Coded test tubes

A container for a collected specimen to be tested, said container comprising:

• a container body with one end open and the other end closed;
• a cap securable to said container body to close said open end, said cap having a selected color indicative of at least one of a test to be performed on the collected specimen in the tube and a specimen additive in the tube;
• and
• a content indicator securable to said container body and separate from said cap, said content indicator extending around said container body near said open end and having said selected color;
• wherein when in a position closing said container body open end, said cap covers a portion of said content indicator, and said covered portion of said content indicator faces radially outwardly.

A kit for collecting and handling specimens, comprising:

• a plurality of test tubes, each having a cylindrical body with a closed end and an open end;
• a plurality of test tube caps, each of said caps being securable to close the open end of one of said test tubes and each of said caps having a distinct one of a selected group of colors wherein each color of said group is indicative of at least one of a distinct test to be performed on the specimen in the tube and a distinct specimen additive in the tube;
• and
• a plurality of content indicators securable to said tubes and separable from said caps, wherein each of said content indicators when secured to a tube extends around said tube near said tube open end, said content indictors comprising raised rings around said tube cylindrical body, said raised rings being round in cross-section and abutting one of said cares when said one care closes said cylindrical body open end;
• wherein each of said caps is associated with one of said content indicators having a distinct color matching said distinct color of said cap and when in a position closing said container body open end, said cap covers a portion of said content indicator.