A closer look at the container
The additive tells the story.
Compare specific products by preparation, specimen state and purpose. A familiar cap can conceal a different additive, region or test requirement.
Reason from specimen state
Serum products permit clotting before approved separation. Anticoagulant products retain anticoagulated blood; separation can yield plasma. A separator is another feature, not a synonym for an anticoagulant. Read these differences before matching the container to an order.
These are named manufacturer examples, including regional and legacy variants. Selected SARSTEDT catalog entries are verified; the supplied complete color-chart IFU was unavailable. No chart here claims every manufacturer, assay or transport system uses the same colors.
27 product and variant examples
Serum and serum separation
Plastic red serum tube
BD367815 · BD US catalog: red
- Additive or preparation
- Clot activator; silicone coated
- Specimen state
- Serum after complete clotting and approved separation
- What this product is for
- Collect serum for laboratory-approved assays.
The distinction to remember
Red does not mean additive-free. This selected plastic product contains clot activator.
Do not classify every red tube as nonadditive, or place a clot-activator tube before citrate merely because it is red.
Inspected product sources
AI-assisted source review · 2026-10-13. A named catalog example does not supply the full procedure for every assay or regional product.
Serum and serum separation
Glass red serum tube
BD366430 · BD US catalog: red
- Additive or preparation
- Silicone coated; clot activator not listed
- Specimen state
- Clotted blood yields serum
- What this product is for
- A different serum product from the plastic clot-activator red example.
The distinction to remember
Glass and plastic red products have different preparations.
Do not call this identical to the plastic red product or claim every red product has the same order/processing instructions.
Inspected product sources
AI-assisted source review · 2026-10-13. A named catalog example does not supply the full procedure for every assay or regional product.
Serum and serum separation
SST serum separator
BD367983 · BD US catalog: gold
- Additive or preparation
- Clot activator and polymer gel
- Specimen state
- Serum after clotting and approved separation
- What this product is for
- A serum collection/separation product for approved serum assays.
The distinction to remember
Clot activator assists clot formation; gel provides separation. This is not an anticoagulant plasma product.
Do not substitute for every plain serum tube or assume separator gel is compatible with every assay.
Inspected product sources
AI-assisted source review · 2026-10-13. A named catalog example does not supply the full procedure for every assay or regional product.
Serum and serum separation
RST rapid serum
BD368774 · BD US catalog: orange
- Additive or preparation
- Thrombin-based clot activator; the current BD family description also lists a gel barrier
- Specimen state
- Serum
- What this product is for
- A rapid-serum product using a different clot activator from the ordinary serum examples.
The distinction to remember
Thrombin-based activator is the verified preparation; the catalog row does not authorize a generic rapid-clot time. The family description confirms clot activation and gel separation; the specimen remains serum.
Do not export a rapid-serum timing program to ordinary serum products or confuse rapid serum with heparin plasma.
Inspected product sources
AI-assisted source review · 2026-10-13. A named catalog example does not supply the full procedure for every assay or regional product.
Heparin and plasma separation
PST plasma separator
BD367962 · BD US catalog: light green
- Additive or preparation
- Lithium heparin and polymer gel
- Specimen state
- Anticoagulated whole blood, then plasma when separated
- What this product is for
- Plasma collection/separation for assays accepting this specific heparin product.
The distinction to remember
PST is a plasma product; SST is a serum product.
Do not call its separated liquid serum or assume lithium and sodium heparin products are interchangeable.
Inspected product sources
AI-assisted source review · 2026-10-13. A named catalog example does not supply the full procedure for every assay or regional product.
EDTA and trace-testing variants
Lavender EDTA
BD367856 · BD US catalog: lavender
- Additive or preparation
- K2EDTA
- Specimen state
- Anticoagulated whole blood; derived specimen if a method requires it
- What this product is for
- Cell-based hematology and other assays requiring the laboratory-approved EDTA specimen.
The distinction to remember
The verified SKU is K2EDTA; EDTA formulations and blood-bank labeling requirements can differ.
