Volumetric dried blood spot microsampling: A sustainable, patient-friendly, and practical approach for retinol and α-tocopherol analysis in a clinical setting
Suwanvecho et al.
The finding, in our words
Volumetric dried blood spot microsampling enables retinol analysis with over 90% extraction efficiency from only 10 µL of blood, though α-tocopherol recovery ranges from 53 to 75% depending on filter paper. The method improves sample stability to 30 days at -80°C and reduces shipping volume more than a thousandfold, making micronutrient monitoring practical for decentralised settings.
A paraphrase to the Library’s standard, never the abstract. The source is one link away and is always the authority.
Volumetric absorptive microsampling showed better precision than dried blood spots and a metabolic profile closer to whole blood, with stable signalling lipids for 24 hours at room temperature but significant changes after one week unless stabilised, indicating feasibility for decentralised sampling with the need for storage strategies.
Thangavelu et al., Analytical and bioanalytical chemistry · source ↗
DBS microsampling devices produced unreliable proteomic results when samples were shipped at high ambient temperatures typical of summer conditions. Ensuring sample stability during transport is therefore critical for trustworthy biomarker measurement in decentralised healthcare and population screening.
Villanueva Raisman et al., Journal of proteome research · source ↗
This study validated a method for measuring the alcohol biomarker phosphatidylethanol using two volumetric absorptive microsampling devices, finding that the Mitra device met all validation criteria and agreed with venous sampling. The Capitainer device was deemed suitable but showed reduced accuracy at higher concentrations, with a small proportional negative bias compared to venous results.
Andreassen et al., Journal of analytical toxicology (paywalled) · 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.
Microsampling enables less invasive, patient-centric self-collection of capillary blood for remote monitoring of metabolites and lipids, overcoming conventional venipuncture constraints. Recent device innovations address dried blood spot limitations, particularly haematocrit and volume variations, expanding decentralised applications in population health, drug discovery and multi-omics research.