Methods and Apparatuses

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5-11. (canceled)

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17-19. (canceled)

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A kit comprising (a) a reaction vessel which contains a reaction mixture for carrying out a nucleic acid amplification reaction, which reaction vessel is sealed and (b) a sampling device to at least part of which nucleic acid-containing material can be adhered following contact with said material, wherein the sampling device, or part thereof to which the nucleic acid-containing material is adhered, can be introduced into the reaction vessel and a nucleic acid amplification reaction can be performed in the vessel in the presence of the sampling device, or part thereof to which the nucleic acid-containing material is adhered.

32-34. (canceled)

A nucleic acid sampling apparatus comprising a probe for supporting a nucleic acid sample;

• and a manipulator that is attachable to the probe such as to permit manoeuvring of the probe, the probe being separable from the manipulator wherein the probe includes a plurality of probe elements that are moveable one relative to another between contiguous and mutually spaced configurations, each probe element including a tip part that when the probe elements adopt their contiguous configuration combines with the other tip parts to define a composite tip that is capable of contacting nucleic acid for the purpose of conveying a sample thereof.

37-41. (canceled)

An apparatus according to claim 37 wherein each probe element includes a resiliently deformable, elongate member having a said tip part at one end;

• wherein the elongate members are arranged in a bundle extending alongside one another with their tip parts at the same end of the bundle;
• wherein each probe element is bent so that the tip parts tend to diverge from one another;
• and wherein the probe element activator includes a sheath part that encircles the bundle and is moveable along the elements of the bundle, the sheath part when proximate the tip parts causing the tip parts to converge in opposition to the resilient deformability of the probe elements to define the composite tip and the sheath part when spaced from the tip parts along the bundle permitting the tip parts to diverge from one another as a result of their bent shape and resilient deformability.

An apparatus according to claim 37 including a resiliently deformable sheet supporting a plurality of the probe elements each defining a free end including a said tip part, wherein the sheet is transfigurable between a configuration in which the tip parts diverge from one another and a deformed configuration in which the probe elements are contiguous so that the tip parts define the composite tip.

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57-59. (canceled)