Puncture Performance of Blood Collection Tube Stoppers: Interactions with Manual Needles and Automated Probes

Vacuum blood collection tube closures, as critical components ensuring sample integrity, face escalating challenges. Conventional halogenated butyl rubber closures exhibit limitations including needle-induced debris, compromised cryogenic elasticity, and nitrosamine leaching, which elevate preanalytical errors and interfere with PCR efficiency.

This study aimed to analyze rubber stopper structure and formulation and assess wear resistance, antipuncture performance, and puncture debris. We photographed and measured puncture resistance before and after needle punctures on 10 brands and tested the Mindray 7500 and the Sysmex XN1500 needles.

Rubber stoppers mainly use bromobutyl rubber (BIIR), with some using chlorinated butyl rubber (CIIR). Both domestic and international rubber stoppers show good wear resistance and comply with national standards. Blood collection needles showed no damage after 20 punctures on 10 tube caps and remained undamaged after 50 and 100 punctures on high-wear tubes. The Improve's type B tube had the highest puncture resistance; the Hongyu's the lowest. The Mindray 7500 showed less wear and lower puncture resistance than the Sysmex XN1500 on high-wear and domestic tubes. The Mindray 7500 had the highest puncture resistance on the BD caps and the lowest on the Sanli caps. The Sysmex XN1500 had the highest on the Improve's type B caps and the lowest on the Sanli caps.

A single blood collection needle can perform 20 punctures on all 10 brands. The Mindray 7500 showed less wear and lower puncture resistance than the Sysmex XN1500 on high-wear and domestic tubes.