Procedures for In Vitro RBC Labeling
| Product | Time (min) | Materials | Amount of blood | Image quality | Cost of kit | Labeling efficiency (%) |
| UltraTag (Mallinckrodt) | 40–45 | 1 × 5–10 mL heparinized syringe | 4 mL | Superior; lowest background | $125/vial | Immediate: 99.96; 4 h later: 98.3 |
| Shielded pot | ||||||
| Pyrophosphate (Mallinckrodt) | 80 | Heparinized Vacutainer* | 10 mL | Comparable to gluceptate | $80/vial up to 2 patients | Immediate: 96.8; 4 h later: 93.5 |
| Shielded pot | ||||||
| 4.4% EDTA | ||||||
| Saline | ||||||
| Sterile centrifuge tubes | ||||||
| Centrifuge | ||||||
| Gluceptate (DraxImage) | 80 | Heparinized Vacutainer* | 10 mL | Comparable to pyrophosphate | $20/vial | Immediate: 94.8; 4 h later: 91.8 |
| Shielded pot | ||||||
| 4.4% EDTA | ||||||
| Saline | ||||||
| Sterile centrifuge tubes | ||||||
| Centrifuge |
↵* Becton, Dickinson and Company.
EDTA = ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid.