We supply a wide range of non-evacuated, mainly plastic blood collection tubes which are ideal for veterinary practices that are sampling companion animals using a syringe and needle.
Our heparin blood tubes and serum blood tubes cover a fill volume range from 0.5ml up to 2ml and are pre-filled with either different anticoagulants or clotting enhancement agents. Some of the range is pre-filled with special separation gel which forms a barrier between serum or plasma and cellular layers after centrifugation.
We offer a large range of screw-top, push-top and plug-top blood collection tubes along with 5ml plastic and glass bottles (no anticoagulant).
The Vet-Tube® Range
(2ml Tubes with standard 1.3ml or 1.1ml fill for GEL)
Vet-Tube® is our premium range of plasma and serum blood collection tubes and is 2.0ml (full volume) in size. Both our lithium heparin blood tubes and serum and gel blood tubes are made from tough polypropylene and consist of 4 parts; First, a strong colour-coded plastic screw-top, a rubber gasket inside the top making it leak-proof, a strong polypropylene body and lastly a small plastic doughnut-shaped ring (inside the tube). This doughnut generally aids blood mixing but particularly aids clot enhancement in serum tubes.
Vet-Tube PG, Li Heparin (plasma) + GEL – Green Top
Vet-Tube S, Plain (serum) – Clear Top
Vet-Tube SG, Plain (serum) + GEL – Brown Top
(screw-top for centrifuging)
The full range of Vet-Tube® covers the anticoagulants Potassium EDTA (liquid) and Lithium Heparin (dried). We also supply Vet-Tubes for serum (inert clotting agent) with and without separation gel, and for plasma (Lithium Heparin) with and without separation gel.
The different types of tubes have colour-coded tops and labels. The label is also specially designed for vets as it has spaces to record; the animal’s name, species, owner’s name, tests required and the date sampled. Fill volumes are typically 1.3ml but for Vet-Tube® with separation gel, the fill volume is 1.1ml.
(Please note that our EDTA Vet-Tube® is filled with liquid EDTA which allows it to be dissolved much faster than dry EDTA and reduces the incidence of micro-clots in samples)
Vet-Tubes are ideal for centrifuging small volumes of blood at high speeds/G-force and for secure sample transport to the laboratory. In particular, we recommend Vet-Tube® for use in our VetSpin Micro and VetSpin Duo microcentrifuges.
Our Vet-Tube® range is available directly from us or through your veterinary wholesaler.
The Vetlab Range
(2ml Tubes with standard 1.3ml or 1.1ml fill for GEL)
These tubes are very similar to Vet-Tube® in almost every way except that they are a less expensive option. The only other difference is that they have no mixing ring inside them and the EDTA blood tubes are pre-filled with dried EDTA rather than liquid EDTA. The label is also specially designed for vets as it has spaces to record; the animal’s name, species, owner’s name, tests required and the date sampled. Fill volumes are typically 1.3ml but for Vetlab with separation gel, the fill volume is 1.1ml. Our Vetlab range is also recommended for use in our range of centrifuges.
Vetlab LH, Li Heparin (plasma) – Orange Top
Vetlab ZT, Plain (serum) – White Top
Vetlab ZT, Plain (serum) + GEL – Brown Top
Vetlab KE, EDTA – Pink Top
(screw-top for centrifuging)
Our Vetlab range of blood collection tubes is only available directly from us and not from your wholesaler.
BD Vacutainers
The BD Vacutainer® evacuated blood collection system is the most widely-used blood stabilisation tube in the world.
Product Description
BD Vacutainer® Tubes are evacuated tubes with color-coded conventional
stoppers or BD Hemogard™ Closures. BD Vacutainer® Plus Tubes are plastic tubes.
Most tube types contain additives in varying concentrations dependent upon the amount of
vacuum and the required additive to blood ratio for the tube. Additive choice depends
on the analytic test method. It is specified by the manufacturer of the test reagents and/
or instrument on which the test is performed. Tube interiors are sterile. Tube stoppers are
lubricated with silicone
Intended Use
BD Vacutainer® Tubes, Needles and Holders are used together as a system for the collection
of venous blood. BD Vacutainer® Tubes are used to transport and process blood for testing
serum, plasma or whole blood in the clinical laboratory.
Features
The BD Vacutainer range features:
• CE marked to ensure product quality
• Reproducible blood draw with each tube having a predetermined vacuum
• Comprehensive range of additives to stabilise most blood components
• BD HemogardTM safety closure provides optimal protection for users from blood exposure
• Sterile tube and needle ensure no microbiological contamination of samples
• A range of labels to ensure traceability of collected patient samples
BD Vacutainer Image
Other Sample Collection Tubes
We also supply other types of sample tubes which are detailed in our Price List Tab or our Catalogue. Our range includes; Fluoride Oxalate blood tubes (yellow top), Sodium Citrate blood tubes (mauve top), EDTA blood tubes (pink top), Lithium Heparin blood tubes (orange top) and plain serum blood tubes (white top) with no anticoagulant. Our fill volumes range from 0.5ml up to 2ml and can be; screw-top (for centrifuging) plug-top or push-top depending on your requirements.
