Schrader connectors for medical air and nitrogen.

The only difference I can see is the SH-12 is for nitrogen, the SH-16 is for air. Ed

Understood. One is marked "Air" and the other "N2".

A few microns or thousands of an inch can block interchangeability. Obvious when fitting parts; not in photographs. Fitting a UNC nut to a UNF screw is a more extreme example.

Thx, ... P.

One reason for labelling them and keeping them separate is that the oxygen one has to be kept free of inflammable lubricants etc.

Same way that some connectors are left or right hand threads.

Thanks Roger. Helpful point.

I have a Hall neuro drill with the factory supplied hose visible here.

The manual instructs to drive with nitrogen. A nitrogen bottle fitted with a regulator and female Schrader connector.

An employee at Bay Corporation commented that an air connector is sometimes used in this application. Implying that a Schrader male nitrogen can connect to a female air. Would be interesting to know whether the air and nitrogen connectors differ in geometry or only in color and marking. I couldn't elicit any additional details from Bay.

I can buy one of these female air connectors.

Bay offers a female nitrogen connector which I haven't found on eBay.

Thanks, ... P.

It may or may not be helpful but idle googling led me to the following in a

"Important Industry Update: For years Schrader adapters and check units were not manufactured with nitrogen-specific indexing. In 2004, Schrader released such fittings which are now recommended for all nitrogen-driven products in place of the medical air version adopted by the industry for decades. Please use care when ordering."

It seems to mean you might have either, depending on age.