Lavender is not permission to use one product for every hematology, blood-bank or molecular test.
Inspected product sources
AI-assisted source review · 2026-10-13. A named catalog example does not supply the full procedure for every assay or regional product.
Glycolysis inhibitors
Gray fluoride/oxalate
BD368587 · BD US catalog: gray
- Additive or preparation
- Sodium fluoride and potassium oxalate
- Specimen state
- Anticoagulated specimen; plasma when appropriately separated
- What this product is for
- A glycolysis-inhibitor/anticoagulant formulation used in approved glucose-related testing.
The distinction to remember
This exact gray product contains oxalate; other gray formulations must be read from their labels.
Do not treat gray color as immediate glucose preservation, unlimited stability, or proof that every gray tube contains oxalate.
Inspected product sources
AI-assisted source review · 2026-10-13. A named catalog example does not supply the full procedure for every assay or regional product.
Serum and serum separation
Royal-blue trace-element serum
BD368380 · BD US catalog: royal blue
- Additive or preparation
- Serum clot activator; silicone coated
- Specimen state
- Serum
- What this product is for
- A trace-element serum collection product.
The distinction to remember
Same closure color as BD 368381, but it is a clot-activator serum product.
Do not assign all royal-blue tubes to one additive or one order-of-draw position.
Inspected product sources
AI-assisted source review · 2026-10-13. A named catalog example does not supply the full procedure for every assay or regional product.
EDTA and trace-testing variants
Royal-blue trace-element EDTA
BD368381 · BD US catalog: royal blue
- Additive or preparation
- K2EDTA
- Specimen state
- Anticoagulated whole blood/derived plasma according to assay
- What this product is for
- A trace-element EDTA collection product.
The distinction to remember
Same royal-blue closure as the serum variant; additive and specimen requirements differ.
Do not use EDTA whole blood when a trace-element assay requires serum, or infer a universal trace-element tube from the test category.
Inspected product sources
AI-assisted source review · 2026-10-13. A named catalog example does not supply the full procedure for every assay or regional product.
Microcollection
Microtainer PST gel, amber
BD365987 · BD US catalog: mint green; amber product description
- Additive or preparation
- Lithium heparin/PST gel
- Specimen state
- Microcollection anticoagulated blood; plasma when approved separation is performed
- What this product is for
- Small-volume collection with an actual heparin/gel formulation.
The distinction to remember
Microtube size is a collection format, not an additive. The selected SKU is not a generic EDTA or serum microtube.
Do not apply the venous sequence automatically to capillary collection, universalize this product fill, or treat amber appearance as acceptance for every light-sensitive assay.
Inspected product sources
AI-assisted source review · 2026-10-13. A named catalog example does not supply the full procedure for every assay or regional product.
Special preservation and culture
SPS yellow specialty
BD364960 · BD US catalog: yellow
- Additive or preparation
- Sodium polyanethol sulfonate (SPS)
- Specimen state
- Anticoagulated blood for the ordered microbiology system
- What this product is for
- Specialty collection associated with an approved culture workflow.
The distinction to remember
SPS and ACD are different chemicals despite yellow closures.
Do not substitute an ACD tube for the requested blood-culture system. Bottle/system, method and prescribed volume remain specific.
Inspected product sources
AI-assisted source review · 2026-10-13. A named catalog example does not supply the full procedure for every assay or regional product.
Special preservation and culture
ACD B yellow specialty
BD364816 · BD US catalog: yellow
- Additive or preparation
- Acid citrate dextrose solution B: citrate, citric acid, dextrose
- Specimen state
- Anticoagulated whole blood
- What this product is for
- Whole-blood collection for the specialized assay/program specifically requesting ACD.
The distinction to remember
BD offers ACD A and B as different products. The retrieved notice establishes whole-blood collection, not every HLA/genetic assay application.
Do not describe ACD as SPS, a universal culture tube, or the default tube for every DNA/HLA test.
