Sample Vial

<h2 dir="ltr">What are Saline Tubes for Laboratory Sample Collection?</h2>
 Saline collection tubes are pre-filled, single-use tubes containing 0.85% sodium chloride (physiological saline) solution used as a simple, osmotically neutral transport medium for swab-collected specimens destined for microbial enumeration, environmental surface sampling, NAAT (nucleic acid amplification testing), and rapid antigen detection. Saline tubes do not contain growth-promoting nutrients, antimicrobials, or inactivating reagents, making them the preferred format when downstream tests require viable organism enumeration or when all-purpose compatibility across multiple assay platforms is needed. Choose saline collection tubes over viral transport media (UTM) or culture media when your primary need is NAAT compatibility with minimal matrix interference, or when no specific preservative is required by the laboratory receiving the specimen.
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<h2 dir="ltr">What you will find:</h2>
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<ul>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Pre-filled sterile saline tubes (0.85%&ndash;0.9% NaCl solution)</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Micro-volume saline tubes for specimen dilution workflows</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">1 mL to 10 mL fill volume saline tubes for laboratory use</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Sterile screw-cap saline tubes for secure transport and handling</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Isotonic buffer tubes for cell suspension and sample preparation</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Microbiology saline tubes for culture and sensitivity testing</li>
</ul>
<h2 dir="ltr"> How to Choose Saline Collection Tubes</h2>
 Volume Per Tube Standard saline tubes are available in 2 mL and 3 mL fill volumes. A 3 mL tube dilutes the swab eluate less, providing a higher nucleic acid concentration for NAAT assays. A 2 mL fill is more compact for high-throughput automated processing. Confirm your laboratory's preferred fill volume before committing to a bulk order.
Tube and Swab Pairing Saline tubes are supplied with or without a swab. Tubes paired with a flocked (nylon) swab provide superior cell elution over rayon or Dacron swabs&mdash;critical for quantitative NAAT. Tube-only formats suit labs that pre-select their own swab type based on collection site (nasopharyngeal minitip, oral, rectal, or environmental surface swab).
Neutralizing Agent Requirement Standard 0.85% saline contains no neutralizing agent and is appropriate for environmental surface enumeration methods where additive-free media are required. For surface sampling in food or pharmaceutical manufacturing, confirm whether your method requires Dey-Engley neutralizer instead of plain saline.
Transport Temperature and Window Saline-suspended swab specimens should be transported to the laboratory at 2&ndash;8 &deg;C within 72 hours. Unlike UTM tubes (which maintain viability for 48 hours at RT or refrigerated), plain saline does not actively prevent viral or bacterial degradation. If same-day processing is not possible, choose UTM or a DNA/RNA Shield-based collection tube for nucleic acid targets. Regulatory Compliance Confirm any regulatory requirements for your testing setting. Saline collection and transport systems used for COVID-19 NAAT meet CDC interim specimen collection guidelines for SARS-CoV-2 when collected in 3 mL of normal saline per CDC protocols. For culture-based applications requiring anaerobic transport, choose Amies or Cary-Blair media rather than saline.
<h2 dir="ltr"> Specifications Context</h2>
 Physiological saline (0.85% NaCl) is osmotically neutral to human cells and most pathogens, preventing osmotic lysis during short-term transport. Saline collection tubes used in laboratory settings are manufactured from medical-grade polypropylene (PP) and are DNase-free, RNase-free, and non-pyrogenic when produced for molecular applications. The screwcap tube must meet leak-proof specification (95 kPa) for courier transport. Saline-based collection systems remain widely used in clinical microbiology and point-of-care settings because of their simplicity, low cost, and compatibility with automated NAAT platforms. Direct PO ordering and bulk pricing available for clinical and research labs across the USA, Canada, and worldwide.&nbsp;
 For specifications, volume options, or bulk supply support, <a href="https://mbpinc.net/contact-us">connect with the MBP team</a> to choose the right saline tube configuration for your laboratory needs.

Saline Tubes

Evaluation of Phosphate-Buffered Saline

Phosphate Buffer Saline- 3mL Tube

COPAN 0C038N is a 3 mL phosphate buffer saline transport tube (no swab) for clinical specimen dilution, transport, and elution prior to PCR and antigen testing. Supplied in cases of 300.

