New study recommends switch to volumetric DBS sampling devices to ensure accuracy of PKU monitoring
Swedish medtech start-up Capitainer says its qDBS card has scored highly in a major new study published in Clinica Chimica Acta on the advantages of volumetric microsampling DBS devices in monitoring of patients with phenylketonuria (PKU). The study was necessary according to the authors, because although measurement of dried blood spot phenylalanine (Phe) is central to the monitoring of PKU patients, the volume and hematocrit (hct) of the blood applied to conventional DBS cards fluctuates and significantly affects analytical results. The study reported that performance of Capitainer’s card with qDBS technology was superior compared to the existing solutions. It also noted that its ease of use facilitates its rapid introduction into existing workflows in newborn screening/metabolic testing laboratories.
“During a laboratory evaluation the Capitainer device was demonstrated to be superior in both accuracy and precision compared to the conventional bloodspot filter paper collection device, both of which will be advantageous for monitoring patients with phenylketonuria” says Dr Rachel Carling, lead author, director of Newborn Screening and clinical lead, Biochemical Sciences, Viapath, Guys & St Thomas’ Hospital.
Christopher Aulin, CEO added: “We are delighted with the results of this important study which we believe demonstrates conclusively the superiority of Capitainer’s solution over conventional cards and competition. The analytical quality together with the ease of implementation and readily available equipment to reduce manual steps in the lab, clearly shows the strength of the solution Capitainer has developed. The results of the trial should also have an impact in field of DBS analysis and self-sampling in general since many of the conclusions can be extrapolated into other areas.”
Read the study in Clinica Chimica Acta here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0009898122012566
