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Sedia's Asanté™ Dried Blood Specimen Collection Strips (Asanté™ Strips) are intended as an alternative to the classical dried blood spot cards. They are designed to collect and release a defined volume of blood specimen and facilitate preservation, identification, transport and storage of blood specimens.
Designed to overcome non-specific binding limitations of classical dried blood spot cards, special low retention aborbing material is used to hold the blood specimen which is dried, which in turn, readily releases proteins, enzymes, antibodies, DNA and other biomarkers. Currently available in three widths (3 mm, 5 mm and 10 mm) in a variety of packaging sizes. We also sell a Sample Pack, containing 7 strips each of 3 mm, 5 mm and 10 mm, to enable you to determine the size that is right for you. Our 3 mm wide strips collect a quantity of blood approximately equivalent to a 6 mm or 0.25 in. diameter dried blood spot punch. Note that paper punches should be calibrated to confirm the actual volume collected¹. For a list of available products, refer to Ordering Information below.
Specimens can be collected directly from finger-stick blood samples or allowed to wick up from a tube of whole blood, serum or plasma. (Latter method is shown in the diagrams below). Note that clotted or partially clotted blood will adversely affect flow rate and may also not provide consistent volume uptakes due to clotted material. Aged liquid blood collected with anticoagulant may also become partially clotted over time despite the presence of anticoagulant and may also perform differently. For best performance, use either freshly collected venous blood or finger stick blood.
Asanté™ Dried Blood Specimen Collection Strips possess several advantages over classical dried blood spot cards:
- Specimen can be readily collected from either a finger-stick or from a tube of whole blood, serum or plasma by wicking up the specimen from the end of the strip.
- Less blood specimen need be collected and "wasted". At best, only about half of the blood spot on a dried blood spot card can be used due to the lost space between punches. With the Asanté™ Strips you collect only the volume of blood specimen you need.
- Freshly collected specimen can be dried more quickly than DBS paper collected specimens in most cases. Asanté™ Strips in normal laboratory conditions dry in less than one (3 mm and 5 mm strips) or two (10 mm strips) hours versus recommended dryiing of 4 hours for classical dried blood spot cards.
- Unlike some dried blood spot cards used to collect DNA samples, Asanté™ Strips contain no hazardous chemicals.
- No time-consuming, messy paper punching required with Asanté™ Strips.
- Can more easily transfer Asanté™ Strips into and out of elution tubes. Asanté™ Strips can be handled with gloved hands. No forceps needed.
- Paper punches and forceps used to punch out and handle specimens should be decontaminated between different specimensą.
- Sample ID linkage maintained from specimen collection to elution buffer. No sample mixups as may potentially happen with unlabeled dried blood spots.
- Consistent uptake and release of most blood proteins, DNA, biomarkers and other components from Asanté™ Strips due to low binding characteristic of absorbent material vs. cellulosic medium of dried blood spots.
- Sample volumes collected can be fixed using different width Asanté™ Strips. (Customized widths available as well; contact our Customer Service Department for details).
Ideal Alternative to Classical Dried Blood Spot Cards for High Throughput Sampling and Testing
Asanté Dried Blood Specimen Collection Strips facilitate high throughput sampling and testing, overcoming many of the shortcomings of classical dried blood spot cards. The diagram below shows how the Asanté Strips can be used when collecting specimens that must later be tested in a microtiter plate (such as the 8 x 12 or 96-well array typically used for ELISA's).
Ordering Information
Asanté™ Dried Blood Specimen Collection Strips are available in 3 different widths of strips:
- 3 mm wide strips (each strip absorbs approximately 16 µl of blood; approximately equivalent to a 6 mm or 0.25 in. diameter dried blood spot).
- 5 mm wide strips (each strip absorbs approximately 27 µl of blood).
- 10 mm wide strips (each strip absorbs approximately 54 ul of blood).
- For customized widths, contact our Customer Service Department
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