how capillary blood microsampling is changing addiction recovery

The breakthrough benefits of Volumetric Absorptive Microsampling (VAMS™) technology in the context of patient monitoring are becoming more broadly appreciated. This revolutionary, quantitative, volumetrically accurate dried capillary blood collection method, performed using Mitra^® devices, is opening new care pathways and new possibilities for innovation in science, research, and healthcare.

The importance of this missing link in patient monitoring extends to one of the most relevant issues of our time: monitoring drugs of abuse. Recovery systems are facing increasing burdens of legal liability and pressure to produce results in the face of a devastating nationwide opioid crisis. Applications of microsampling technology in drug testing are already being explored, with significant implications for the future of this field in which progress and fresh ideas are so needed.

San Diego-based Alcala Labs is an example of how small changes can make a big difference. Alcala uses VAMS technology, developed by Neoteryx, in its CleanAssure™ system, which it supplies to drug and addiction recovery facilities across America. It replaces outmoded, binary urine-in-a-cup methods with dried blood collection using Mitra devices. This new approach is more sophisticated and reliable, helping addiction professionals stay informed and patients stay clean. Plus, capillary blood collection methods are preferred in environments where venipuncture with needles may not be the most appropriate way to go.

“We believe that transitioning from urine to dried blood samples will simplify the process for patients and ease the burden for recovery centers,” says Matt Rifat, Alcala Labs President. “We are pleased that microsampling has become a viable option, and Neoteryx’s VAMS technology presented us with the best available solution.”

The future of drug abuse treatment and recovery is brighter than it may sometimes seem. The work of Alcala Labs is shedding light on how smarter, more specific techniques can pave the way for a new world of addiction care that is at once more scientific and more compassionate, with transformative implications for the entire landscape of health and wellness, wherever perfecting patient monitoring is paramount.

From 10 or 20 microliters of biological fluid, leading scientists, researchers, and professionals can yield a lot of information, a lot of innovation, and a whole lot of hope.