For nucleic acid testing we may already be very familiar with, many users said that the nucleic acid swabs look like the same as ordinary swabs, it seems indistinguishable, in fact, the two are very different, so what is the difference between nucleic acid swabs and ordinary swabs?
In fact, what we call nucleic acid swab has a professional name also called "disposable sampling swab" or "single-use sampler", it is a medical device, the production environment is very strict, there are also corresponding quality control standards, the most basic requirements are Non-toxic and harmless.
Why do I use a sampling swab instead of a regular swab for nucleic acid?
A sampling swab looks similar to a regular "cotton swab", but the tip is actually a flocked swab. The material is polyester or nylon fiber, which is similar to the bristles of a toothbrush. The flocked swab is made with nylon fiber flocking technology, and the front end is coated with short nylon fibers that are fixed in a vertical manner, making the entire collection area of the swab free of absorption holes. This way, the collected sample is not dispersed and retained in the fibers, facilitating faster and more efficient sample elution.
What is the composition of a sampling swab for nucleic acid?
A nucleic acid swab consists of a nylon lint tip and a medical grade ABS plastic stem. The nylon staple fibers act like a soft brush to improve the collection of cellular material; the capillary movement between the fibers creates strong hydraulic pressure, thereby ingesting the liquid sample; and the sample clings to the surface of the swab, making it easy to wash off.
Why can't ordinary swabs be used for nucleic acid?
Our daily use of cotton swabs, especially medical swabs, made of skimmed cotton does not elute the collected specimens, because skimmed cotton has a strong adsorption, will take the collected specimens and the preservation fluid in the test tube are sucked into the skimmed cotton, not only bad squeeze out of the specimen, but also easy to destroy the purity of the specimen.
