Evacuated Blood Collection Tubes
Evacuated blood collection tubes have largely replaced needle and syringe methods for collecting blood specimens. Each evacuated tube is a closed system; the vacuum in the tube dictates the amount of blood that is drawn into the tube. If the tube contains an anticoagulant, the amount is calibrated to match the expected blood volume.
Evacuated collection tubes are available in a range of capacities, tube dimensions, stopper styles, and additives. Find varieties to suit your clinical lab needs.
Featured Products
BD Vacutainer™ PPT™ Plasma Preparation Tubes
Convenient closed systems. BD Vacutainer™ PPT™ Plasma Preparation Tubes are sterile plastic blood collection tubes with a spray-dried anticoagulant and an inert separation gel. They are ideal for the collection, storage, and transport of undiluted plasma for molecular diagnostics testing.
BD Vacutainer™ Venous Blood Collection Tubes: Vacutainer Plus™ Glass Serum Tubes, Silicone-Coated, with Conventional Stopper
Use for serum determinations in chemistry, serology and immunohematology
BD PAXgene™ Blood RNA Tube
Offers a convenient and closed system for the collection, storage and transportation of whole blood that requires intracellular RNA stabilization. BD Vacutainer™ PAXgene™ Blood RNA Tube is for in vitro diagnostic use and is CE-marked.
BD Vacutainer™ Venous Blood Collection Tubes: SST™ Serum Separation Tubes: Hemogard™
Ideal for use in serum determinations in chemistry.
BD Vacutainer™ Plastic Blood Collection Tubes with K2 EDTA: Hemogard™ Closure
Evacuated blood collection tubes for whole blood hematology determinations
BD Vacutainer™ Plastic Blood Collection Tubes for Trace Element Testing: Serum Clot Activator
Evacuated blood collection tubes for trace element testing
BD Vacutainer™ Glass Mononuclear Cell Preparation (CPT) Tubes
Evacuated tube intended for the collection of whole blood and the separation of mononuclear cells
Greiner Bio-One Serum Clot Activator Tubes
For routine clinical chemistry, immunohematology, serology or immunology testing
Greiner Bio-One VACUETTE™ Heparin Blood Collection Tubes
VACUETTE™ Heparin Blood Collection Tubes have a green top and contain spray-dried lithium, sodium or ammonium heparin on the inner walls and are usedin clinical chemistry, immunology and serology. The anticoagulant heparin activates antithrombin, which blocks the clotting cascade and thus produces a whole blood/plasma sample.
Greiner Bio-One VACUETTE™ K2EDTA Blood Collection Tubes
VACUETTE™ EDTA Blood Collection tubes are used for determinations in EDTA whole blood for haematology. Available with K2EDTA, K2EDTA Separator and K3EDTA. VACUETTE™ K2EDTA tubes contain dipotassium K2EDTA which blocks the coagulation cascade.
Greiner Bio-One VACUETTE™ K3EDTA Blood Collection Tubes
VACUETTE™ EDTA Blood Collection tubes are used for determinations in EDTA whole blood for haematology. Available with K2EDTA, K2EDTA Separator and K3EDTA. VACUETTE™ K3EDTA tubes contain tri-potassium K3EDTA which blocks the coagulation cascade.
Greiner Bio-One Plasma Tubes with Lithium Heparin and Gel
For determinations in clinical chemistry and immunochemistry. Greiner Bio-One Plasma Tubes with Lithium Heparin and Gel includes a safety pull cap.
- 1
- 2
Color-Coded Closures
Standard color-coding of evacuated blood collection tubes has been adopted by manufacturers based on the anticoagulants or other additives that the tubes contain. Some instrument- or process-specific blood culture bottles have been adapted for evacuated collection methods.
The closure color indicates the tube additives. This table shows the most common types:
| Color | Additive | Specimen | Assays |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red or Red/Gold | None or Clot Activator | Serum | Chemistries, TDM |
| Lavender | EDTA | Whole Blood, Plasma | Hematology |
| Light Blue | Sodium Citrate | Plasma | Coagulation |
| Green | Lithium or Sodium Heparin | Plasma | Chemistries, TDM |
Other Options and Features
Some evacuated collection tubes are designed to easily separate the serum or plasma from the rest of the blood sample. These serum-separator or plasma-separator tubes contain a polymer gel material that migrates during centrifugation to form a barrier between the serum or plasma and the formed elements (cells). This allows the specimens to be more easily decanted and also means that they can be stored in the original tube.
Evacuated collection tube closure styles include plug types, which fit inside the tube, and plugs with plastic caps that help prevent blood splash when the cap is removed.
Tube dimensions range from 10 x 75 millimeters to 16 x 100 millimeters. Capacities range from 1.8 to 8.5 milliliters.
Both sterile and nonsterile glass and plastic evacuated blood specimen collection tubes are available.