DBS sampling is simple and does not need any healthcare professionals. For the actual sampling process, only a small amount of tools is required (no syringe, no syringe needles, no tourniquet). All the necessary items can be ordered in custom-designed DBS sampling kits. A general kit contains the following:
Basic items
- Alcohol swabs
- An auto-collect DBS card (with or without sleeve)
- A lancet to puncture the fingertip
- Minigrip bag with desiccant (silica gel)
- A bandaid
Optional, complementary items:
- Gloves and protective gear (coat/safety goggles) in case the patient is not self-sampling
- Glass capillaries with anticoagulant (if volumetric sampling is desired)
Process
- Label the card
- Ask the patient to wash hands for about 30 seconds under warm water to improve blood circulation
- Sterilize the selected finger using the alcohol swab. Optimally, the second or third finger is used.
- Prick the finger using the lancet, on the side of the fingertip.
- Wait for a large blood drop to form on the fingertip
- Transfer the blood drop from the finger onto the designated area on the DBS card. Do not layer several spots! When glass capillaries are used, fill the capillary with the target volume and apply the capillary onto the filter paper card.
- The target spot size should be >6mm in diameter.
- Apply a bandaid once the sampling is finished
- Dry the card for 3 hours in a sample rack at room temperature
- Put the dried card into a mini grip bag with desiccant.
An example video of the sampling process for the direct alcohol marker analysis by USDTL can be seen here:
Anonymous DBS Sampling
The use of fully traceable, barcoded DBS permits a higher degree of sample processing automation, which may be useful for anti-doping analysis and at-home sampling. It allows performing fully anonymized sample collection, analysis, and results management. Sensitive information such as the donor’s name, address, and medical history can be inserted into a password-protected online database together with the DBS card’s barcode, using a smartphone app. After the sampling process, the specimen is sent to the laboratory by the local post service provider without any donor information. Once the specimen reaches the laboratory, sample processing is possible using just the imprinted barcode. By entering the DBS specimen into the automated system, the requested analysis is performed fully automated, resulting in an analysis result, which is uploaded back into the data management platform together with all the additional sample information. Finally, the donor receives a message on his smartphone that the analysis result is ready. The integrity of the specimen donor is ensured throughout the whole process, as the DBS card’s barcode serves as the only identifier.