For sample tubes that may have shorter expiry dates and are less frequently used, for example, Flouride Oxalate and Sodium Citrate blood collection tubes, we offer smaller bag sizes of 25 tubes to avoid wastage.
Flouride Oxalate 2ml, 1.3ml Fill – Yellow Top, available in small bags of 25 Tubes
Sodium Citrate 2ml, 1.3ml Fill – Mauve Top, available in small bags of 25 Tubes
Our microcentrifuge tubes (1.5ml) with integral push-top and conical bottom can also be referred to as either eppendorf or reaction tubes. This type of tube is useful for collecting serum/plasma samples from gel tubes and then storing them in the fridge or freezer. In addition, they are also ideal for centrifuging small volumes of urine for the microscopic examination of urinary sediment. Finally, we also supply a large 15ml volume conical bottom centrifuge tube for larger samples.
LipoClear tubes which are identical in size and shape to a 1.5ml microcentrifuge tube are pre-filled with LipoClear. These special tubes are used for clearing lipaemic samples which can interfere with a large number of clinical chemistry tests. We supply LipoClear in quantities of 10 or 40 pre-filled tubes.
Vet-Tube Rack
Ideal for Holding Blood Collection Tubes and Microcentrifuge Tubes. This versatile storage rack can hold a combination of tubes, which makes it ideal when performing sequencing procedures or holding samples prior to processing.
The Vet-Tube rack has a dual conformation. On one side it takes 32 x 1.5ml – 2.0ml tubes (including our Vet-Tubes, Vetlab Tubes, Microcentrifuge tubes and 11mm test tubes) plus 8 x 0.5ml tubes. When reversed it accommodates 32 x 0.5ml tubes and 8 larger tubes. It is made from autoclavable plastic and comes complete with moulded indexing and a clear lift-off lid to protect your samples.
The Vet-Tube Rack comes in 5 different colours – blue, orange, pink, yellow and green.
Glass or Plastic Screw Top Plain 5ml Bottles
These 5ml screw-top glasses or plastic bottles with no anticoagulant are used for collecting a variety of samples including:
• Urine and other body fluids
• Hair and skin scrapes
We can supply most types of blood collection tubes and if you can’t find what you are looking for then please contact us and we will be delighted to help. Telephone: 01798 874567
Separation gel is commonly used in some blood collection tubes where it forms a semi-permanent barrier between blood cells and the serum/plasma layer after centrifugation. This helps prevent re-mixing of the layers if the transfer of the serum/plasma is delayed or the tube is accidentally knocked over after centrifuging. The gel barrier also allows the serum/ plasma layer to be simply poured off rather than pipetted.
Tests can also be performed directly from the primary tube, without the need for transfer, in some cases. Another benefit is that the gel helps to prevent, or slow down, glycolysis and other unwanted effects that might occur if the serum/plasma is left in contact with the red cells for any length of time.
However, it is important to understand that the separation gel does not offer permanent separation benefits and, whenever possible, the serum/plasma layer should be transferred within a few hours of centrifugation. The separation gel does not interfere with most routine clinical chemistry tests, although it may adversely affect certain drug/hormone assays.
We can supply most types of blood collection tubes and if you can’t find what you are looking for then please contact us and we will be delighted to help. Telephone: 01798 874567
Serum Samples
Blood Collection Tubes for Serum Samples
For the preparation of Serum for biochemical and serological testing. The is an INERT AGENT and must be mixed well and left for at least 45 minutes before centrifuging. This maximises the efficiency of the clotting agent.
From our Vet-Tube® Range (2ml Screw Top Tube)
Vet-Tube® S Plain for Serum 1.3ml Fill – Clear Top
Vet-Tube® SG Plain + Gel for Serum 1.1ml Fill – Brown Top
From our Vetlab Range (2ml Screw Top Tube)
Vetlab ZT Plain for Serum 1.3ml Fill – White Top
Vetlab ZT Plain + Gel for Serum 1.1ml Fill – Brown Top
These tubes have their internal surface treated with a coating of an inert clotting agent which encourages clot formation and retraction from the sides of the tube. After filling with blood these tubes should be kept in a warm, dark place (not a refrigerator) to encourage clot formation and maximum expression of serum, for at least 45 minutes -1 hour. After this period, all tubes should be centrifuged, ideally at 10,000 r.p.m for at least 2 minutes in order to separate the serum from the cellular fraction/clot.