Manufacturer

<h2 dir="ltr">What are UTM Tubes?</h2>
 Universal Transport Medium (UTM) tubes are pre-filled collection and transport systems containing Hanks' Balanced Salt Solution (HBSS) enriched with proteins, a pH indicator, and antibiotics that maintain the viability of viruses, Chlamydia, Mycoplasma, and Ureaplasma for 48 hours at room or refrigerated temperature. They are used in molecular diagnostics, viral culture, antigen detection, and NAAT-based workflows for respiratory, genital, and other clinical specimens. The Copan UTM&reg; (catalog 360C and related) is FDA-cleared and is cited in CDC guidelines as an acceptable transport system for SARS-CoV-2 specimens. Choose UTM tubes over plain saline when the specimen requires extended ambient-temperature stability, viral viability for culture, or compatibility with automated molecular diagnostic platforms validated for UTM matrix.
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<h2 dir="ltr">What you will find:</h2>
&nbsp;
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Pre-filled UTM tubes for viral and microbial specimen transport</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Swab-integrated collection systems for respiratory sampling</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">3 mL and 5 mL Universal Transport Medium tube formats</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Sterile screw-cap tubes for secure clinical handling</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Buffered transport medium for pathogen stabilization</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Nasopharyngeal and/or oropharyngeal compatible sampling systems</li>
</ul>
<h2 dir="ltr"> How to Choose UTM Tubes</h2>
 Standard Tube vs. Round-Bottom (UTM-RT) Standard UTM tubes (12 &times; 80 mm, red cap, 3 mL) require swab removal and possible aliquoting before loading onto automated analyzers. The UTM-RT&reg; Round Bottom Tube is engineered for direct loading onto Roche cobas&reg; 5800/6800/8800 platforms without aliquoting or swab removal, saving processing steps in high-volume clinical labs. Choose UTM-RT if your laboratory runs cobas instrumentation at scale.
With or Without Swab Bulk media tubes (tube-only format) suit labs that stock their own swab type. Kit configurations pair UTM tubes with Copan FLOQSwabs&reg; (flocked nylon), which provide 10&ndash;100&times; greater cell elution than rayon or Dacron swabs, directly impacting the sensitivity of downstream NAAT and antigen tests. For nasopharyngeal specimens, the minitip FLOQSwab + UTM combination is the standard validated pairing.
Volume: 1 mL vs. 3 mL Fill A 1 mL fill is used when a higher specimen concentration is needed for sensitive assays or limited-volume extraction protocols. A 3 mL fill is the standard for most NAAT platforms. Using a 1 mL tube on a platform calibrated for 3 mL inputs may cause out-of-range results; always confirm volume requirements with your assay's instructions for use.
Bead Inclusion UTM tubes with 3 glass beads facilitate the release and dispersion of patient material from the swab tip during vortexing, improving homogeneity before aliquoting. For platforms that recommend homogenization (e.g., high-mucosity respiratory specimens), bead-containing UTM is preferred.
Regulatory Status For clinical diagnostic use, confirm that your specific UTM tube carries FDA 510(k) clearance. Copan UTM&reg; (K910043 and subsequent clearances) is FDA-cleared for collection, transport, preservation, and long-term freeze storage of clinical specimens and complies with CLSI M40-A2 standards. Verify product-specific regulatory status before deploying in clinical settings.
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<h2 dir="ltr">Specifications Context</h2>
 UTM contains HBSS supplemented with bovine serum albumin (BSA), sucrose, gentamicin, amphotericin B, and a phenol-red pH indicator. The antibiotic-antimycotic formulation inhibits bacterial and fungal overgrowth without affecting viral, Chlamydial, or Mycoplasmal viability. At ambient temperature (15&ndash;25 &deg;C) or 2&ndash;8 &deg;C, UTM maintains organism viability for 48 hours. For long-term storage of viral isolates, specimens can be frozen at &minus;70 &deg;C or colder; storage at &minus;20 &deg;C is specifically discouraged by Copan because it can result in loss of viral infectivity. UTM-RT has received CE-IVDR compliance marking. As of 2026, Copan UTM&reg; is carried by MBP and is a registered catalog item for institutional procurement customers.
 MBP is a registered vendor for Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Vanderbilt University, and MD Anderson Cancer Center. Direct PO ordering and bulk pricing available.&nbsp;<a href="https://mbpinc.net/contact-us">Contact MBP</a> &mdash;they&rsquo;ll help you sort out the right UTM setup without second-guessing.

UTM Tubes

Safety Data Sheet

Brochure

UTM® Medium and Swab Products

TUBES OF 3 ML UTM® UNIVERSAL TRANSPORT MEDIUM

COPAN UTM® 3C047N provides 3 mL of UTM-RT® Universal Transport Medium in 16×100 mm red-cap bulk tubes (300 tubes/case), without swab or beads, for viral NAAT testing including SARS-CoV-2, influenza, RSV, Chlamydia, Mycoplasma, and Ureaplasma. IVD-classified, EtO-sterilised. Available from MBP Inc.