BD Microtainer.
Capillary blood, from the upper arm.
BD Microtainer capillary microcollection tubes take a small, measured volume of whole blood into a tube pre-filled with the additive the assay needs (colour-coded to match the venous tubes a laboratory already runs). On the Humans Nexus platform they are paired with the YourBio TAP® Micro Select, an upper-arm device built to collect straight into the tube: a fuller, more consistent capillary sample, drawn without venepuncture. CE-marked as an IVD. Curated and supplied on the Humans Nexus platform; BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) is the manufacturer.
Capillary blood,
in a microtube.
BD Microtainer tubes collect small volumes of capillary blood (on the order of 250 to 600 );microlitres (into a tube pre-filled with an additive that either keeps the blood liquid or lets it clot, exactly as its venous counterpart does). The caps are colour-coded to the same additive families a laboratory already runs on venous BD Vacutainer tubes, so the microtube drops straight into the existing workflow. On the Humans Nexus platform the tube is paired with the YourBio TAP Micro Select, an upper-arm collector built to fill it directly; Humans Nexus curates and supplies the pairing, and BD is the legal manufacturer.
The upper-arm draw,
without the needle.
A venous draw needs a clinician and a needle. The YourBio TAP Micro Select changes the collection: applied to the upper arm and button-activated, it draws a fuller, more consistent capillary sample straight into the BD Microtainer, the standardised tube the laboratory already trusts. Together they turn capillary blood into something a patient can collect at home and a lab can run like any other sample.
One colour per additive.
Every microtube is colour-coded by what is inside it, the same convention as venous blood tubes. Three families carry an anticoagulant that stops the blood clotting, so the cells or the plasma can be analysed; two carry a clot activator, so the blood clots and yields serum. Matching the additive to the assay is what keeps the result valid.
| Cap colour | Additive | Type | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lavender | K₂EDTA | Anticoagulant | Haematology, full blood count |
| Green / mint | Lithium heparin (± separator gel, PST) | Anticoagulant | Plasma chemistry |
| Grey | Sodium fluoride + Na₂EDTA | Anticoagulant & glycolysis inhibitor | Glucose, lactate |
| Gold | Clot activator + separator gel (SST) | Clot activator | Serum chemistry |
| Red | Clot activator / silicone-coated | Clot activator | Serum |
Cap colours follow BD’s convention and mirror the venous BD Vacutainer range; the exact additive and fill volume are chosen per assay with the laboratory, and where more than one tube is drawn the laboratory’s order of draw applies. Blood on the platform →
Apply. Collect. Return.
The YourBio TAP Micro Select is placed on the upper arm and activated (a halo of microneedles, no lancet).
Capillary blood flows into the BD Microtainer and mixes with its additive (a fuller, more consistent sample).
Cap and gently invert to distribute the additive, then return by tracked logistics for the validated assay.
Assembled into a kit.
BD Microtainer is curated onto the platform and assembled into a regulated Humans Nexus collection kit (the right additive tube, the YourBio TAP Micro Select upper-arm collector, tamper-evident return packaging and app-guided instructions, under its own UDI). It is CE-marked as an IVD; device-level regulatory status is held by BD, and method validation runs per assay before patient-facing reporting.
For blood work, from home.
Good to know.
How is the blood collected?
On the Humans Nexus platform, with the YourBio TAP Micro Select (an upper-arm device that draws capillary blood in a fuller and more consistent volume, straight into the BD Microtainer). No venepuncture and no clinician are required.
How much blood does it take?
A small volume of capillary blood (the BD Microtainer holds on the order of 250 to 600 );microlitres, far less than a venous tube. The exact fill depends on the tube and the assay.
Which tube do I need?
The tube is chosen by additive, and the cap colour identifies it: lavender K₂EDTA for a full blood count, green lithium heparin for plasma chemistry, grey fluoride for glucose, and gold or red for serum. The laboratory specifies the tube per assay.
Is it an anticoagulant tube?
It depends on the cap. The lavender (EDTA), green (lithium heparin) and grey (fluoride) tubes carry an anticoagulant; the gold (SST) and red tubes carry a clot activator and yield serum instead.
What is its regulatory status?
BD Microtainer is CE-marked as an IVD (in-vitro diagnostic). Device-level regulatory status is held by BD; Humans Nexus assembles the regulated kit around it.
Who is the manufacturer?
BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) makes the Microtainer tubes; YourBio Health makes the TAP Micro Select collector. Humans Nexus curates and supplies them together on the platform. Method validation runs per assay before patient-facing reporting.
The research library.
No papers match these filters.
External links open an open-access full text where one exists, otherwise the publisher or PubMed record. These citations describe the published evidence for the collection formats and devices (not claims about specific Humans Nexus assays, which are validated per analyte and per laboratory).
Put upper-arm capillary blood on your platform.
Talk to us about BD Microtainer with the YourBio TAP Micro Select for your programme.