BD BarricorTube crop640BD, Franklin Lakes, NJ, has received FDA premarket notification (510(k)) clearance for the BD Vacutainer Barricor plasma blood collection tube, designed to improve sample quality, help clinicians receive test results faster, and ultimately improve patient care and clinical efficiency.

BD Barricor is a single-use, plastic, evacuated tube used to obtain high-quality plasma for in vitro diagnostic use. The BD Barricor tube uses a novel mechanical separation technology to obtain plasma from whole blood samples, replacing the need for gel tubes. The technology allows the separation of cellular content throughout the centrifugation cycle, reducing centrifugation time from 10 minutes to 3 minutes, and cellular contamination by 50% to 65%.According to the company, the tube is the first to leverage this technology in a clinical setting.

“As we launch BD Barricor tubes in the United States, we are effectively eliminating the tradeoff of superior sample quality versus quick turnaround, often faced by laboratory technicians, by providing both a cleaner and faster plasma sample than current methods,” says John Ledek, worldwide president of preanalytical systems for BD. “This revolutionary technological advancement can improve the accuracy and speed of clinical decisionmaking, and result in enhanced patient care.”

The tube is designed to separate plasma cellular content while also eliminating gel artifacts that can lead to instrument downtime. A cleaner plasma sample improves analyte stability, thereby increasing the window for conducting testing. Additionally, the mechanical separator is designed not to absorb hydrophobic drugs, making the tubes suitable for use in therapeutic drug testing.

For more information, visit BD.