On 4 Mar 1996 HartA at agresearch.cri.nz wrote:
>> I want to collect human saliva samples. I vaguely recall that it is possible
> to get absorbent pads that can be sucked/ chewed and then removed from the
> subjects mouth. Does anyone know of a source of these? Would the cylindrical
> pads that dentists use to keep their patient's teeth dry be suitable?
>> Thanks,
> Alan Hart
>
Sorry for the late response. I spend too much time out of the country.
Saliva Diagnostic Systems (SDS), 11719 NE 95th Street, Vancouver, WA
98682, USA (Not Canada!!!), Ph: 1-800-4-SALIVA, 1-800-472-5482,
1-206-696-4800, Fax: 1-206-254-742, make saliva collection kits, in a form
you have described. In the process, the saliva is diluted 1:1 in a
storage liquid, which confers long term stability to the antibodies.
You can, of course, use dentist pads. Let your patients chew on a pad
for a while. Extract the saliva by centrifugation or by pressing inside
a syringe. Raw saliva is, however, not stable and full of bugs.
You will have to stabilize it, if
you want to keep it for a while.
Falk Fish, Tel Aviv, Israel.
