· Please read all instructions carefully.
· To avoid cross contamination, use separate pipette tips for each specimen.
· Universal safety precautions while working with bio-hazardous materials should be adopted ⁽¹⁾.
· Wear gloves, lab coats and safety glasses at all times. 
· All contaminated materials should be properly disposed and work surfaces appropriately decontaminated.

Blood Draw Requirements:

The following evacuated blood tubes should be drawn by standard venipuncture procedure:

1-5 mL Heparanized whole blood.
Care should be taken that blood tubes are completely filled.
Invert blood tubes a minimum of five times for proper distribution of anticoagulant.

Reconstitute each vial with 2 mL deionized distilled water (fresh before each use). Vortex to dissolve powder.

Vitamin C Stabilization :

1) Add 0.5 mL Heparinized plasma to 2 mL stabilization solution.

2) Mix well in a vortex. Let sit 5 min at room temperature.

3) Centrifuge @ 2500 X g for 10 minutes.

4) Pipette 1.2 mL of the clear supernatant to 1.8 mL cryovial

5) Freeze ASAP at -80 ºC or lower.

Label samples with ID#, specimen type and date of preparation.

Note: The time between phlebotomy and freezing of specimen should not exceed 90 min.

Samples are stable for at least 6 months when stored at -80ºC with no thawing.