Forensic Testing – Casework Services – Sample Type and Shipping
Category |
General Comments |
Packaging Comments |
Swabs or FTA Card |
Preferably collected from cheek or buccal cells |
Ship in paper envelope. |
Blood (whole) |
Medical blood draw in vacutainer tube |
Ship in original tube. |
Blood Stains |
Band Aids, tampons, bloody tissues |
Ship in paper envelope. |
Cigarette Butts |
2 to 4 butts |
Ship in paper envelope. |
Clothing |
Hats, baseball caps, underwear, bandanna, etc. |
Ship in paper bag. |
Dental Floss |
Do not touch the floss with your fingers |
Ship in paper envelope. |
Ear Wax |
Cotton swab or Q-Tip |
Ship in paper envelope. |
Electric Razor Clippings |
Place in proper envelope. |
Ship in paper envelope. |
Gum |
Do not touch the gum with your fingers. Sugar-free gum preferred. |
Ship in paper envelope (after dried) |
Hair |
Roots or follicles MUST be attached. Hair from a brush or comb may not work. We need at least 3-4 hairs. |
Ship in clear plastic zip-lock bag. |
Licked Envelope / Stamp |
Must be licked. Self-adhesive envelopes / stamps will not contain DNA |
Ship in paper envelope. |
Nails (Finger/Toe) |
Freshly trimmed nails work best |
Ship in paper envelope. |
Paraffin Embedded Tissue |
From pathology laboratories |
Ship in clear plastic zip-lock bag. |
Post Mortem Tissue |
Coroner Samples, Funeral Homes |
On dry ice or as preserved. |
Prenatal Fluids / Cultures |
Amniotic fluid or cultured CVS cells |
Amnio: Sterile fluid container. CVS – in tissue culture flasks. |
Razors |
Place razor in proper envelope. |
Ship in paper envelope. |
Sperm / Semen |
Liquid Semen: absorb suspected semen sample onto a clean cotton swab. Air dry the swab for 1 hour |
Ship in paper envelope. |
Teeth |
Molar, premolar, or canine preferred. Baby teeth are usually unsuccessful. |
Ship in paper envelope. |
Toothbrush |
Air-dry the toothbrush for 30-60 minutes |
Ship in paper envelope. |
Toothpick |
Do not touch the toothpick with your finger |
Ship in paper envelope. |
Umbilical Cord (Dried) |
Place in paper envelope |
Ship in paper envelope or as preserved. |
Urine |
At least 200mL required. Must be collected in a sealed container. |
Clean outside of container with soap and water before delivery. Seal to prevent leak during shipping. |
Used Handkerchief |
Nasal mucous. Place in paper envelope |
Ship in paper envelope. |
Used Kleenex |
Nasal mucous. Place in paper envelope. |
Ship in paper envelope. |