Inspected product sources
AI-assisted source review · 2026-10-13. A named catalog example does not supply the full procedure for every assay or regional product.
Citrate and ESR
Light-blue coagulation citrate
BD363083 · BD US catalog: light blue
- Additive or preparation
- Buffered sodium citrate 3.2%
- Specimen state
- Anticoagulated blood; citrate plasma for appropriate coagulation methods
- What this product is for
- Coagulation testing with its designed blood/additive relationship.
The distinction to remember
This coagulation product differs from a citrate ESR collection system.
Do not assume every citrate tube has the coagulation 9:1 relationship or is accepted for every coagulation test. Fill/acceptance and high-hematocrit adjustments are laboratory/device specific.
Inspected product sources
AI-assisted source review · 2026-10-13. A named catalog example does not supply the full procedure for every assay or regional product.
EDTA and trace-testing variants
Tan lead EDTA legacy SKU
BD367855-legacy · BD US discontinued catalog SKU: tan
- Additive or preparation
- K2EDTA
- Specimen state
- Whole blood
- What this product is for
- Legacy lead-testing collection product.
The distinction to remember
BD says SKU 367855 was discontinued July 1, 2024, with SKU 367777 as its alternative.
Do not present this discontinued BD SKU as a current universal lead tube or claim every manufacturer tan product is discontinued.
Inspected product sources
AI-assisted source review · 2026-10-13. A named catalog example does not supply the full procedure for every assay or regional product.
EDTA and trace-testing variants
Royal-blue alternative to tan lead SKU
BD367777 · BD current update page: royal blue
- Additive or preparation
- K2EDTA
- Specimen state
- Anticoagulated specimen for the accepted ordered assay
- What this product is for
- BD-named alternative to its discontinued tan SKU.
The distinction to remember
The current alternative closure is royal blue, demonstrating that legacy color-only lead mnemonics can become stale.
Manufacturer alternative status does not itself guarantee every local lead assay accepts it without laboratory verification.
Inspected product sources
AI-assisted source review · 2026-10-13. A named catalog example does not supply the full procedure for every assay or regional product.
Serum and serum separation
S-Monovette Serum CAT ISO example
SARSTEDT-ISO-serum · Selected SARSTEDT current catalog ISO scheme: red
- Additive or preparation
- Clotting activator
- Specimen state
- Serum
- What this product is for
- Serum collection in the selected ISO-coded product.
The distinction to remember
Current product family lists red ISO Serum CAT examples, including 04.1943.100.
Do not translate this red closure to every SARSTEDT EU-coded product or to every manufacturer.
Inspected product sources
AI-assisted source review · 2026-10-13. A named catalog example does not supply the full procedure for every assay or regional product.
EDTA and trace-testing variants
S-Monovette EDTA ISO examples
SARSTEDT-ISO-EDTA · Selected SARSTEDT current catalog ISO scheme: violet
- Additive or preparation
- Separate K2EDTA and K3EDTA variants
- Specimen state
- Anticoagulated blood
- What this product is for
- EDTA collection for the ordered validated assay.
The distinction to remember
04.1900.100 is K2EDTA, while 04.1901.100 is K3EDTA; both violet ISO examples.
One violet closure does not distinguish K2 from K3 or guarantee identical analytical suitability.
Inspected product sources
AI-assisted source review · 2026-10-13. A named catalog example does not supply the full procedure for every assay or regional product.
EDTA and trace-testing variants
S-Monovette EDTA Gel EU example
SARSTEDT-EU-EDTA-gel · Selected SARSTEDT current catalog EU scheme: red
- Additive or preparation
- K2EDTA gel
- Specimen state
- Anticoagulated collection with separation according to the ordered method
- What this product is for
- Specialized EDTA/gel collection.
The distinction to remember
04.1932.001 is a red EU K2EDTA gel example, unlike red ISO Serum CAT.
Do not make red a worldwide synonym for serum or infer one global cap-color standard from an ISO/EU label.
