A device for dried blood microsampling in quantitative bioanalysis: overcoming the issues associated blood hematocrit

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Analytical Chemistry
• Clinical Diagnostics

Background:

• Dried blood spot (DBS) sampling is a minimally invasive technique for collecting biological samples.
• Traditional DBS methods can suffer from inaccuracies due to variable blood absorption related to blood volume and hematocrit (HCT).
• Subpunching DBS samples can introduce variability, impacting assay results.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a novel volumetric absorptive microsampling device.
• To determine if the device overcomes blood volume and hematocrit-related issues seen in DBS sampling.
• To assess the device's performance in a cross-laboratory setting.

Main Methods:

• A cross-laboratory experiment was conducted using the novel microsampling device.
• The device's ability to absorb blood was tested across a hematocrit range of 20-65%.
• Blood sample volumes absorbed by the device were analyzed for consistency.

Main Results:

• The microsampling device consistently absorbed an average blood volume of 10.6 μl across the tested hematocrit range.
• No significant variation in absorbed blood volume was observed with changing hematocrit levels.
• Inter-laboratory variation in absorbed blood sample volumes was found to be within acceptable parameters.

Conclusions:

• The novel volumetric absorptive microsampling device demonstrates reliable blood volume absorption.
• This device has the potential to enhance the advantages of DBS sampling.
• It offers a solution to overcome existing challenges associated with DBS technology, improving sample consistency.