Volumetric microsampling technology is the next logical step after conventional dried blood spot (DBS). With volumetric microsampling devices, end-users have a simplified method for drawing blood samples for analysis. The sample collection can be self-administered from any location using a simple finger-stick method.
This remote approach supports remote therapeutic drug monitoring, or TDM. Additionally, the transport and storage of remote dried blood microsamples for TDM is generally simpler and less expensive than working with conventional venous blood samples.
Another advantage of conducting therapeutic drug monitoring remotely is that it improves the patient experience. A simple finger-prick is far less stressful for many patients who may fear the needles and pain associated with venous blood draws. In many cases, sample collection kits can be shipped out to patients at home, so they can follow the instructions and use the supplies in the kits to collect their own samples.
The person sampling at home, or assisting with sampling in a remote location, can simply put the sampled device back into its specimen bag, seal that inside the provided pre-paid mailing envelope, and send it back to the lab via standard mail. When the lab receives the samples, they will process and analyze them using a dried blood spot (DBS) workflow.
In some areas of the world, where travel is simply not possible, remote microsampling technology can significantly improve field research studies and access to healthcare.
These benefits come together in one key focus area: therapeutic drug monitoring.
For many patients, frequent blood testing is crucial for monitoring their progress on prescribed medications over time. Therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) is the continued measurement of specific blood levels at defined intervals to ensure a consistent drug level concentration in a person's bloodstream.
A December 2016 issue of The Public Library of Science (PLOS), a peer-reviewed international scientific journal, featured a Netherlands cost analysis of the savings potential for using DBS rather than conventional blood testing. The case studies involved recovering children who required TDM. The analysis considered several variables with regard to both patients or family caregivers and labs or medical facilities, such as:
The travel expense portion included a distance factor of 145 minutes round trip and a total time in the hospital of 45 minutes.
In the study, the remote (at-home) DBS sampling was calculated to be just 39.4% of the total cost of in-hospital sampling. The study showed that the major contributors to the higher costs of hospital-based sampling were:
If weekly sampling were required over a six-month period, the total expenditure and lost time differentials would mount up substantially.
The Mitra and hemaPEN devices provide the key benefits of working with dried blood samples, but with a volumetrically accurate and stable dried blood spot that reduces the incidence of poor sample quality and/or the need to re-sample.
Volumetric microsampling technologies eliminate many of the practical challenges associated with dried blood spot (DBS):
Find out more about remote microsampling applications for Therapeutic Drug Monitoring by visiting our Therapeutic Drug Monitoring (TDM) Resource Page:
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