You do not need any prior training to take the samples – but it is critical they are taken correctly and above all are free from contamination, so make sure to read and follow the instructions for the sampling method you are using carefully.
- Our sampling kit
- DIY sampling kit
- Forensic samples
Preparation
When taking the sample, the person the sample is taken from should:
- not have eaten or drank anything in the past hour
- have rinsed their mouth with plain tap/drinking water
Infants must not have been breastfed during the past 2 hours, but the mouth rinsing step can be skipped for them.
Materials
Our free sampling kit comes with two sterile cotton swabs for every person we are testing, labeled with the person to be sampled and the order ID.
The cotton swabs come in sterile peel packs (two swabs in one pack) with a transparent plastic front and a paper backing. Only one end of each swab has a cotton bud, and you should be able to see this end from the outside without opening the peel pack. Do not open the peel packs until you are actually taking the sample.
Instructions
- Make sure you have the (still unopened!) peel pack with two cotton swabs for the person you are taking the samples from at hand.
- Open the peel pack by pulling the paper backing and plastic front at the end without the cotton buds apart for a few centimeters and folding them back.
- Carefully take the first swab out of the peel pack.
Make sure not to touch the cotton bud, and do not let it come into contact with any surfaces unless specified! - Take the sample by placing the swab in the mouth of the person you are taking the sample from, and then rubbing it up and down against the inside of the cheek 5 to 10 times, and rotate the swab between your fingers while doing so.
This step shouldn’t hurt, but use just enough force that the cotton causes a visible bulge on the outside of the cheek. - Carefully and without letting the cotton bud at the tip touch anything else, put the swab back into the peel pack where you got it from.
- Repeat steps 2 to 5 with the second cotton swab to take another sample from the same person.
- If desired, you can seal the peel pack with adhesive tape.
Repeat the entire procedure for every person whose samples should be used in the test. Afterwards, place all samples as well as the completed and signed order form in a larger envelope and mail it to our postal address:
DelphiTest GmbH
Salurnerstraße 22
6330 Kufstein
AUSTRIA
If you want to use a DIY kit, simply print out and fill in our mail-in order form, and mail it alongside the samples you’ve taken.
Preparation
When taking the sample, the person the sample is taken from should:
- not have eaten or drank anything in the past hour
- have rinsed their mouth with plain tap/drinking water
Infants must not have been breastfed during the past 2 hours, but the mouth rinsing step can be skipped for them.
Materials
It is possible to use regular consumer cotton swabs (or “Q-tips”) for taking genetic samples. Note that these are typically much shorter than swabs made for this purpose, and have buds on both ends. For sample taking, buy a fresh, unopened pack to keep the risk of contamination low. If you can’t take all samples at the same time, seal the pack and do not open it for other purposes until all samples are taken.
You also need a separate paper envelope to hold the samples for every person you are sampling. We recommend using self-sealing envelopes to avoid the spit used to wet the seal as a possible contamination source. Label each envelope with a) the client name as given in the order form (or the order ID if you already have one), and b) with the identity of the person you will be taking the sample from (as given in the order form).
Instructions
- Make sure you have both the pack of cotton swabs, the correct envelope for the person you are taking the samples from, and (optionally) scissors at hand.
- Carefully take a cotton swab from the pack, only grabbing it in the middle, and not touching the buds at the ends.
- You will need to remove the bud on one of the ends so we can later easily identify the correct end to use. Choose which bud to remove, and either simply pull it off with your fingers so only the bare stem remains, or cut it off using scissors.
Do not touch the bud on the other end at any point, and do not let it come into contact with any surfaces unless specified! - Take the sample by placing the swab in the mouth of the person you are taking the sample from, and then rubbing it up and down against the inside of the cheek 5 to 10 times, and rotate the swab between your fingers while doing so.
This step shouldn’t hurt, but use just enough force that the cotton causes a visible bulge on the outside of the cheek. - Carefully and without letting the cotton bud at the tip touch anything else, place the swab in the paper envelope. Double-check it is the correct envelope, and do not touch the inside of the envelope.
