BD Vacutainer® Serumröhrchen

Clot activator in serum plastic tubes.

To obtain serum in plastic blood collection tubes, a clot activator must be added to the tubes. Since the plastic surface alone is not sufficient to trigger clotting within an acceptable period of time, silica particles of the highest purity are used for this purpose in BD Vacutainer® plastic tubes for serum collection. These tubes are labelled CAT (= Clot Activator Tube). Silica particles are inert, i.e. they do not alter the sample by changing substances or releasing contaminants into the sample. Silica particles only act via their surface and do not trigger coagulation through (bio-)chemical reactions. Due to the special method by which the silica particles are sprayed onto the inner wall of the tubes, they spread quickly and efficiently in the blood and immediately trigger clotting.

Clotting times

The recommended minimum time for clotting serum tubes from patients who are not anticoagulated is 60 minutes for glass tubes and 30 minutes for plastic tubes.

Centrifugation conditions:

≤ 1300 x g for 10 minutes at 18-25°C.