Laboratory Consumables
A clinical laboratory in Canada runs on consumables the way a kitchen runs on clean pans: nothing moves without them. One morning run can involve a dozen specimen bags, several racks of centrifuge tubes, a stack of petri dishes and a tray of sample cups, and every one of those items has to satisfy a transport or handling requirement before it ever reaches the bench. This collection pulls the recurring lab consumables onto one page so a lab manager can build a single purchase order.
Where these consumables sit in a specimen workflow
Specimen handling follows a fixed sequence: collect, contain, transport, receive, process. Sample cups, stool collection kits and 120 mL containers belong to collection. Centrifuge tubes and serological pipettes belong to processing. Petri dishes belong to culture work. Specimen transport bags and leak-resistant secondary packaging belong to the step in the middle — the one that gets audited when something leaks in a courier van. Parafilm sits across all of them as a sealing and covering material.
A morning run, in the order the bench actually works
The courier arrives before the bench opens. Bags come out of the drawer first: each primary container goes into a specimen bag with the requisition slipped into the outside document pouch, and an absorbent pad sits under the container. Bags are then packed into the secondary transport box. Once specimens are received, tubes are labelled, spun, and the supernatant is drawn off with a serological pipette. Plate work follows, and unused plates go back into the sleeve and the sleeve back into the refrigerator. The consumables that ran out first are almost always bags and tubes, not instruments.
Selection table: specification, pack size and where each item fits
| Item | Specification | Pack / case | Suited to |
|---|---|---|---|
| UN3373 Specimen Transport Bags, 6 × 9 in | 95 kPa rated, document pouch, absorbent pad | 100-pack | Single tube or small container transport |
| UN3373 Specimen Transport Bags, 8 × 10 in | 95 kPa rated, document pouch, absorbent pad | 100-pack | Two to four containers per bag |
| UN3373 Specimen Transport Bags, 12 × 15 in | 95 kPa rated, document pouch, absorbent pad | 100-pack | Multi-container batches and larger containers |
| Specimen Transport Bags, 6 × 9 in, 3-wall | 3-wall leak-resistant construction, document pouch | 1,000 bags (10-box case) | High-volume clinics and collection sites |
| Leak-Proof Sample Cups | 90 mL, graduated, leak-proof lid | 600 cups (6 × 100-pack case) | Urine and fluid collection at the bench |
| Specimen Container 120 mL | Sterile, screw cap | 200 containers (2 × 100-pack case) | Sterile fluid and tissue collection |
| Stool Collection Kit | Sterile, scoop and label included | 100 kits | Parasitology and microbiology collection |
| Sterile Centrifuge Tubes 15 mL | Graduated, screw cap, sterile | 500 per case | Small-volume separation and aliquoting |
| Sterile Centrifuge Tubes 50 mL | Graduated, screw cap, sterile | 500 per case | Cell culture, large-volume separation |
| Sterile Petri Dish 100 × 15 mm | Polystyrene, sterile | 500 per case | Culture plating and environmental sampling |
| Parafilm & Serological Pipettes | Sealing film and graduated pipettes | Combined lab pack | Sealing plates and volumetric transfer |
Specimen transport: UN3373, 95 kPa and what the rules ask for
Most diagnostic specimens travel as Category B biological substances, which means UN3373 marking, a primary receptacle, leak-resistant secondary packaging with absorbent material, and enough rigidity to survive a 95 kPa pressure differential. In Canada those requirements arrive through the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Regulations (SOR/2001-286), which adopt the UN packaging instructions. The practical test for a lab manager is simple: if the bag bursts inside the transport box, does the absorbent pad hold the contents and does the outer packaging stay intact? A bag without a document pouch also breaks the chain between specimen and requisition, so it fails the workflow even when it passes the pressure test.
What to confirm before you order
- Pressure rating stated on the bag or carton. Look for a stated 95 kPa rating and the UN3373 marking, not a general “transport bag” description.
- Absorbent pad and document pouch included or not. Some bags ship with both, some with neither. A missing pad means the lab buys and stuffs pads separately, which is where compliance slips.
- Sterility and sealing on containers. Sterile containers need an intact seal and a readable lot. Screw caps should be checked for cross-threading on arrival, before the first sample goes in.
- Graduations and cap fit for your centrifuge. Tube diameter and cap profile have to match the rotor buckets in use. Confirm 15 mL and 50 mL formats against the rotor before committing to a case of 500.
- Case pack versus bench volume. A 500-unit case is convenient for a hospital lab and impractical for a two-bench clinic. Match the case to weekly throughput so nothing sits past its usable date.
Storage and lot control for sterile consumables
Sterile consumables keep their status only while the packaging is intact. Store cases off the floor, in a dry room away from direct light, and work through oldest expiry first. Record the lot number when a case is opened, not when it is ordered — that is the point at which traceability starts. Any sleeve that arrives crushed, damp or with a broken seal is quarantined and reported rather than used.
Questions lab managers ask before switching suppliers
Do these bags meet Canadian transport requirements?
The bags in this collection are specified at 95 kPa with UN3373 marking, which is the standard requirement for Category B specimens. Confirm the marking on the carton you receive, since the marking must be printed on the packaging the specimen actually travels in.
Can one bag size cover the whole lab?
Rarely. Most labs run two sizes: a small bag for single tubes and a larger bag for multi-container batches. A third 3-wall format is usually kept for high-volume collection sites where bags are filled, sealed and stacked quickly.
How much stock should a clinic lab hold?
Four to six weeks of cover on bags, cups and tubes, and one to two cases of low-turnover items such as petri dishes. Consumables that expire should be ordered against measured throughput, not against a discount tier.
Buying for a clinic, care home or laboratory rather than a single site? Volume pricing and account setup are handled through our wholesale enquiry page.
