Invited Product Profile: The Mitra Microsampling Device

B lood sampling has been an essential diagnostic tool for many years.Up to 70%of allmedical decisions are guided by diagnostic test results that include blood sample evaluations. Although traditional blood sampling techniques are still necessary, they are not always practical. For example, in remote areas that are a great distance frommedical facilities, access to sampling facilities may be limited. Bloodmicrosampling is a simplifiedmethod of blood sampling that even allows participants to draw their own specimens and mail them to the laboratory for analysis. Microsampling is a procedure for capturing and analyzing minute samples of blood for analysis. The samples collect 10 to 20 μL of blood volume. A conventional sample drawn by venipuncture may consist of sample volumes of up to 10mL, as much as 500 to 1000 times the size of microsamples. The sampling event requires a simple prick of the finger, allowing a drop of blood to rise to the skin surface. Using a device such as this one, the samples are captured in the absorbent tip of the collection devices. The samples are then folded into the attached protective case and can be mailed without refrigeration or special handling to the laboratory (Fig. 1).