The cell stability technology found in the Cell-Free DNA BCT and Cyto-Chex BCT glass blood collection tubes from Streck Inc, La Vista, Neb, is now available in the Fusion2 plastic blood collection tube.
Streck has partnered with SiO2 Medical Products Inc, Auburn, Ala, a manufacturer of pharmaceutical and medical device components, for the customization and manufacture of the hybrid plastic tube. SiO2 Medical Products uses a proprietary process to coat the interior surface of the plastic with a silica-like (SiO2) barrier layer.
“Our partnership with Streck, and our commercialization partner TricorBraun, is an excellent example of how advanced material science capabilities can be effectively linked with unmet needs in the marketplace,” says Brian Maurer, senior vice president of SiO2 Medical Products. “More specifically, we were able to successfully leverage our precision injection molding and plasma science capabilities to customize a plastic blood tube that possesses the best balance of oxygen and moisture barrier properties of any offering in the industry.”
The Fusion2 tube combines engineered plastic—cyclic olefin polymers—with a silicon dioxide-coated barrier layer. The layers are fused together, providing an end-product with the best properties of glass and the safety and convenience of plastic. The Fusion2 tube provides oxygen barrier properties that prevent vacuum loss and moisture content loss of the stabilizing reagents over time, allowing Streck to continue offering a 24-month shelf life from date of manufacture, as for the company’s Cell-Free DNA BCT and Cyto-Chex BCT tubes.
Connie Ryan, Streck
“We are very happy to provide our customers with a plastic version of our BCT products, making transport, handling, and processing even safer and easier,” says Connie Ryan, president and CEO at Streck. “When we began exploring the possibility of plastic tubes, we were not satisfied with the properties that standard polyethylene terephthalate (PET) tubes gave us. Customers will be extremely satisfied that they will continue to receive 24 months of dating without any effect on the stabilizing reagent inside the tubes.”
In the United States, Cell-Free DNA BCT is for research use only, not for use in diagnostic procedures. Cyto-Chex BCT is FDA 510(k) cleared for the consistent recovery of HIV-associated lymphocyte subsets for up to 14 days.
For more information, visit Streck.
