In one sentence
Speichelprobe (saliva sample) is saliva that a customer collects into a small tube, most often for hormone measurements. It needs no needle, but the time of collection is part of the result.
Speichelprobe (saliva sample) means saliva that a customer collects into a tube at home, either by letting saliva run into it or with a swab. Nothing punctures the skin, so people who refuse a blood test will often accept this one.
Saliva is used mainly for steroid hormones such as cortisol, where the concentration changes through the day, so the collection time is part of the measurement. A supplier that cannot record the collection time cannot give you a result that a clinician will accept.
Ask a supplier how the timing of a collection is controlled.
- Which parameters does the supplier offer from a Speichelprobe, and on which method?
- How many collection times does a protocol need, and how is each time recorded?
- Does the tube contain a stabiliser, and how long may the sample stay at home?
- How is the customer instructed about eating, drinking and brushing before collection?
In this glossary, Probe covers the sample itself in every form, Home-Sampling explains the collection model a Speichelprobe usually belongs to, and Biomarker describes what a laboratory measures in it.
This glossary entry is general information, not medical advice, and it is not intended to diagnose, treat or rule out any condition. Discuss your own results with a clinician who knows your history.
