Efficiency Begins Before a Sample Reaches the Analyser
In high-volume pathology and hospital environments, efficiency is often measured at the analyser. Yet the reliability and speed of a result can be influenced much earlier — at collection, mixing, transport, clotting and centrifugation. When these preanalytical steps are well supported, laboratories can reduce avoidable delays, protect sample quality and help clinical teams access results sooner.
The scale of this work is significant. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare reports that 123.8 million Medicare-subsidised pathology tests were provided in 2024–25, compared with 89.8 million in 2014–15. That figure excludes several categories, including services provided to public patients in public hospitals, so the operational demand experienced across the wider system is greater still. At this volume, even small workflow improvements can have a meaningful cumulative impact.
The Preanalytical Phase is a Practical Place to Improve
Every sample moves through a chain of connected decisions. Is the collection device suitable for the patient and procedure? Is the tube matched to the required test? Has the additive been mixed correctly? Can the sample remain stable during transport? How long must the laboratory wait before processing? A weakness at any point can create rework, recollection or delay downstream.
For lab managers and procurement teams, this makes product selection more than a unit-price decision. The stronger question is whether a product supports the full workflow: staff safety, consistent handling, sample stability, turnaround time and compatibility with established laboratory procedures.
Stabilise Glucose Promptly with VACUETTE® FC Mix Tubes
Glucose testing is particularly sensitive to what happens after collection. Blood cells continue to metabolise glucose through glycolysis, which can lower the measured concentration if inhibition is delayed. This makes rapid stabilisation important in the preanalytical phase, especially when samples must travel between collection sites and central laboratories.
VACUETTE® FC Mix tubes use a combined additive system designed to inhibit glycolysis from the initial stage. According to the supplied product brochure, the system provides glucose stabilisation for up to 48 hours when the specified handling and storage conditions are followed. This can give services greater flexibility around transport and batching while helping preserve the concentration present at collection.
· Supports rapid inhibition of glycolysis through a specialised additive mixture.
· Can support longer transport and storage windows under the manufacturer’s stated conditions.
· Uses established vacuum collection technology and a safety cap designed for hygienic handling.
The operational value is straightforward: protecting sample integrity earlier can reduce uncertainty later. Laboratories should continue to follow the current instructions for use, including fill, inversion, centrifugation and storage requirements.
VACUETTE® FC Mix Tube,
SKU: 454510
Shorten the Wait for Serum with VACUETTE® CAT Serum Fast tubes
Serum is essential for many routine chemistry investigations, but clotting time can become a bottleneck when results are time-sensitive. VACUETTE® CAT Serum Fast Separator tubes are designed to accelerate clotting while retaining the benefits of serum.
The supplied brochure reports complete clotting of whole blood in five minutes for applicable samples. With a five-minute centrifugation protocol, analysis can begin around 10 minutes after collection rather than 40 minutes — a potential reduction of 30 minutes per sample. This can be valuable in emergency, acute and high-throughput settings where the preanalytical queue directly affects turnaround time.
The accompanying white paper adds useful evidence for routine chemistry use. In the evaluation, all samples clotted completely within five minutes. The modified separator tube was assessed across 19 routine chemistry analytes, and the authors reported no clinically significant deviations between the modified and previous tube designs at the initial measurement. The paper also evaluated post-centrifugation stability over 48 hours; results and parameter-specific limitations should be reviewed in full when validating local protocols.
· Five-minute clotting performance for applicable patient samples.
· Short centrifugation option to help reduce preanalytical turnaround time.
· Gel separator creates a barrier between the clot and serum after centrifugation.
VACUETTE® CAT Serum Fast. SKU: 454593
Build Safety Into Collection with VACUETTE® EVOPROTECT
A more efficient collection process should also make safe practice easier to perform consistently. VACUETTE® EVOPROTECT safety blood collection sets use a semi-automatic mechanism that can be activated with one hand while the needle remains in the vein. Once triggered, the needle retracts and is irreversibly enclosed in the safety shield; an audible click confirms activation.
This sequence is designed to reduce exposure during needle withdrawal and simplify the transition from collection to disposal. The range featured by Interpath includes 21G and 23G sets supplied with holders, as well as a 25G set with a luer adapter. This allows procurement teams to consider different clinical needs while maintaining a consistent safety concept across the range.
· One-handed activation allows the other hand to remain focused on the patient and collection site.
· Automatic needle retraction and irreversible enclosure support safer post-collection handling.
· Flashback supports immediate visual confirmation of successful venous access.
· Selected configurations can be used for blood collection or short-term infusion, subject to the instructions for use.
EVOPROTECT 23G, Blood Collection Set.
SKU: 450126
Keep a Versatile No-Additive Option Available
The Greiner No Additive Premium Tube provides a simple option for applications that do not require an additive or preservative. Interpath lists the sterile PET tube for use across clinical diagnostics, research and biotechnology applications. Its value within a broader collection range is flexibility: procurement teams can standardise around a trusted supplier while retaining an option for workflows where additives are not appropriate.
No Additive Premium Tube.
SKU: 456001
What Procurement Teams Should Assess Beyond Unit Price
The commercial value of a blood collection product is shaped by the workflow around it. When reviewing or standardising a range, consider:
· Time to processing: clotting, centrifugation and handling requirements that may affect turnaround time.
· Sample integrity: additive performance, mixing requirements and stability during transport or storage.
· Staff and patient safety: activation steps, confirmation cues, secure enclosure and ease of use.
· Range rationalisation: whether one supplier can cover common collection, serum, glucose and safety needs.
· Training and implementation: compatibility with current procedures, competency requirements and local validation.
A product that reduces waiting, supports stable samples or makes a safety step more intuitive may create value beyond its purchase price. The most useful evaluation therefore connects technical performance with the realities of staffing, transport, analyser schedules and clinical demand.
A Connected Approach from Collection to Result
Efficient blood testing does not depend on one product or one department. It depends on a connected preanalytical process in which the collection device, tube, transport conditions and laboratory protocol work together. Greiner’s VACUETTE® range gives laboratories, hospitals and procurement teams options to address several pressure points: prompt glucose stabilisation, faster serum availability, versatile sample collection and safer needle handling.
