VAMS™ blood sampling | case studies | resources

Therapeutic Drug Monitoring

The Mitra microsampling device, based on Volumetric Absorptive Microsampling (VAMS) technology, facilitates remote and at-home sampling, with revolutionary applications in therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM).

Microsampling takes blood specimen collection out of the waiting room and into the living room. Now, anyone can collect small, fixed volumes of fluid, anywhere, at any time, with minimal training required.

• Labs have published their work with immunosuppressants, anti-epileptics, anti-psychotics and more
• Simple, accurate self-collection and transportation with minimal training
• Physicians can monitor drug regimen compliance and adherence in a manner convenient for their patients

Clinical Trials / Remote Sampling

By eliminating the inconvenience of traveling to the clinic and discomfort of venipuncture, microsampling drives subject retention, adherence, and compliance for clinical trials, patient research, and other applications where frequent specimen collection is required. 

This technology also contributes to expanding participant outreach, eliminates costs and hassles associated with cold chain shipping / storage, and enables collection of blood specimens at home or in other settings outside of the clinic.

• Non-clinical personnel sample precisely and easily - or teach self-sampling at home with our simple training materials
• Trial participants no longer have to travel to the clinic for every blood draw, saving time, money, and sanity
• Economically transport specimens to the central lab from all over the world 
• Gather additional time points away from the clinic for more insightful data

Provide a better participant experience, while significantly reducing the cost associated with Phases 2 and 3, explore our Clinical Trials Cost Calculator.

Pediatrics 

Whether in clinical trials or outside the lab in remote or at-home settings, the applications for microsampling in pedatrics are many, and potentially life-changing.

The Mitra^® microsampler fosters a patient-centered approach to blood sampling. This means a more comfortable and pleasant experience, particularly for children.

• Microsampling collections have been used in several clinical research projects
• Collect lower sample volumes and avoid painful and stressful venipuncture
• Stay within blood volume loss limits of 3 % during a period of four weeks or 1 % at one time

Alternative to Venipuncture

Get useful results from small-volume, finger-prick blood draws, eliminating the discomfort and inconvenience of venipuncture.

Using capillary blood sampling, microsampling creates a better patient experience (particularly in pediatric contexts), facilitates remote and at-home sampling, and generates data comparable to the "gold standard" associated with wet blood / plasma.

• Smaller volumes are simpler and more convenient to handle, especially in remote or at home settings
• Generate data that bridges to standard plasma results
• Reduce costs associated with cold chain shipping and speicmen storage

Preclinical Research / Drug Discovery / Laboratory Animal Testing

Eliminate inter-animal variability and reduce the number of animals required for pharmacokinetic, toxicokinetic, pharmacodynamics, and efficacy studies, with lower costs and improved data quality. 

When you implement Mitra^® microsampling technology for blood sample collection in small laboratory animals, you will break free from the familiar "one mouse, one time-point" study design. The VAMS collection method facilitates consistent, quantitative rodent blood collection, every time. 

• Reduce animal usage by sevenfold by sampling at multiple time points from the same animal
• Eliminate dependence on satellite populations
• Eliminate steps, processing, and equipment without sacrificing data quality
• Comply with the NC3Rs

DNA / RNA / Molecular Genetics

The Mitra^® microsampler opens the door of opportunity for molecular research labs to run more efficient operations and reduce costs, while still generating meaningful results.

VAMS™ technology delivers on the the financial benefits of working with dried blood while reducing the incidence of reworks.  Specimens are amenable to DNA / RNA isolation and purification using commercially available kits from a variety of manufacturers. 

• Yield NGS-grade DNA / RNA from dried blood samples
• Mail samples directly to central labs for analysis with no field processing or freezing
• Expand access to infectious disease research in low-resourced regions

Alternative to DBS / Filter Paper

The FDA Class 1, CE-IVD  Mitra^® Microsampler is a novel specimen collection device that retains the advantages of Dried Blood Spot cards and solves for their limitations. It improves comfort and convenience and helps generate accurate results.

The Mitra device provides the key benefits of working with dried blood, but with a volumetrically accurate, stable dried blood spot that reduces the incidence of reworks.

• Gather a fixed volume (10-30 μl), every time, from a variety of biological matrices
• Eliminates the volumetric hematocrit effect associated with traditional DBS cards and filter paper
• A next generation DBS technology - easily amenable to automation with installed liquid handling instrumentation

Clinical Research / Testing 

Get accurate, reliable profiles from micro liters of blood for a variety of analyte types that correlates to gold standard plasma reference ranges. The Mitra^® microsampler combines the best of wet sampling, dried blood spotting (DBS), and microsampling technology with a state-of-the-art collection device that is simple to use.

Working with dried blood simplifies collection, storage, and transport. 

• Create a better blood donor experience, eliminating trips to clinic and collection sites
• Open up new opportunities for specimen collection outside of the clinic such as at home
• Revolutionize applications in drug monitoring, biomarker analysis, and more
• Create a streamlined state-of-the-art laboratory workflow processing thousands of microsamples per day