Standardization of Microsampling Technologies for Accurate Sensing and Reliable Diagnostics
Mora & Mace
The finding, in our words
The paper highlights that while self-collection microsampling devices for blood and other matrices are advancing decentralised testing, standardisation of sample collection and integration into clinical workflows is critical for reliable results. This matters because it identifies key hurdles that must be overcome for patient-centric sampling to be widely adopted in healthcare.
A paraphrase to the Library’s standard, never the abstract. The source is one link away and is always the authority.
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.
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.
An IQ Consortium position paper from sponsor scientists positioning patient-centric sampling as the enabling technology for decentralised trials, and stating that a bridging study against conventional sampling “has quickly been established as a regulatory expectation”.
Maass et al., Clinical and Translational Science · source ↗
This review outlines practical considerations for using dried blood spot microsampling in therapeutic drug monitoring, including patient selection, sampling technique, transport and laboratory analysis, to support its adoption in clinical practice and reduce the need for hospital-based venous sampling.
Francke et al., Therapeutic drug monitoring · source ↗
Dried blood spot specimens collected by finger prick at home are widely used for monitoring inherited metabolic disorders, with modern mass spectrometry enabling sensitive and timely analysis. Understanding pre-analytical, analytical and post-analytical variables is crucial for reliable decentralised diagnostics and prompt therapy adjustment.
Moat et al., International journal of neonatal screening · source ↗