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Dried Blood Spot

Dried Blog Spot

DBS-Dried Blood Spot Card Punch

In the realm of dried blood spot (DBS) testing, the DBS Punch is unique! It eliminates hand fatigue and blistering from the use of handheld manual card punches. It's a pneumatic foot pedal-controlled “power punch" that increases speed and efficiency when loading dried blood spot samples into collection plates or tubes. The units require 90-110 PSI in order to properly operate; no electricity is required.
  • Easy to Use Foot Pedal Operation
  • No Hand Fatigue or Blistering
  • Reduces Processing Time
  • Direct Insertion of Punched Disc into Collection Plate Well or Tube
  • Clear View of Punching Area
  • 3mm, 4mm, 5mm and 6mm Punch Sizes Available
 DBS Video

Frequently Asked Questions

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Can you recommend a compressor or air source to use with the DBS Card Punch if I do not have access to “house air”?
If a house air line is not available, a portable air tank (stored air, no compressor) can be used as long as it can provide between 90-110psi (6.2 – 7.6 bar). A 125cf tank (Diameter = 7-1/4", Length = 41-1/2", Weight = 50 lbs) of either O2 or N2 provides roughly 10,000 punches. We don’t have any data regarding the use of a compressor with a reservoir tank. If one is to be used, it would be best to have a moisture trap/catch to provide the DBS Punch unit with dry gas. We do not offer any recommendations for a specific compressor. Additionally, a compressor will likely add significant noise pollution to your working environment.
How can the DBS be cleaned?
To thoroughly clean the DBS, it is suggested that all components be completely washed, rinsed, and/or doused with your preferred fluid (alcohol, bleach, DNA decontaminate, etc.). It is important that all components (cutter, die, and pipette) which were touched by the punched slugs be fully washed.
What’s the required CFM?
The DBS unit doesn't require a constant flow of air so we typically don't spec out a volumetric flow rate. However, the unit needs to be connected to an air supply which has compressed air within a range of 90-110 psi (6.2 to 7.6 bar). The air pressure simply needs to be high enough so a burst of air can drive the cylinder downward and create the punch when the foot pedal is pressed. If you need to search by volumetric flow rate, most compressors capable of this kind of pressure should have a flow rate of at least 3-4 CFM.
What are the air specs?
As for the dryness/dewpoint of the air, that depends on your sample requirements. High moisture content in the air won't necessarily damage the DBS unit. Keep in mind that the unit provides a burst of air directly onto the punched sample to force it downward through the glass pipette and into your collection medium. If you want to prevent contamination and keep your samples as clean as possible, we recommend ensuring you are delivering dried air.
Are the different size cutters/punches swappable?
Punch sizes are non-swappable. To complement the cutter, each DBS pod has a corresponding die with a hole that matches that particular diameter cutter. The die is attached to the unit unfinished, and then the hole is ulta-precision machined, manually one-by-one, by a highly skilled lathe operator, so that it's concentric to the cutter path within two ten-thousandths of an inch. If you remove that die and put it back on, it will never be that accurate again. Even just torquing the screw a smidge more/less is enough to throw off the precision and will result in the cutter striking the edge of the die and either rapidly dulling (at best) or breaking (at worst).
Do you have anything to assist with non-traditional small volume blood sample collection?
We have designed and manufactured a dried blood spot (DBS) system that provides many efficiency gains over simple hand tools. We also have the hard to find end-to-end micro pipettes prefilled with anticoagulant.
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dbs

DBS Complete Systems

Punch pods only

Punch Pods Only

Replacement cutters

Replacement Cutters

Select a cutter size that matches your pod head. Replacement cutters are not interchangeable with different size pods and can not be used to change punch head cuttings...
Replacement pipettes

Replacement Pipettes

El Baidouri Shield

Developed in collaboration with Dr. Fouad El Baidouri, a research associate at Harvard School of Public Health’s Neafsey Lab, the El Baidouri Shield offered by...