Removal of amplifiable DNA with EO treatment prior to forensic sampling
April 2009
The recent debacle with contaminated forensic cotton swabs in Germany (Phantom of Heilbron) has shown that correct treatment of forensic consumables is key to correctly and efficiently resolving criminal cases. Prionics therefore uses the ethylene oxide (EO) to treat its forensiX products. This method has been shown by Shaw et al. to be the only procedure that does not deliver readable DNA profiles that could be added to a DNA database.
Only with Ethylene Oxide treatment can you be sure that
your product is free of loadable DNA
Modified from Shaw et al. Int J Legal Med (2008) 122:29-33
Short Evidence Collection Tube
April 2010
The new short version of the Evidence Collection Tube is now available. In this new product several important improvements have been implemented.
- The tube itself is made of a more robust plastic that is less vulnerable to breakage due to falls and temperature changes.
- The shorter swab is larger in diameter, more rigid and therefore better suited to gather dried evidence e.g. scratching a dried sample off a surface.
- The geometry of the new tube allows a tamper-proof label to be placed over both the tube and the cap. The cap and the tube can then be sealed together. Post sampling confusion of swabs and tubes is therefore avoided. Moreover, the seal shows whether or not the tube has been opened.
As with the long Evidence Collection Tubes, the new short version tube is also available in a kit together with ampoules of sterile water, to aid the collection of evidence samples.
You will find more information about the new products on the Evidence Collection page on our website.
