Vials


A vial is a small container, typically made from glass or a sterile plastic, which is used to hold liquids and samples. They are common pieces of equipment in medicine, laboratory environments, and other scientific work fields. They are small containers that usually close with tight, secure lids. They are available in a range of designs and colors to suit particular needs.

Types of Vials

Vials differ in their composition and lid styles. They may be specifically designed to accommodate tube racks, or they may be engineered for specific procedures such as biopsies and micro centrifuge. All vials used for medical or scientific purpose need to be sterile, airtight, and leak-proof in order to safeguard their contents from becoming contaminated or comprised. Vials can be purchased in clear glass and colored glass (blue, green, amber, frost) products with screw top lids.
  • Glass vials are great for long term storage, powders, or decoctions and essential oil products that you want to use with dropper lids.

  • Plastic vials have become more popular due their strength, impact resistance, and flip tops lids that can be opened and close with one hand.

  • Polypropylene vials are air tight, have locking seals, are shoulder-less and liner-less, and conform to FDS and SAMHSA specifications.

  • General storage vials can range in size from small test tube sizes that hold 11-13ml samples, up to large 8 ounce products used for dairy sampling, quality control, liquid storage, and food packaging.


Vial Usages

General packaging and storage vials have a very broad range of applications. They can be used to store general household goods, vitamins and cosmetics. They may also be used by industry in dairy testing, DNA testing, stool sample collection, food packaging, and an unlimited number of other purposes.

Vials are specially designed for drug testing. Both on and off-site testing products offer tamper-proof closures, sterile environments, and temperature strips. They can be purchased in collection kits, which provide safe courier transport for sending multiple vials to a laboratory.

Test tube vials are widely used in laboratories and medical facilities for packaging specimen collections of biomaterial. Test tube vials must meet FDA standards, and are available with screw and plug style caps. They can also accommodate universal test tube plug caps. Amber color tubes can be purchased for light sensitive operations. Urinalysis transport vials use 12-ml tubes and can stabilize urine specimens for up to 72-hours.

Veterinarians frequently use vials for biopsy materials, blood, urine and stool samples. Specifically designed vials are also available for veterinary use in the infectious control of mastitis.

By Doug Vanisky           


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