How To Collect A Sample

How to Collect a Cheek Swab for Infidelity Testing

Taking a cheek swab for DNA Comparison testing is simple.  Follow these key steps:

  • Avoid eating, drinking caffeine, or smoking for at least an hour prior to collecting your sample. Do not brush your teeth or use mouthwash for an hour before taking the swab.
  • Use a new cotton swab (Q-tip). Cut off one end of the swab and throw it away. Use the other end of the swab to take your sample. If you send a double ended swab we cannot tell which end you have used, so always cut off one end and throw it away.
  • When you take a cheek swab for a DNA Comparison or a relationship test you are collecting the skin cells from the inside of your cheek, not your saliva. Do not spit or suck on the swab. The robotic equipment we use is designed to extract DNA from cheek cells as they provide a more concentrated amount of high-quality DNA. Rub the swab firmly against the inside of your cheek moving from front to back for about 20 seconds.
  • Allow the swab to air dry, then place the swab directly into a clean, unused envelope. Never put your swab in a plastic bag. When you put a wet swab in plastic packaging the sample can no longer ‘breathe,’ and mold nearly immediately starts growing. This mold can degrade or destroy the DNA on the swab so much that the DNA can’t be extracted and tested.
  • Label the envelope as “reference swab” and your name and date of collection. 
  • Place this envelope inside the mailing package with your test sample.

Do not touch the cotton end of the swab to anything before you put it in your mouth. Do not allow the cotton end with the sample to touch anything after you’ve taken the sample, for example to do not lay the swab down on the counter or sink before placing into the envelope. Still have questions?  Contact us below or call 915-407-6224.

How to Collect a Cheek Swab for Relationship Testing

Collecting your own cheek swab for relationship testing is simple.  Follow these key steps:

  • Avoid eating, drinking caffeine, or smoking for at least an hour prior to collecting your sample. Do not brush your teeth or use mouthwash for an hour before taking the swab.
  • Use a new cotton swab (Q-tip). Cut off one end of the swab and throw it away. Use the other end of the swab to take your sample. If you send a double ended swab we cannot tell which end you have used, so always cut off one end and throw it away.
  • When you take a cheek swab for a DNA test, you are collecting the skin cells from the inside of your cheek, not your saliva. Do not spit or suck on the swab. The robotic equipment we use is designed to extract DNA from cheek cells as they provide a more concentrated amount of high-quality DNA. Rub the swab firmly against the inside of your cheek moving from front to back for about 20 seconds.
  • Allow the swab to air dry, then place the swab directly into a clean, unused envelope. Never put your swab in a plastic bag. When you put a wet swab in plastic packaging the sample can no longer ‘breathe,’ and mold nearly immediately starts growing. This mold can degrade or destroy the DNA on the swab so much that the DNA can’t be extracted and tested.
  • Label each envelope with the following information:  name of person, gender, relationship (father, mother, son, etc.) race, and date of birth.
  • Place the envelopes inside the mailing package with your Sample Submission Form. Testing will not begin without a signed form.

Do not touch the cotton end of the swab to your fingers or anything else before you put it in your mouth. Do not allow the cotton end with the sample to touch anything after you’ve taken the sample, for example to do not lay the swab down on the counter or sink before placing into the envelope. Still have questions?  Contact us below or call 915-407-6224.

How to Collect a Stain Sample

We understand that sometimes sending the stained item won’t be possible. A favorite shirt or piece of car upholstery would most likely be noticed it if came up missing. Even if you cannot send the item that contains the stain to us, you can take a sample with a swab and still have the stain itself tested for semen, DNA, or saliva. There are some things you need to be mindful of when taking your sample:

  • You must use a fresh, clean cotton swab, preferably from an unopened package. This will help assure that there is no chance of the sample being contaminated.
  • DO NOT touch the end of the swab you will be using when removing the swab from its package.
  • Cut off one end of the swab and throw away.  Use the other end for taking your sample.
  • If the stain or fluid you want tested is still wet, soak the tip with as much of the fluid as it will absorb.
  • Once the swabs are dry place them in a paper envelope.
  • Label the envelope with your name and date of collection.
  • DO NOT place the swabs in a plastic bag. Sending the swabs in a plastic bag may cause the DNA material to degrade making it useless for testing.
  • If the stain or fluid is dry, moisten the swab with the distilled water before rubbing it across the stained area.
  • DO NOT use tap water as the chemicals used to treat water for drinking can degrade DNA and testing may not be possible.
  • Once your swabs are dry, place them in a paper envelope.
  • Label the envelope with your name and the date of collection.
  • Fill out and return the Sample Submission Form with your sample.  This form must be signed and returned before testing can begin.

Take your envelope (or envelopes if you have more than one) and place in a paper mailer. Send it to us with your Sample Submission Form. Do not place the form in the envelope with the swabs.  Still have questions?  Contact us below or call 915-407-6224.

Chain of Custody

What is Chain of Custody?

Chain of custody refers to the paperwork trail documenting the way a sample is collected and handled throughout the entire testing process. Since you will be collecting the samples yourself and submitting them privately, the test results you receive may not be admissible in legal proceedings. For results to be admissible in court, the samples must be collected by an unrelated third party such as a hospital, clinic, ME’s office, funeral director, law enforcement, etc. Each person providing a sample must provide proof of their identity at the time of sample collection. They will have to provide legal ID and perhaps have fingerprints taken. Once the appropriate documentation is completed and samples taken, everything is sealed and forwarded to the lab for testing by the third party along with a chain of custody form. This process ensures that the samples have been submitted by the person named, and that they have not been tampered with prior to the lab testing.

For obvious reasons this rigorous identification and handling procedure is not always going to be possible or even necessary. If you’re wanting to satisfy your curiosity about the nature of a sample, chain of custody isn’t always necessary. This doesn’t change the nature or accuracy of the testing being done. The results come from the same accredited lab that does chain of custody testing. The only difference is that the lab cannot certify that the sample came from the person named, or wasn’t tampered with by the person submitting the sample.  Lab results can be taken to law enforcement to show cause that an investigation or enforcement action should be taken.  We cannot make a conclusion as to what weight an agency will give the results, or whether any actions will be taken by any agency.

 

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