Inspected product sources
AI-assisted source review · 2026-10-13. A named catalog example does not supply the full procedure for every assay or regional product.
Serum and serum separation
S-Monovette Serum Gel CAT
SARSTEDT-brown-serum-gel · Selected SARSTEDT current catalog: brown, EU/ISO
- Additive or preparation
- Clotting activator and gel
- Specimen state
- Serum
- What this product is for
- Serum separation in the specified product.
The distinction to remember
Current family describes brown Serum Gel CAT examples as EU/ISO, including 04.1923.001.
Brown in this manufacturer is not a universal trace-metal tube mnemonic.
Inspected product sources
AI-assisted source review · 2026-10-13. A named catalog example does not supply the full procedure for every assay or regional product.
Special preservation and culture
Streck Cell-Free DNA BCT IVD
STRECK-cfDNA-IVD · Read the actual product label and regional IFU; no color-only identification
- Additive or preparation
- K3EDTA and a cell preservative in liquid medium
- Specimen state
- Direct-draw venous whole blood, processed to plasma for the specified workflow
- What this product is for
- Collection, stabilization and transport for compatible cleared/approved cfDNA NGS liquid-biopsy assays; reduces cellular genomic DNA release.
The distinction to remember
English IFU 350726-7, issued 2026-06, describes a specific IVD product. U.S. FDA performance is established for Guardant360 CDx and Guardant Shield, not every molecular assay.
Do not call this generic EDTA; do not use its scope for routine chemistry, RNA stabilization, viral/microbial nucleic acids, all NIPT or all cfDNA products. Do not transfer a specimen from a different additive tube into it.
Inspected product sources
AI-assisted source review · 2026-10-13. A named catalog example does not supply the full procedure for every assay or regional product.
Citrate and ESR
VACUETTE 4NC ESR glass example
GBO729093 · Selected GBO France catalog: black cap
- Additive or preparation
- Buffered trisodium citrate 3.2%
- Specimen state
- Anticoagulated venous blood for sedimentation measurement
- What this product is for
- Venous blood collection and transport for Westergren-related ESR testing.
The distinction to remember
Manufacturer ESR IFU 980232_Rev04_05-2022 specifies four parts blood to one part citrate. This differs from coagulation citrate.
Do not apply coagulation 9:1 to all citrate tubes or replace the ordered ESR system with a blue coagulation tube solely because both contain citrate. Catalog is not a universal US-market recommendation.
Inspected product sources
AI-assisted source review · 2026-10-13. A named catalog example does not supply the full procedure for every assay or regional product.
Heparin and plasma separation
S-Monovette ISO heparin variants
SARSTEDT-ISO-heparin · Selected current ISO catalog: green
- Additive or preparation
- Lithium heparin, lithium heparin gel, or sodium heparin in separate products
- Specimen state
- Anticoagulated blood; plasma after approved separation
- What this product is for
- Heparin collection for the assay accepting the selected preparation.
The distinction to remember
Green examples include lithium heparin 04.1906.100, lithium heparin gel 04.1928.100 and sodium heparin 04.1913.100.
Green alone does not identify the heparin salt or gel; assay suitability is specific.
Inspected product sources
AI-assisted source review · 2026-10-13. A named catalog example does not supply the full procedure for every assay or regional product.
Heparin and plasma separation
S-Monovette EU heparin variants
SARSTEDT-EU-heparin · Selected current EU catalog: orange
- Additive or preparation
- Separate liquid lithium heparin and lithium heparin gel products
- Specimen state
- Anticoagulated blood; plasma when approved
- What this product is for
- Heparin collection using the specified EU-coded product.
The distinction to remember
Orange examples are liquid lithium heparin 01.1608.001 and lithium heparin gel 01.1634. This differs from orange BD RST serum.
Do not map orange to rapid serum worldwide or assume liquid and gel products are interchangeable.
Inspected product sources
AI-assisted source review · 2026-10-13. A named catalog example does not supply the full procedure for every assay or regional product.
