Specimen Requirements

• 1 to 5 ml EDTA (lavender) tube.
• ACD (yellow) tube and Sodium Heparin (green) tube are also acceptable.
• Please keep samples at room temperature.                                                                     
  • Yellow/green tube samples are stable for at least seven days.

Saliva

• Orageneä kits at room temperature. Preferably ORG-500 or ORG-250.
• Collected per manufacturer’s instructions and in the presence of a medical professional, whenever possible.
• Please submit only one per patient and keep it at room temperature.
• Collected saliva samples are stable for one month.

Chorionic villus samples

• 10-20 mg of chorionic villi, free of maternal cells, in tissue culture medium in a screw cap tube.                                                   
•  Label the sample with the fetus's last name, LMP date, and collection date.
• Maintain a backup culture.
• Please keep samples at room temperature.                                               
• Please inform the laboratory (203-785-5745) that the sample has been shipped.

Amniotic fluid samples

• Two T-25 flasks with confluent cells.
• Label the sample with the fetus's last name, LMP date, and collection date.
  
• Fill flasks to the top with tissue culture medium before shipping.
  
• Maintain a backup culture.
  
• Please keep samples at room temperature.
  
• Please inform the laboratory (203-785-5745) that the sample has been shipped.

Fibroblast samples

• Two T-25 flasks with confluent cells.
• Fill flasks to the top with tissue culture medium before shipping.
• Save a backup culture.
  
• Please keep samples at room temperature.
  
• Please inform the laboratory (203-785-5745) that the sample has been shipped.

Other Specimen Types      

• Our lab can work with a variety of different samples upon request.
• Please get in touch with the lab for questions and to make special arrangements for sample types other than the ones listed above.
  
• For prenatal samples, please inform the laboratory (203-785-5745) that the sample has been shipped.

The sample MUST be labeled with the patient's full name, date of birth, collection date, and MR number if the patient is in the YNHH system.

See above for labeling requirements for prenatal samples (chorionic villi or amniotic fluid).

Please, DO NOT FREEZE, REFRIGERATE, OR EXPOSE TO HEAT OR COLD.

• Hemolyzed or clotted blood.
  
• Saliva collected in other than specified kits.
  
• Samples that are not correctly labeled.
  
• Broken containers.