Designed for use in the examination of whole blood in hematology applications, EDTA tubes feature interior walls that are coated with either K2EDTA or K3EDTA.

The EDTA binds calcium ions and blocks the coagualtion cascade

The EDTA tubes equipped with a gel separator contain a barrier gel in the base of the tube. During centrifugation, this gel forms a stable barrier between the serum and the blood cells, separating the serum from fibrin and cells.

VACUETTE® tubes are manufactured from virtually unbreakable PET plastic. These clear tubes are supplied with non-ridged pull caps that feature an exterior color-coded ring to indicate either the additive used or draw volume. A black ring indicates standard tubes, a yellow ring indicates the inclusion of a separation gel, and a white ring indicates a tube designed to accommodate pediatric draw.

Tubes are spray-dried with 1.2–2.0mg EDTA/1 mL of blood. Tubes can also be used in the closed mode with direct sampling analyzers.