2017 · Analytical and bioanalytical chemistry · paywalled
Comparison of paper spray mass spectrometry analysis of dried blood spots from devices used for in-field collection of clinical samples
Yannell et al.
The finding, in our words
Four dried blood spot collection devices were compared using paper spray mass spectrometry for rapid quantification of imatinib and N-desmethyl-imatinib; several novel devices performed similarly to traditional manual methods, and clinical samples from a remote location were successfully analysed, supporting decentralised therapeutic drug monitoring in oncology.
A paraphrase to the Library’s standard, never the abstract. The source is one link away and is always the authority.
In AML and CLL, 91% of VAMS venetoclax results fell within 20% of plasma after individualised haematocrit correction; in home sampling, 18 of 21 patients self-sampled independently and 76% of returned samples were analysable, which shows home microsampling is workable, though the authors ask for multicentre validation.
Levens et al., Clinical Pharmacokinetics (paywalled) · source ↗
A review of 39 studies found that dried blood spot and volumetric absorptive microsampling show promising results for therapeutic drug monitoring of oral targeted anticancer drugs. The authors state that external validation remains crucial to confirm reliability, citing haematocrit effects and sample stability as key challenges.
Meertens et al., Biomedical Chromatography · source ↗
A 2025 review maps 28 microsampling devices, from dried spots and volumetric absorptive tips to upper-arm liquid capillary collectors, and names what a laboratory must control before their results are used: the haematocrit effect in non-volumetric dried samples, interstitial fluid from finger milking, volume, haemolysis and transport stability. Regulators on both sides of the Atlantic ask for the same two things, a device the patient can use safely and a sample fit for the test.
The authors observe that self-sampling devices for capillary blood are gaining traction as a patient-preferred alternative to venous collection, with one centre reporting a 15 percent reduction in laboratory test volumes when local collection was offered. They argue that successful integration into total laboratory automation requires addressing cost, transport regulations and sample volume adequacy while ensuring robust device design and seamless workflow compatibility.
Poland & Cobbaert, Clinical chemistry and laboratory medicine (paywalled) · source ↗
This narrative review evaluates microsampling devices for therapeutic drug monitoring, concluding that techniques such as volumetric absorptive microsampling and dried blood spots offer reliable, less invasive alternatives to venous sampling when paired with high-sensitivity mass spectrometry, which supports implementation in routine clinical practice.