Every Clinical Area Uses Bowls and Basins Differently
Stainless steel medical bowls and basins are so standard in clinical environments that their procurement is often handled as a commodity purchase — a quick search for the lowest price per unit from any available supplier. This approach works until the bowls start pitting after repeated sterilization, or until the gallipot tips because the base diameter is too small for the rim diameter, or until wound irrigation basins are too shallow to prevent splashing.
Fizza Surgical has manufactured hospital holloware since 1980, exporting to hospital procurement departments, medical supply distributors, and healthcare GPOs in more than 50 countries. Here is a practical guide to the main bowl and basin types and how to specify them correctly.
Gallipots (Medicine Cups)
Small, cylindrical bowls used to hold antiseptic, sterile water, saline, or small dressings on sterile fields. Gallipots are available in sizes from 30 ml to 300 ml, with the most common sizes being 60 ml and 120 ml for OR use.
Key design consideration: the base-to-rim diameter ratio. A gallipot with a narrow base relative to its rim is unstable and tips easily on a draped surface. The correct ratio in well-manufactured gallipots is approximately 0.7:1 (base diameter roughly 70% of rim diameter). Gallipots with the base too close to the rim diameter are actually less stable than this ratio because any tilt has less righting force.
Surgical Bowls (Round Bowls)
Larger than gallipots, round surgical bowls are used for holding irrigation fluid during surgical procedures, washing hands before gowning in scrub areas, and mixing solutions on the sterile back table. Standard sizes range from 500 ml to 3000 ml.
The 600 ml and 1000 ml round bowls are the most commonly ordered general OR sizes. The 2000–3000 ml bowls are used specifically for irrigation in cases requiring large-volume fluid delivery (arthroscopy, abdominal irrigation).
Dressing Jars
Cylindrical containers with straight sides and a flat base, used to store and present sterile dressings, swabs, and cotton balls on the sterile field. Available in sizes from 50 ml to 500 ml. The straight-sided design makes dressings easier to pick up with sterile forceps than from a round bowl.
Dressing jar lids are either flat plate covers or perforated dome covers. Perforated lids allow steam circulation for autoclave sterilization while keeping the contents in position.
Lotion Bowls (Oval Basins)
Oval-shaped basins used for wound irrigation, sponge-bathing, and patient cleaning procedures in wards and ICUs. The oval shape is more practical than a round bowl for irrigation because it adapts better to the body surface being treated. Sizes range from 1 liter to 5 liters.
IV Preparation Trays
Flat-based rectangular trays with a slightly raised lip used to organize IV preparation equipment — syringes, needles, vials, and wipes — in a defined, clean space. Common in ward medication preparation areas and ICUs.
Emesis Basins
Kidney-shaped basins specifically shaped to fit under the chin for patient vomiting. Available in 500 ml and 800 ml sizes. The kidney shape prevents the basin from pressing against the patient’s chest while remaining positioned at the chin. Standard in post-anaesthesia care units and during procedures where patient movement is restricted.
Steel Grades for Hospital Bowls
304 grade stainless steel is adequate for most ward and outpatient use. For OR and CSSD environments where bowls go through steam sterilization cycles multiple times per day, and where chlorine-based cleaning solutions are common, 316L grade is the recommended specification. The molybdenum in 316L provides substantially better resistance to pitting corrosion in these aggressive cleaning environments.
Mirror-finish bowls are traditional for OR use and easy to inspect for contamination. Satin-finish bowls are increasingly popular in ward settings because the matte surface does not show handling marks as readily.
Summary Table
| Bowl Type | Common Sizes | Primary Clinical Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gallipot | 30–300 ml | Antiseptic, small dressings on sterile field |
| Round surgical bowl | 500–3000 ml | Irrigation fluid, scrub, large-volume uses |
| Dressing jar | 50–500 ml | Sterile swab and dressing storage |
| Lotion bowl (oval) | 1–5 liters | Wound irrigation, patient bathing |
| Emesis basin | 500–800 ml | PACU, post-anaesthesia nausea |
| IV prep tray | Flat, rectangular | Medication preparation |
Order Hospital Bowls and Basins
Fizza Surgical supplies the full range of hospital holloware — gallipots, surgical bowls, dressing jars, lotion bowls, emesis basins — in 304 and 316L stainless steel, in mirror and satin finish, with CE marking and material compliance certificates. OEM orders with custom engraving or embossing start at 500 pieces per model. Contact us for a complete holloware catalog and pricing.
Where We Serve
Fizza Surgical exports to 50+ countries. Browse our country-specific pages with local regulatory guidance and pricing:
