Sample Requirements and Shipping Guidance

Acceptable Sample Types and Documentation, Storage, and Shipping Guidance

  • Specimen tubes are required to have at least two unique patient identifiers (name, date of birth, and/or medical record number (MRN)). This information must be attached to the body of the tube directly containing the sample, not to the lid or any other part of the specimen’s packaging.
  • All samples must arrive with either a paper requisition or an electronic requisition. Samples received without appropriate paperwork will be held for 5 business days. If paperwork is not received within that time period the sample will be rejected.
  • The accompanying requisition must have at least two unique patient identifiers that match the identifiers on the tube.
  • Draw/Collection date and time of specimens must be included on accompanying paperwork
  • If there is any breach of the container containing a sample (e.g., leaky containers, covers that have fallen off, etc.), the specimen will be rejected.

 

Collection Container/ Tube requirements Sample Volumes Storage/Shipping of Specimens

Whole Blood

Preferred Container:
EDTA (purple/lavender top)
If EDTA is not available:
NaCitrate (light blue top) or ACD (yellow top) will be accepted
Infants (<2years): 0.5-2cc*
Children& Adults (>2years): 2-5cc
  • Blood should be refrigerated after collection until the time of shipment.
  • Ship sample within 2 days of collection.
  • Ship at room temperature using overnight delivery

Extracted DNA

Screw-top Microtainer Minimum of 10µg of DNA at a minimum concentration of 50 ng/µL
  • Preferred method is to keep sample refrigerated until time of shipment, but DNA will be accepted refrigerated or frozen.
  • Ship sample on ice packs using overnight delivery.

Bone Marrow

Preferred Container: 
EDTA (purple/lavender top)
If EDTA is not available: 
NaCitrate (light blue top) or ACD (yellow top) will be accepted
Infants (<2years): 0.5-2cc*
Children& Adults (>2years): 2-5cc
  • Bone marrow is only accepted for GATA1 sequencing.
  • Bone marrow should be refrigerated after collection until the time of shipment.
  • Ship sample within 2 days of collection.
  • Ship at room temperature using overnight delivery

Specific Sample Requirements

Whole Blood Samples

  • *Low blood volume can only be accepted for next generation sequencing tests, such as Claritas Clinical Exome and Region of Interest tests. If low blood volume is submitted and additional testing is desired, such as deletion/duplication analyses, a new sample may be required.
  • Samples that appear to have been frozen will be accepted but quality of DNA extracted or testing will not be guaranteed.
  • Patients who have received blood transfusions should wait at least one week after the transfusion before submitting a sample for testing.

DNA Samples

  • The extraction method used to produce the DNA sample and the original source of the specimen must be provided with the sample.
  • Claritas uses Qiagen™ Extraction Kits for DNA extraction. All clinical validation is based on using DNA isolated by this method. If a method other than the Qiagen™ Extraction Kit was used, prior consultation with the laboratory is recommended in order to determine whether the sample can be accepted. Please call 617-553-5880 to discuss alternate DNA extraction methods.
  • DNA extracted in research laboratories will not be accepted for clinical testing except under extenuating circumstances (e.g., this is the only sample available and there is no ability to obtain a new sample). If you plan to send DNA extracted in a research lab for clinical testing, Claritas must be contacted prior to sending the sample or it will be rejected. Please call 617-553-5880 to discuss sending DNA extracted in a research lab for clinical testing.

Bone Marrow Samples

  • Bone Marrow samples are accepted for GATA1 testing only.

Saliva Samples

  • Saliva samples may be accepted for some tests performed with next generation sequencing technology, such as Region of Interest tests and the Claritas Clinical Exome. Contact Client services at 617-553-5880 to discuss prior to sending the sample.