What is a Separation Gel Serum Tube?

 Serum separation tubes, also known as gel clot activation tubes or SST blood collection tubes, are indispensable tools for medical and clinical chemistry tests that require serum. The SST tube, often called the ‘yellow top tube’ or ‘gold top tube’, contains particles that accelerate blood clotting and a special gel that separates blood cells from serum. This allows for clear serum to be extracted from the blood sample and used for testing by centrifugation.

Gel separation of serum tubes is generally used to detect indicators such as liver function, kidney function, and myocardial enzymes and can also be used to detect viral infections, tumor markers, etc.

What is a Separation Gel Serum Tube?

Serum separator tubes (SSTs), commonly known as separation gel serum tubes, play a crucial role in clinical laboratories, where they widely collect serum samples. These tubes quickly and effectively separate serum blood collection tubes from blood cells, making them indispensable for a range of diagnostic tests.

How does the separation gel work?

The separation gel in serum separator tubes (SSTs) is crucial in effectively separating serum from blood cells during laboratory testing. Understanding the mechanism of this gel is essential for optimizing its use in clinical diagnostics.


  1. Clot Activation: When you draw blood into an SST, it contains micronized silica particles that act as clot activators. These particles initiate the coagulation process, allowing the blood to clot effectively.

  2. Centrifugation Process: After allowing the blood to clot for a specified period (typically 30 to 60 minutes), you centrifuge the tube. The centrifugal force causes the blood cells to settle at the bottom of the tube.

  3. Formation of the Gel Barrier: The separation gel tube, located at the bottom of the cap SST tube, has a unique density intermediate between that of serum and blood cells.

  4. Clear Separation: This gel barrier effectively prevents the mixing of serum with cellular components, reducing the risk of contamination. The result is a clear separation between the serum and the clot, allowing for easy serum collection tube disposable medical supplies extraction for testing.

Applications of Serum Separation Tubes

SSTs are versatile and widely used in clinical laboratories for various applications, including:

A serum-separator gel is a material that meets the requirement for quickly and simply collecting serum to conduct inspections more accurately and speedily under recent circumstances, in which the need for biochemical inspections is increasing among pathological inspections.


  • These tests assess liver and kidney function, electrolyte levels, and other biochemical markers.

  • You can use SSTs for therapeutic drug monitoring and hormone assays. However, exercise caution, as drugs or hormones might diffuse into the gel and potentially affect the accuracy of the results.

  • Serum collected in SSTs detects viral infections and other pathogens

  • SSTs actively assist in diagnosing and monitoring cancer by measuring tumor markers in oncology.

FAQs

How do SST tubes work?

After collecting blood in an SST tube, the clot activator quickly clots the blood. Centrifugation causes the separation gel to move, creating a barrier between the clotted blood cells and the serum. This process allows for easy extraction of clear, contaminant-free serum for testing.

What are the main components of a separation gel serum tube?

The main components of a separation gel serum tube include:

  • Micronized Silica Particles: These act as clot activators to promote coagulation.

  • Separation Gel: The gel forms a barrier between the serum and blood cells during centrifugation

What types of tests can be performed using serum collected from SSTs?

Serum collected in SSTs supports a variety of diagnostic tests, including:

  • Liver and kidney function tests, along with other clinical chemistry tests.

  • Hormone and drug-level testing

  • Infectious disease testing

  • Tumor marker detection

What is a serum gel blood test for?

  • Purpose: A serum gel blood test is used to measure various components in the blood, such as electrolytes, enzymes, hormones, and other biochemical markers. The serum is the liquid part of the blood that remains after clotting, and it contains no cells or clotting factors.

  • Tests: Common tests include those for cholesterol levels, liver function, kidney function, thyroid function, and glucose levels, among others.

What color tube is serum gel?

  • Tube Color: The tube used for serum gel blood tests is typically yellow or gold. These tubes are often referred to as SST (Serum Separator Tubes).

What is serum gel used for?

  • Purpose of the Gel: The activator gel tube in the tube forms a barrier between the serum and the cells after the blood has been centrifuged. This ensures that the serum blood collection tube can be easily separated and analyzed without contamination from cells or clotting factors.

What is the use of a gel tube?

  • Usage: Gel tubes are primarily used in clinical labs for the separation and storage of serum after blood has been collected and centrifuged. The gel's purpose is to improve the stability and quality of the serum for various tests, ensuring accurate and reliable results.

Visit: https://www.sinymedical.com/what-is-a-separation-gel-serum-tube/


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