Three Million DBS Samples: Scaling Decentralized Sampling and Quantitative Biomarker Analysis

From analytical innovation to industrial-scale DBS analysis

Vitas has more than three decades of experience in analytical chemistry and more than 15 years of experience in developing, validating and performing quantitative dried blood spot (DBS) analyses.

Early DBS activities focused primarily on fatty-acid analysis. Since then, the analytical portfolio has expanded to include vitamins, amino acids, lipids, proteins, inflammatory markers and numerous other biomarkers measured using chromatographic, mass-spectrometric and immunochemical methods.

Today, Vitas provides DBS analytical services to professional customers, including pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, universities, hospitals, research institutions and other project sponsors.

Our role is to receive coded biological samples, perform the agreed laboratory analyses and report quantitative results to the project sponsor or customer. Today, samples are routinely received from more than 50 countries, making Vitas one of the world's largest dedicated laboratories performing quantitative DBS analyses.

The accelerating path to three million samples

The progression towards three million DBS samples illustrates the increasing adoption of DBS technology across Vitas' international customer projects.

• The first million samples accumulated over approximately 27 years.

• The second million was reached approximately three years later.

• The third million followed in less than two years.

Annual sample volumes have increased correspondingly. In 2025, Vitas received and analysed close to 600,000 DBS samples, and continued growth has been observed during 2026.

This development reflects increasing demand for decentralized sampling in large research programmes, pharmaceutical projects, intervention studies and geographically distributed sample collections.

Three million samples across a broad range of projects

The three million DBS samples have supported projects within pharmaceutical development, clinical and observational research, nutritional intervention studies, population research and quantitative biomarker analysis.

Collectively, these samples have generated tens of millions of individual analytical results and provided Vitas with extensive practical experience covering the complete analytical workflow—from international sample logistics and coded sample registration through DBS card handling, punching, extraction, instrumental analysis, analytical quality control, high-throughput data processing and secure electronic reporting.

According to Vitas' internal records, more than 2.6 million DBS samples have been analysed for fatty-acid composition and omega-3 status. This represents a standardized dataset of unusual scale and has contributed to continuous improvements in analytical methods, automation and laboratory quality systems.

Infrastructure developed for scale

Processing three million samples requires considerably more than analytical instrumentation. It depends on robust logistics, automated workflows, digital laboratory systems and carefully controlled quality processes.

Vitas has invested continuously in automated and semi-automated laboratory systems covering the complete analytical workflow—from sample receipt and registration to analytical measurement, data processing and electronic reporting.

The laboratory operates highly automated analytical workflows incorporating robotic sample handling together with technologies including:

• UPLC

• LC-MS/MS

• GC-MS

• GC-FID

• ICP-MS

• ELISA and other immunoassay platforms

These systems enable the laboratory to process hundreds of thousands of DBS samples annually while maintaining project-specific requirements for analytical performance, traceability, reproducibility and quality control.

Human–Robot Collaboration

As part of its continuous investment in laboratory automation, Vitas has introduced collaborative robotic systems (cobots) into routine laboratory operations. Working alongside laboratory personnel, cobots automate repetitive sample-handling tasks, improve workflow efficiency and support increasing analytical throughput, while scientists remain responsible for analytical quality, process control and scientific expertise.

The continued expansion of collaborative robotics represents another step towards a more scalable, efficient and future-ready laboratory infrastructure capable of supporting increasingly large international analytical projects.

The value of decentralized sampling

Healthcare is increasingly moving beyond hospitals and specialist clinics. Decentralized clinical trials, remote patient monitoring, geographically distributed research projects and personalized healthcare all require reliable biological sampling that can be performed independent of location.

Dried blood spot sampling addresses many of these logistical challenges by enabling standardized sample collection outside traditional healthcare facilities while remaining compatible with quantitative laboratory analysis.

Potential advantages include:

• Small sample volumes

• Minimally invasive capillary collection

• Decentralized sample collection

• Simplified transport and storage

• Suitability for geographically distributed projects

• Scalability for large sample collections

For suitable biomarkers, DBS samples may be transported without a conventional cold chain under defined and validated conditions.

The suitability of DBS always depends on the analyte, collection device, sample quality, transport and storage conditions, analytical method, study design and intended application.

Continued method development

Vitas continues to develop and evaluate new DBS methods in response to customer and research requirements.

Method-development projects may include feasibility assessment, optimization, analytical validation, automation and transfer to routine high-throughput analysis.

The analytical method, validation level, sample-volume requirements, quality controls and reporting format are agreed individually for each project.

The project sponsor or customer defines the intended purpose, regulatory framework and any clinical or commercial interpretation associated with the project. Vitas remains responsible for the quality and performance of the analytical laboratory services it provides.

Looking beyond three million

The three millionth DBS sample represents an important operational and scientific milestone, but it is not the destination.

As decentralized clinical research, remote sample collection and geographically distributed studies continue to expand, DBS is expected to remain an increasingly important sampling platform for suitable biomarkers and applications.

Supported by continued investment in laboratory automation, analytical instrumentation, digital workflows and method development, Vitas is well positioned to support larger, more complex international research and contract laboratory projects in the years ahead.

Three million samples demonstrate what can be achieved through sustained analytical development, industrial-scale laboratory operations and long-term collaboration with customers and research partners.

The next million samples will not simply represent additional laboratory throughput—they will contribute to further advancing decentralized biomarker analysis and analytical science worldwide.

Interested in discussing a DBS project?

If you are planning a research study, clinical trial or analytical service that could benefit from dried blood spot sampling, we would be pleased to discuss how DBS can support your project.

Thomas E. Gundersen
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
Vitas Analytical Services