Dried Blood Spots

Wikipedia defines dried blood spots (DBS) bio-sampling as a form of bio-sampling where blood samples are blotted and dried on cotton filter paper. The dried samples can easily be shipped to an analytical laboratory where elution of the analyte is performed for analysis using standard methods.

Since the fall of 2009 Tomtec Life Science has taken a leadership role in advancing the art of dried blood spots (DBS) bio-sampling. Initial research and development was focused on the preclinical and clinical markets; advancing prior art, i.e., the development and sell of automated card punch instruments for legacy Whatman FTA DMPK Cards. This class of instrument leveraged established procedures for extracting the sample from the cotton Whatman card with a 3mm or 5mm punch. As the instruments evolved, they provide increasing levels of automation and GLP to simplify the process of reclamation.

In the spring of 2012, Tomtec Life Science developed a family of pre-etched cards that improved the quality and quantity of samples to be reclaimed from the Whatman cotton material. Rather than extract a 3 or 5mm punch, which may contain varying levels of blood content, i.e., Hematocrit -, hemoglobin concentration, white blood cell and platelets; the new card allows a lab to recover the entire sample. This was achieved by punching out the saturated etched target which improved both qualitative and quantitative test results.