- Repeat steps 2 to 5 with another cotton swab to take another sample from the same person, until you have taken 2 or 3 samples from them in total.
- Let the samples dry for about two hours in the open envelope. Place it on the side in a dry and secure location so you do not mix it up with the empty envelopes. You can proceed with taking samples from the next person while this is going on.
- After the drying is done, make sure to seal each envelope securely so the samples can’t fall out later.
Repeat the entire procedure for every person whose samples should be used in the test. Afterwards, place all samples alongside the filled-out order form in a larger envelope and mail it to our postal address:
DelphiTest GmbH
Salurnerstraße 22
6330 Kufstein
AUSTRIA
As an alternatice to buccal swabs, it is also possible to use forensic samples to obtain genetic material for the paternity test.
A forensic sample is any object that carries a sufficient number of cells from the target person for genetic analysis, but not anyone else. See the chart below for examples.
Be aware that:
- Forensic samples are more difficult to take, and are more likely to turn out to be unsuitable.
- Some countries do not allow performing genetic analyses without the consent of the individual the sample is taken from. It is your responsebility to comply with local laws when ordering a test.
- We ask for an upcharge of 99 € per person for whom we are extracting DNA from a forensic sample
Once you pay the upcharge for a specific person, you can (and should!) send in multiple redundant forensic samples for this person at no extra cost – we simply pick the first sample we can successfully extract DNA from.
Forensic Sample Suitability Chart
well-suited
less suitable
- dried blood (e.g. on a bandaid)
- shaving from an electrical shaver
- used tooth brush
- used (paper) tissue
- (milk) teeth
- used chewing gum
- discarded cigarette buds
- pacifier or teether
- used drinking cup or glass
- used drinking straw
- used cutlery
- hair with roots (at least 10 roots)
- post stamps or envelopes wetted using spit
When in doubt, you can always call us or write us an email to ask about the suitability of a certain item as a forensic sample.
Materials
Depending on what kind of forensic sample you are taking, you may require clean paper towels or a metal tweezer (sterilize the tips using e.g. a lighter) for grabbing and handling the sample. You may also need clean printer paper and/or clean paper towels for drying the samples, if necessary.
You will also need a paper envelopes to hold the samples. Refer to the corresponding sections in the instructions for the using either a DIY sampling kit, or using our sampling kit. Make sure each envelope is labeled with a) your order ID, or (if you do not have an order ID) the client name as given in the order form, and b) with the identity of the person you are intending to take the forensic sample from (as given in the order form).
Instructions
Forensic samples are inherently more prone to contamination, but it is still important to limit the extent of the contamination as much as possible. As some guidelines:
- Avoid fishing potential samples out of trash cans, if possible.
- If the cell material is only expected to be on a specific area on the object (e.g. tooth brush, drinking cup), only ever grab the object outside of that area, preferably with a paper towel.
- Otherwise (e.g. the sample is a used chewing gum), never touch the sample directly at all, and always use clean paper towels or sterilized tweezers.
Make absolutely sure all samples you take belong to the correct person. Including a sample with cell material from the wrong person may irrecoverably falsify the test results.
After obtaining the sample, let it dry for at least 2 hours on either clean printer paper or clean paper towels. You can skip this step if the sample is already completely dry.
Place the in the sample in the envelope. Double-check that you are placing the sample in the correct envelope, and do not touch the inside of the envelope. For larger samples, you may additionally wrap it in clean paper towels. If a sample is too large for the envelope, wrap it securely in clean paper towels, and choose some appropriate alternate packaging. In any case, ensure the packaging holds the samples securely, and is clearly and identifiably labeled (same as the envelopes).
We recommend collecting 3 to 5 samples for every person you are using forensic samples for.
Package all samples up, and mail them to our address:
DelphiTest GmbH
Salurnerstraße 22
6330 Kufstein
AUSTRIA