Specimen Requirements
Please be sure to review ALL instructions below that apply to your specimen(s).
Specimens Submitted from North America
Non-Prenatal Specimens for Diagnostic Testing: Please send ONE of the following types of specimens:
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Whole blood: purple-top (EDTA) tube, minimum of 3 ml. Whole blood should be stored at 4°C until shipped.
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Genomic DNA*: minimum of 3 µg (at a concentration of at least 30 ng/µl), preferably in TE solution.
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Fibroblasts: minimum of 2 confluent T-25 flasks. Please fill all flasks to capacity with cell culture media.
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Saliva: Saliva for CNV (highly recommend whole blood for CNV). Only samples collected in Oragene DNA Self-Collection Kit or Oragene Saliva Collection Kit for Young Children are accepted (www.dnagenotek.com).
Non-Prenatal Specimens for Carrier Screening: Please send ONE of the following types of specimens:
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Whole blood: purple-top (EDTA) tube, minimum of 3 ml. Whole blood should be stored at 4°C until shipped.
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Genomic DNA*: minimum of 3 µg (at a concentration of at least 30 ng/µl), preferably in TE solution.
Prenatal Specimens for Diagnostic Testing: Please send ONE of the following types of specimens:
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Cultured cells: minimum of 2 confluent T-25 flasks derived from amnio or CVS samples. Please fill all flasks to capacity with cell culture media.
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Genomic DNA*: minimum of 3 µg (at a concentration of at least 30 ng/µl), preferably in TE solution.
HNL Genomics (CTGT) highly recommends including a maternal sample for maternal cell contamination studies with all prenatal tests. Maternal sample requirements are as listed above in the Non-Prenatal Specimens section.
Specimens from Outside of North America
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Please send genomic DNA*: a minimum of 3 µg (at a concentration of at least 30 ng/µl), preferably in TE solution.
HNL Genomics (CTGT) does not recommend shipping whole blood or cultured cells from any location other than the United States, Canada or Mexico.
Technical Guidelines
If any of the guidelines for these processes are not met, the specimen may be rejected, or the test may be placed on hold. HNL Genomics (CTGT) will contact the client for resolution.
The following list represents some possible causes for specimen rejection:
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Improperly labeled specimen (minimum of two patient identifiers).
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Inappropriate specimen type (genomic DNA isolated from FFPE specimen is not accepted).
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Incomplete or incorrect test request form (i.e. no test marked).
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Insufficient volume for analysis.
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Specimen has leaked in transit.
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Specimen without a test order.
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All sample types should be shipped at ambient temperature via an overnight courier.
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Please review the instructions on the Shipping page to ensure that your shipment is received in good condition by HNL Genomics (CTGT) .
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Please note that genomic DNA is accepted only from CLIA-certified laboratories or laboratories meeting equivalent requirements.
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Please note that genomic DNA isolated from FFPE specimens is not accepted.
