SUGGESTION!!!!
If you are new to filling cartridges, use water, colored water or Kool Aid to practice filling both types of cartridges!Â
You can also re-use a single cartridge multiple times for practice!Â
Please do not use an expensive vial of "Research Product" for practice.... You'll thank me later!
                                           Filling the Standard Cartridge
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Prepare and mix your solution as normal and draw into the syringe (no larger than 3ml.)Â It is not necessary, but I recommend replacing the needle that was used to reconstitute and draw up your peps. Set this syringe aside while prepping the cartridge.
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1. Remove the new cartridge from its sterile package. Wipe the injection port (top of the cartridge) with an alcohol pad.
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The goal here is to provide an escape for the air that is in the cartridge. You notice that the stopper is at the bottom of the cartridge…. Which indicates that there is air between the stopper and the top. If you were to try to push your peptide into this cartridge as it sits, the pressure from the syringe would blow the stopper out of the bottom of the cartridge…. along with any Pep you had in the syringe. A stopper blow out is devastating! This stuff isn’t cheap, and trust me, if you make that mistake once… you will never make it again! The air in the cartridge must be displaced in order to introduce liquid into the cartridge. We do this by venting the cartridge.
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2. Insert a new, sterile small gauge needle (28-30 is fine) into the injection port on the top of the cartridge. You can also use an insulin syringe with the plunger removed. You want to be able to see that this needle has gone completely through the self healing rubber and into the cartridge.
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3. Leaving the vent needle in the cartridge, insert your solution filled syringe into the injection port of the cartridge. (I try to put my vent needles off to the side a little so I can put my syringe needle into the center.)
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4. Inject the solution slowly into the cartridge. You can sometimes hear the air escaping from the vent. *Remember… no more than 3ml of solution in the cartridge!!*  Once your cartridge has been filled, you can remove the vent needle. If you choose to purge air from the cartridge at this time, simply pull back lightly of the plunger of the syringe. You will see the stopper rise as the air is drawn out of the cartridge into the syringe. Some people prefer to purge air when they place the cartridge into the pen for use.
                                            Filling the EZ Fill Cartridge
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The EZ Fill Cartridge was designed to simplify filling of the cartridge by eliminating the need for a venting needle and reducing the risk of stopper blowouts.
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** Do not remove the EZ Fill Cartridge completely from its sterile packaging. Instead, peel the packaging open from the top, exposing the top only and leaving the open portion of the cartridge with the stopper inside of the packaging while filling. You can also push the top of the cartridge through the sterilization pouch just enough to expose the injection port. This insures that the sterility of the inside of the vial is not compromised during the filling process. **
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1. Follow all of the same prep steps that you would for filling any cartridge, including alcohol swabbing any surface that a needle will be injected into.
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2. Prepare and mix your solution as normal and draw into the syringe. Make sure the air and bubbles have been removed from the syringe, as any trapped air can create pressure inside of the cartridge.
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3. Carefully insert the needle into the self-sealing top of the cartridge. Be sure to place the needle in between the top and stopper of the cartridge, making sure to avoid pushing the needle into the stopper.
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4. Apply pressure to the syringe to begin injecting the solution into the cartridge. You will feel a little bit of resistance, but continue to apply steady pressure and the stopper will begin to move down the cartridge. Continue injecting the solution at a slow and steady rate. Monitor the stopper during filling, especially if you are placing a full 3ml volume in the cartridge. Do not push the stopper past the bottom edge of the vial!!
If you do end up with any air in the cartridge, you can simply pull your needle back a little and withdraw the air back into your syringe.
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After a few times using the EZ Fill Cartridge, you will get a feel for just how much pressure it takes to release the stopper!