings:* A din is a loud noise.* Dīn, an Arabic term meaning "religion" or "way of life".* Din is one of the ten aspects of the Ein Sof in Kabbalah ....

 and EN standard 1707:1996 and 20594-1:1993.

Variants

There are two varieties of Luer Taper connections: Luer-Lok and Luer-Slip. Luer-Lok fittings are securely joined by means of a tabbed hub on the female fitting which screws into threads in a sleeve on the male fitting. The Luer-Lok fitting was developed in the United States by Fairleigh S. Dickinson

Fairleigh S. Dickinson

Colonel Fairleigh S. Dickinson was the co-founder of the medical technology company Becton Dickinson and the named benefactor of Fairleigh Dickinson University.-Biography:...

.

Luer-Slip fittings simply conform to Luer taper dimensions and are pressed together and held by friction (they have no threads). Luer components are manufactured either from metal or plastic and are available from many companies worldwide.

"Luer-Lok" and "Luer-Slip" are registered trademarks of Becton Dickinson

Becton Dickinson

Becton, Dickinson and Company , is an American medical technology company that manufactures and sells medical devices, instrument systems and reagents. Founded in 1897 and headquartered in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, BD does business in nearly 50 countries and has 28,803 employees worldwide. In...

. "Luer-Lok" style connectors are often generically referred to as "Luer lock".