If a tube without separation gel is used, the serum should be immediately transferred by using a transfer pipette to another plain tube in order to avoid undesirable in vitro effects such as haemolysis and glycolysis, and also possible re-mixing. Tubes with separation gel allow some delay before the transfer of the serum/plasma layer.
We can supply most types of blood collection tubes and if you can’t find what you are looking for then please contact us and we will be delighted to help. Telephone: 01798 874567
Plasma Samples
Blood Collection Tubes for Plasma Samples
For the preparation of Plasma for biochemical testing.
From the Vet-Tube® Range (2ml Screw Top Tube)
Vet-Tube® P Lithium Heparin for Plasma 1.3ml Fill – Orange Top
Vet-Tube® PG Lithium Heparin + Gel for Plasma 1.1ml Fill – Green Top
From our Vetlab Range (2ml Screw Top Tube)
Vetlab LH Lithium Heparin for Plasma 1.3ml Fill – Orange Top
Vetlab LH Lithium Heparin + Gel for Plasma 1.1ml Fill – Orange Top
Other Sample Tubes
Lithium Heparin Plug Top 2ml Tube, 1.3ml Fill – Orange Top
Lithium Heparin Screw Top 2ml Tube, 0.5ml Fill – Orange Top
These tubes contain Lithium Heparin anticoagulant and are available in 1.3ml (without gel) and 1.1ml (with gel) fill volumes. They are mainly used for clinical chemistry tests which are unaffected by Lithium Heparin. Using these tubes the blood can be centrifuged immediately after its collection. If the gel version of the tube is used the plasma can then be quickly poured off into a plain sample tube ready for testing, otherwise, the plasma should be immediately pipetted off.
Sodium Citrate Tubes
Vetlab Sodium Citrate (9NC) Screw Top 2ml Tube, 1.3ml Fill – Mauve Top
Sodium Citrate tubes are exclusively used for coagulation studies. They are pre-filled with liquid Sodium Citrate and must be filled to the 1.3ml fill line on the label to ensure the correct ratio of blood/citrate.
Fluoride Oxalate Tubes
Vetlab Fluoride Oxalate Screw Top 2ml Tube, 1.3ml Fill – Yellow Top
Vetlab Fluoride Oxalate Screw Top 2ml Tube, 0.5ml Fill – Yellow Top
Fluoride-Oxalate tubes are exclusively used for Blood Glucose assays. They contain two separate additives: Sodium Fluoride and Potassium Oxalate. The oxalate component acts as an anticoagulant and the fluoride as an inhibitor of red cell glycolytic enzymes. These tubes are useful when there is to be a delay between sampling and testing when a centrifuge is not immediately available. The sample must eventually be centrifuged and the plasma tested.
We can supply most types of blood collection tubes and if you can’t find what you are looking for then please contact us and we will be delighted to help. Telephone: 01798 874567
EDTA Samples
Blood Collection Tubes for EDTA Samples
For Haematology.
From the Vet-Tube® Range (2ml Screw Top Tube)
Vet-Tube® E EDTA 1.3ml Fill – Red Top
From the Vetlab Range (2ml Screw Top Tube)
Vetlab KE EDTA 1.3ml Fill – Pink Top
Other Sample Tubes
EDTA Push Top 0.5ml – Pink Top
EDTA Push Top 1ml – Pink Top
EDTA Screw Top 2ml, 0.5ml Fill – Pink Top
EDTA Screw Top 2ml, 1ml Fill – Pink Top
Our Potassium EDTA tubes are ideal for collecting blood for haematology, cytology and fibrinogen testing on small animals. These tubes are not recommended for most clinical chemistry or immunological tests.
Firstly, one significant feature of our Vet-Tube® E is the use of liquid EDTA. This allows rapid distribution and effect of the anti-coagulant when the blood is added. Nevertheless, it is essential for the blood to be withdrawn and transferred to the blood tube and with minimum delay. Any unusual delay of the blood in the syringe can lead to blood clots forming prior to transfer to the tube. The needle must always be removed prior to dispensing blood from the syringe into the blood tube to avoid haemolysis.
Lastly, it is important for the tube to be filled to the line, not under-filled or over-filled. Underfilling can lead to shrinkage of red cells and false low PCV/Mhct readings; over-filling can lead to clot formation.
In summary, these precautions are particularly important when sampling cat blood which has platelets with an inherent ability to clump very quickly. These clumps cannot only form clots quickly but also can be responsible for giving falsely elevated WBC counts with automated analysis.
We can supply most types of blood collection tubes and if you can’t find what you are looking for then please contact us and we will be delighted to help. Telephone: 01798 874567
BD Vacutainer Instructions For Use & Technical Information
