Patent ID: 7905869

Claim:
A needle assembly comprising an elongate permanently magnetic or magnetizable stainless steel needle cannula having a proximal end, a distal end and a sidewall therebetween, a gauge of the needle cannula having an outer diameter and a lumen with a lumen diameter, wherein: (i) the outer diameter between the proximal end and the distal end is greater than an outer diameter of a standard needle cannula; (ii) the lumen diameter is identical to a lumen diameter of the standard needle cannula; (iii) the standard needle cannula is between 14 and 27 gauge; (iv) the cannula at its proximal end is securely fixed to a mounting hub which is capable of being mounted on a device operable for injecting a dosage of a material in to the flesh of an animal; (v) the magnetic or magnetizable stainless steel needle cannula has a sidewall thickness which is larger than that of the standard needle cannula with the lumen diameter and increases detectability in a metal detector over the standard needle cannula such that the magnetism and the sidewall thickness enables detection of the magnetism of the needle cannula or piece thereof in the flesh of the animal upon slaughter and processing into a food if the needle cannula or piece thereof were to break off in the flesh of the living animal during the injection; and (vi) the magnetic or magnetizable stainless steel comprises 0.003-0.01 wt. % Al.