Citrate and ESR
S-Monovette ISO citrate 3.2%
SARSTEDT-ISO-citrate-32 · Selected current ISO catalog: blue
- Additive or preparation
- Citrate 9NC, 0.106 mol/L, 3.2%
- Specimen state
- Anticoagulated blood, with derived specimen according to the assay
- What this product is for
- Collection with the selected 9NC citrate preparation.
The distinction to remember
04.1902.100 is a blue 3.2% example; the family also includes a distinct buffered 3.8% PFA product.
A citrate family name or blue color does not establish concentration or acceptance for every assay.
Inspected product sources
AI-assisted source review · 2026-10-13. A named catalog example does not supply the full procedure for every assay or regional product.
Citrate and ESR
S-Monovette PFA buffered citrate
SARSTEDT-ISO-PFA-citrate-38 · Selected current ISO catalog: light blue
- Additive or preparation
- Trisodium citrate/citric acid buffer, 9NC 0.129 mol/L, 3.8%
- Specimen state
- Anticoagulated blood for the specified PFA workflow
- What this product is for
- A named PFA collection product, 04.1910.001.
The distinction to remember
Its concentration and buffer differ from the family 3.2% citrate examples.
Do not substitute this product for another coagulation or platelet-function collection merely because the cap is blue.
Inspected product sources
AI-assisted source review · 2026-10-13. A named catalog example does not supply the full procedure for every assay or regional product.
Glycolysis inhibitors
VACUETTE FE Sodium Fluoride / K3EDTA
GBO454085 · Gray cap with white ring in selected France catalog
- Additive or preparation
- Sodium fluoride and K3EDTA
- Specimen state
- Anticoagulated blood; matrix for submission follows the accepted assay
- What this product is for
- A named fluoride/EDTA preparation for the accepted laboratory glucose workflow.
The distinction to remember
This fluoride product uses EDTA rather than the potassium oxalate in the already verified BD 368587 example. Gray alone cannot specify the anticoagulant.
Current regional manufacturer family catalog verified; its linked general catalogue is marked not valid for the US market. No assay-wide approval, immediate-preservation guarantee or mixing/time value is inferred.
Inspected product sources
AI-assisted source review · 2026-10-13. A named catalog example does not supply the full procedure for every assay or regional product.
Glycolysis inhibitors
VACUETTE FC Mix
GBO-FC-Mix · 454511 gray/white; 454510 pink/white in selected France family
- Additive or preparation
- Citrate/citric-acid buffer, sodium fluoride and Na2-EDTA
- Specimen state
- Anticoagulated blood for the validated glucose workflow; separated plasma depends on that workflow
- What this product is for
- A named buffered glycolysis-inhibitor mixture; the accepted assay determines use.
The distinction to remember
The brochure distinguishes pH-dependent early glycolysis inhibition by the citrate buffer, fluoride inhibition, and EDTA anticoagulation. This mixture is different from fluoride/oxalate and fluoride/K3EDTA.
Composition and mechanism come from an official manufacturer brochure, not a completely inspected current IFU. Marketing guarantees, preservation times and numerical programs are omitted. Pink is not automatically a blood-bank EDTA tube worldwide. Mechanism source: manufacturer brochure 980295 en, revision 02 January 2021; this is distinct from its 2026 source-check date.
Inspected product sources
AI-assisted source review · 2026-10-13. A named catalog example does not supply the full procedure for every assay or regional product.
Two comparisons worth explaining aloud
Same red color, different preparation: compare BD367815 plastic serum with BD366430 glass serum. The named plastic product lists clot activator; the glass example has a different preparation. A color rhyme cannot decide the Labcorp PT distinction between a genuinely nonadditive tube and a clot-initiator product.
Same additive family, different purpose: the named GBO ESR product uses four parts blood to one part citrate. That is a different product and purpose from the named coagulation citrate examples. Transferring the familiar coagulation relationship to every citrate product would erase the very distinction its label supplies.