VetSkill Level 3 Diploma VN02 – Diagnostic Principles Practice Test

The tube orientation changes with the rotor design. In a swing-out rotor, the tube buckets start vertical when the centrifuge is at rest, but as it spins the buckets swing outward under centrifugal force until the tubes are horizontal. This horizontal alignment gives a clean, well-defined separation plane and makes it easy to read or access the supernatant layer.

That’s why this type is described as starting vertical and rotating to horizontal. Other designs keep the tubes at fixed angles (angle head) or use fixed small-capillary arrangements (micro-haematocrit), or refer to very high-speed ranges (ultracentrifuge), so they don’t feature the vertical-to-horizontal swing.