Blood Collection Tubes and the Role They Play in Modern Medicine

Blood collection tubes have been essential for modern medicine since the last century. These sterile glass or plastic test tubes provide a secure way to store, transport and stabilize blood samples before analysis. Evaluating blood samples is critical for identifying white blood cell counts, detecting pathogens and making other vital observations. 

If you need to purchase blood collection equipment for laboratory or other medical facility needs, it is essential to understand the collection options available and their applications. Read on to learn how blood collection tubes work and the role they continue to play as medicine and treatments evolve to gain a more in-depth view of this equipment.

What Are Blood Collection Tubes? 

Blood collection tubes come in different types depending on their applications. Some of the primary ways they are used include collecting and transporting blood and other materials for analysis. The tube's role is to keep the blood sterile for precise testing analysis in the laboratory. Once it arrives at the testing facility, it also allows easy access to the blood samples inside for optimal efficiency. If you need to run tests on the blood while in the tube, these supplies can facilitate easier processing.

Types of Blood Collection Tubes

Various blood collection requirements call for distinct collection types to perform specific tasks. Some of the primary blood collection tube options include:

• Serum tube: This category of collection tubes contains silica particles that help clot blood and facilitate serum collection from the clotted blood cells.
• Anticoagulant tube: In contrast to serum tubes, this type helps prevent blood clotting, facilitating more effective blood cell or plasma collection. It may use methods such as adding calcium to the blood to prevent any clotting.

Subcategories of these tube types may be used for specific diagnostic applications, such as testing for HIV viral load, glucose measurements or lactic acid.

Buying Blood Collection Tubes

To purchase blood collection tubes that best fit your requirements, you must identify your applications and key diagnostic processes. You want to ensure you have the best quality collection tubes to protect blood specimens and prepare them for testing.

Consider these factors when buying blood collection tubes:

• Testing type: Identify the type of sample to be processed, as collection tubes are specialized for particular specimen types, from skin puncture to capillary blood.
• Analysis requirements: Ensure you have the proper tube type to prevent clotting, aid in clotting or otherwise keep the blood sample in the appropriate state for testing.
• Transportation needs: Verify that your tube collection type is appropriate for the blood sample's storage and transportation requirements, such as being placed on ice until testing.

Trust Mercedes Scientific for Blood Collection Supplies

Mercedes Scientific offers high-quality blood collection supplies to deliver optimized performance in the laboratory. You can choose from a wide selection of blood collection supplies to get precise results for your requirements, including specialized tubes, standard sets, safety butterfly sets and other product options. Browse our current inventory blood collection tubes today.