The silica particles that coat the walls of the BD Vacutainer® SST™ tube are the clot activator. Initial activation occurs when blood enters the tube and contacts the particles on the tube wall. To continue the activation process, it is necessary to thoroughly mix the blood and particles by inverting the tube five times. The walls of BD Vacutainer® SST™ Serum Separation Tubes are coated with silica particles as a clot activator.

The gel forms a physical barrier between serum or plasma and blood cells during centrifugation. It is important to note that after collection, BD Vacutainer® SST™ Serum Separation Tubes should be inverted five times, allowed 30 minutes clotting time, and centrifuged for 10 minutes at 1000-1300 RCF (g) in a swing bucket centrifuge.

The BD Microtainer® Serum Separator Tube with Microgard™ closure has clot activator on the walls. (#365967) The BD Microtainer® Serum Separator Tube with an attachable flo-top collector does not have a clot activator on the walls. (#365956)

BD Vacutainer® Plus Plastic Serum Tubes are coated with silicone and micronized silica particles to accelerate clotting. A silicone coating reduces adherence of red cells to tube walls.

Yes, BD Vacutainer® Blood Collection Tubes have a sterile interior. Tubes are sterilized by gamma radiation.

BD Vacutainer® Tubes are irradiated to achieve sterility. These tubes are sterile on the interior only. We cannot recommend re-sterilizing the tubes, i.e., ETO (ethylene oxide) or autoclaving, primarily due to pressure changes that take place during the re-sterilization cycle. Our tubes are under a specific negative pressure. During the re-sterilization cycle this negative pressure may be disrupted and therefore the tubes may not draw the proper blood volume.

BD does not recommend re-centrifuging gel tubes once the barrier has formed. Re-centrifugation could cause cell lysis, resulting in the release of intracellular contents into the serum or plasma.

SST™ refers to the Serum Separator Tube containing clot activator and serum separator gel. PST™ refers to the Plasma Separator Tube containing lithium heparin and plasma separator gel.

The BD Vacutainer® Plus Plastic Blood Collection Tube is a shatter-resistant plastic blood collection tube developed to provide venous blood specimen collection, transport and processing equivalent to our cenventional glass evacuated tube line. The BD Vacutainer® Plus Plastic Tube is made of PET (polyethylene terephthalate). They can withstand up to 10,000 RCF in a balanced centrifuge.

BD Vacutainer® Blood Collection Tubes should be stored at 4° - 25°C (39° - 77°F), unless otherwise noted on the package label.

The expiration date indicates the shelf life of the product as determined by functional testing. To assure accurate draw and test reliability, tubes must be used by the expiration date. Expiration dates are printed on every BD Vacutainer® Blood Collection Tube and its packaging. The tube expires on the last day of the month printed on the label.

The 1.8 mL tube has a light blue rubber stopper covered with a translucent shield and the 2.7 mL tube has a light blue rubber stopper covered with a solid light blue shield. We monitor for the following metals in our BD Vacutainer® Blood Collection Tubes: Antimony Arsenic, Cadmium, Calcium, Chromium, Copper, Iron, Lead, Magnesium, Manganese, Zinc.

Most BD Vacutainer® Blood Collection Tubes and needles are packaged 100/box and 1,000/case except for the Eclipse needle that is packaged 48/box.

Off-the-Clot Serum is derived from spontaneously clotted whole blood. Plasma Derived Serum is obtained from plasma chemically treated to remove anticoagulant and fibrin. Although Off-the-Clot serum is desirable in certain specialized applications, Valley Biomedical Plasma Derived Serum will work for most cell culture applications and is more economical for the user.

The BD Vacutainer® Safety-Lok™ Blood Collection Set can be used with a syringe when it is used without a luer adapter. The syringe will attach to the female end of the Safety-Lok™ Blood Collection Set. Once the blood has been drawn into the syringe, ensure that the safety mechanism on the winged needle set is properly activated. The use of any needle for the purpose of transferring blood directly from a syringe to a specimen container continues to be prohibited by Federal OSHA.

The preservative in the BD Vacutainer® C&S (gray top) tube is a combination of sodium formate and boric acid. The preservative helps to preserve the level of bacteria present at collection.

The preservative in the BD Vacutainer® UA Preservative tube is a combination of Chlorhexidine, Ethyl Paraben and Sodium Propionate. It is a mercury free preservative that meets the EPA and American Hospital Association's requirements for a mercury free disposal environment.

The BD Vacutainer® Plastic UA Preservative Tube is compatible with the Bayer Clinitek Atlas®, the BMC Iris 900UDX® and the manual KOVA® systems. BD does not recommend using the Culture & Sensitivity preservative tube for routine urinalysis testing. Erroneous results may be seen for several of the chemistry parameters.

The EDTA or heparin in whole blood tubes does not automatically blend with the blood, so unmixed samples will still clot. When shipped during the winter or packed in ice, clots in serum tubes will hemolyze, altering test results.

Yes, the BD Vacutainer® K2EDTA Plus Plastic Tube has received routine FDA clearance for red cell grouping, Rh typing, and antibody screening. The differences are the types of closures and the labeling. The lavender stopper can either be rubber or a Hemogard™ closure on a Plus Plastic Tube. Product 367899, a 6 mL Plus Plastic Tube, has a distinct pink Hemogard™ closure and a label that meets the American Association of Blood Banks requirements.