Did you know that choosing the wrong blood collection tube can compromise your entire test result? Blood tests are vital for accurate diagnosis, treatment planning, and ongoing health monitoring.

But behind every reliable lab result is a critical detail often overlooked: the type of blood collection tube used. Each tube is designed with specific additives, colors, and purposes tailored to different testing requirements.

Whether it’s for serum, plasma, or whole blood analysis, using the right tube from a blood collection tube supplier ensures sample integrity and accurate outcomes.

In this blog, we’ll guide you through the different types of blood collection tubes and help you determine which one is right for your test.

Blood Collection Tube Types

Serum vs Plasma

The first step is determining whether you need serum or plasma, which depends on whether the blood should be allowed to clot or not.

It’s important not to confuse serum with plasma; though both are the cell-free components of blood obtained through centrifugation, they differ significantly:

  • Serum is obtained from blood that has been allowed to clot.
  • Plasma comes from blood that has been treated with an anticoagulant to prevent clotting.

As a result, you’ll need to choose the appropriate collection tube: a serum tube for serum and a plasma tube for plasma.

Serum Tubes

Serum is a stable medium for measuring blood components like proteins, lipids, hormones, and electrolytes and can be stored refrigerated or frozen for later testing.

There are two types of serum collection tubes that you can purchase from a blood collection needle supplier:

  • Silica-based Tubes: As the name refers, this type of tube contains silica particles to activate clotting ( ~30 mins). Some include gel separators. Preferred for most protein tests, though those without gel are ideal for sensitive diagnostics. These tubes commonly have red or gold caps, depending on the brand.
  • Thrombin-Based Tubes: These tubes use thrombin for rapid clotting (~5 mins). Suitable for urgent tests, though some serum components may be less stable. These tubes have orange caps.

Anticoagulant Tubes

This is the category to consider from a blood collection needle supplier in USA if you need cells or plasma.

  • EDTA (Purple): Used in hematology for cell counts, blood typing, and DNA storage. Comes in K2 or K3 variations where K3EDTA is more hyperosmolar and may alter sample concentration.
  • Sodium Citrate Tubes (Light Blue): Generally preferred for coagulation and platelet function tests. Citrate’s anticoagulant effect is reversible, allowing for controlled coagulation studies.
  • CTAD Tubes (Light Blue): Contains additives to prevent platelet activation. Suitable for sensitive coagulation or platelet function tests.
  • Heparin Tubes (Green): Contain lithium or sodium heparin. Used for plasma-based tests. It is not ideal for PCR, as heparin can inhibit amplification; workarounds include heparinase or BSA.
  • ACD Tubes (Yellow): Rare but useful in DNA analysis and tissue/blood typing.
  • SPS Tubes (Yellow): Promote bacterial survival, preferable for microbiology and blood cultures.

In the end, these are the types of blood collection tubes available for different applications.