1. Do not eat or drink anything for about an hour before the collection, and do not breastfeed the infant for at least half an hour before the collection.

Note: Check and make sure you are using the correct stick.

Marking of sticks:

child: green

alleged father: yellow

mother: red

stick for other persons: blue

2. Open the tube by counter-rotating its two parts along the dashed line; and then pull the part containing the cotton swab stick out of the package.

Note: Always keep only one tube open so that samples cannot be mixed up!

3. Using repeated up-and-down movements (about 10 times), wipe the surface of the inside of the cheek (in the oral cavity), twisting the wand so that the entire surface of the cotton swab stick is covered with the swab.

Note: The cotton swab must not touch anything else, especially not the hands of another person! However, it does not matter if it touches the teeth or tongue of the sampled person.

4. Place the stick together with the corresponding tube, e.g. in a jar, and leave to air dry for at least one hour. Make sure no one touches the swab.

Note: If you cannot dry the sample immediately after collection, place it back in the tube and dry it at the earliest opportunity, no later than 4-5 hours after collection. Well-dried samples will last for several weeks, wet ones will quickly deteriorate.

Warning: In the case of paternity tests, be careful not to confuse the sticks and the corresponding tubes to avoid mixing up samples.

Transport: Possible at room temperature.

Post-sampling procedure:

1. Take samples on sampling sticks as described above.
2. Please send samples to our address in the enclosed envelope or deliver in person.

General principles for non-standard sampling:

1. Everything (except chewing gum) needs to be dried thoroughly.
2. Do not touch the part of the material from which the DNA will be extracted.
3. Label the sample - write the case number and status (male, child, mother, etc.) on the package in which the material is sent.
4. We only process non-standard samples for paternity and other relationship tests.
5. When analysing a non-standard sample, the total time can be extended by up to 10 days.

Unsuitable material for DNA analysis (insufficient quality and/or quantity of DNA, presence of substances preventing analysis, high risk of contamination with another person’s DNA):

1. hair without clearly visible roots (e.g. cut)
2. toothbrush used for less than two weeks
3. used cup, cutlery, straw, teat and similar items
4. items of clothing without visible biological stains

Categories of non-standard material:

1. Bloodstains:

Procedure: bandage, patch, bloody piece of cloth - dry well

Transport: in a paper or plastic envelope, at room temperature

Isolation success rate: 80-90%

2. Sperm:

Procedure: cut out of cloth, if this is not possible, rub the stain with a moistened cotton swab so that the swab soaks up the ejaculate, then dry well.

Transport: in a plastic bag, at room temperature

Isolation success rate: 80-90%

3. Swab the mouth on a cotton swab from the drugstore:

Procedure: remove the cotton swab from one end, swab the mouth with the other end and dry thoroughly.

Transport: in a plastic bag, at room temperature

Isolation success rate: 80-90%

4. Toothbrush:

Procedure: at least 2 weeks used, dry; brush will be destroyed.

Transport: in a plastic or paper bag, at room temperature

Isolation success rate: 75%

5. Chewing gum:

Procedure: must be chewed for a long time; leave to harden in a plastic bag in the refrigerator

Transport: in a plastic bag, at 6-8°C

Isolation success rate: 70%

6. Nasal mucus:

Procedure: on a paper handkerchief, dry properly

Transport: in a plastic bag, at room temperature

Isolation success rate: 70%

7. Cigarette butts:

Procedure: 2 to 4 pieces; remove the burnt end

Transport: in a plastic or paper bag, at room temperature

Isolation success rate: 60%

8. Hair with clearly visible hair roots (“bulbs”):

Procedure: at least 2-3 pieces

Transport: in a plastic bag, at room temperature

Isolation success rate: 60%

9. Nails:

Procedure: freshly cut, especially suitable for children’s nails

Transport: in a plastic bag, at room temperature

Isolation success rate: 50-60%

10. Other biological material - Consult with us