Vacumed® - Blood collection system

The vacuum test tube is an essential tool used in clinical laboratories to collect blood samples. It is a sterile tube made of plastic, with a leak-proof cap. The distinctive feature of these is the presence of vacuum inside them, created during the production process. When the needle is inserted into the patient’s vein and connected to the test tube, the vacuum inside automatically aspires blood, filling the test tube with the precise amount of sample needed for analysis. This blood collection system is much safer and more efficient than traditional methods, as it eliminates the need for syringes and reduces the risk of sample contamination.

The test tube for hemoglobin is usually purple. In the blood collection system, vacuum blood tubes are used to ensure accurate and safe collection of samples. In particular, the blood collection tubes with the purple cap contain an anticoagulant such as EDTA, which allows to preserve for hematological analyses, such as hemoglobin.

Blood samples collection with vacuum tubes usually start with the sodium citrate test tube, then the coagulation activator test tube with or without gel, followed by the lithium heparin test tube with or without gel, then the EDTA test tube, and finally the glucose test tube. This order ensures that blood samples are collected in a correct way for laboratory analysis.

A clot activator test tube is used for biochemistry analysis. Inside, in addition to the vacuum that allows the aspiration of blood, there is a substance that has the purpose of accelerating the process of coagulation to obtain the serum where tests are done.

A multi-sample needle is a medical device used to take multiple blood samples from different tubes from a single venous puncture. It is a single-use device made of stainless steel that connects to a vacuum tube holder.

The choice of the size of the multi-sample needle for blood sampling depends on several factors, including the characteristics of the patient’s vein, the volume of blood required and the type of analysis to be performed. However, there are some dimensions that are used more frequently due to their balance between ease of penetration, adequate blood flow and minimization of trauma. The most frequently used is 21G.