why use dried blood tests vs. wet blood tests?

by Neoteryx Microsampling on Oct 5, 2020 9:00:00 AM

Dried blood testing is becoming increasingly popular in clinical research and diagnostics as laboratories and healthcare providers look for simpler and more scalable alternatives to traditional blood collection methods. 

For labs and institutions deciding whether to switch from wet to dried blood testing in a lab setting, understanding the differences, benefits, and practical implications of each method is critical.

Comparing the Differences and Benefits of Dried vs. Wet Blood 

Wet blood testing, typically conducted through venipuncture, has been the gold standard for decades. However, it comes with several logistical, operational, and patient-related challenges:

• Requires trained phlebotomists and sterile conditions
• Involves large sample volumes and multiple vials
• Needs cold-chain transport and immediate processing
• Inconvenient for remote collection or frequent monitoring

In contrast, dried blood testing, which utilizes devices like the Mitra® microsampler with VAMS® technology, offers several advantages:

• Collects smaller, fixed-volume samples
• Requires minimal training—ideal for at-home sampling
• Maintains sample stability at ambient temperatures—no refrigeration needed
• Improves accessibility and reduces shipping costs

These key advantages compare the differences and benefits of dried vs. wet blood tests and highlight why many labs are adopting dried blood microsampling for both operational efficiency and data quality.

What is The Efficacy of Dried Blood Testing?

Research conducted at Uppsala University, Sweden, showed that dried blood testing in a lab doesn’t require chemical modifiers to stabilize specific analytes.

The researchers evaluated recently collected dried blood spots and those preserved for 30 years in biobanks to determine 92 protein levels. Wet samples stored at -70°C were also evaluated.

The researchers found that the drying process had a negligible effect on the protein level in the blood samples and that dried samples had numerous advantages over wet samples.

The Benefits and Practical Facts About Dried Blood Spots

Volumetric Absorptive Microsampling (VAMS) mitigates traditional DBS limitations by ensuring volumetrically accurate samples, reducing the effects of hematocrit bias, and enabling robust, reproducible analyses in areas such as:

• Therapeutic drug monitoring
• Biomarker discovery
• Genetic and infectious disease testing
• Population health studies and clinical trials
• To name but a few...

Dried blood facilitates self-sampling and eliminates many collection restrictions. Blood collection can be performed at home by the patient or study subject themselves.

The sample can then be easily sent through the mail directly to the lab for testing. Dried blood microsamples dry in transit and arrive at the lab as dried blood samples, ready for processing and analysis.

After testing, the treating physician or clinical researcher can access the lab results and follow-up with the patient or research subject remotely via telecommunications.

Deciding Whether to Switch from Wet to Dried Blood Testing in a Lab Setting

For labs evaluating this transition, factors to consider include:

• Analytical compatibility: Validate dried sample performance in existing assays
• Workflow integration: Adapt processing protocols for dried inputs
• Regulatory and quality assurance: Ensure documentation and method validation align with regulatory standards
• Training and outreach: Empower healthcare providers and study participants to perform finger-stick collections with confidence

Implementing dried blood testing doesn't require overhauling the entire lab infrastructure, but it does offer transformational potential for labs seeking to future-proof their collection workflows.

A Flexible, Scalable Future for Blood Testing

Traditional approaches to blood collection, requires inconvenient in-person visits to the lab. Mobile phlebotomy, will visit a patient at home but the procedure exposes both to potential infections. Additionally, the tubes of wet blood must be transported from the patient's home to the lab using cold shipping.

Whether your goal is to learn about the benefits and practical facts of dried blood spot testing or to enable remote monitoring in a clinical trial, dried blood testing aligns with the growing demands of modern diagnostics.

For those looking to compare the performance and benefits of capillary blood collection devices vs. venipuncture for medical/lab use, dried microsampling is not just a viable substitute—it may be the superior choice for many applications.