Acupuncture Needle Modified With Supercritical Fluid

Objective: To compare the differences in the needling sensation with acupuncture needles surface treated with nitrogen applied supercritical fluid (SCF-N) and stainless steel needles. Materials and Methods: This was a double-blind prospective cohort study. The acupuncture needles were randomly used in this experiment, including the SCF-N-treated needles and the control stainless steel needles. LI 4 (Hegu) and LI 11 (Quchi) acupuncture points in the Yangming Large Intestine Meridian of Hand were treated. Physical electrical resistance , scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectrometry, and visual analog scale score including the sensations of soreness, numbness, distention, and heaviness were assessed.