Blood Sample Collection Cards Used for Screening Newborns

Dried blood spot cards are used to collect and transport blood specimens from newborns, which are later analyzed by public health laboratories. Newborn screening is used to detect congenital disorders, many of which are treatable only when identified during the first days of life. A significant number of these are treatable when detected, but fatal when not.

PerkinElmer, Inc. (Waltham, MA, USA) has entered into a contract with ID Biological Systems (Greenville, South Carolina, USA) to become its exclusive, worldwide distributor for dried blood spot specimen collection cards used by newborn screening programs worldwide. The agreement is intended to deliver a consistent, high-quality supply of sample collection cards designed to customer specifications.

ID Biological Systems will produce the cards using Ahlstrom grade 226 filter paper. They are manufactured according to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) standard for blood collection on filter paper for newborn screening programs. The paper has been successfully tested to the CLSI standard by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC; Atlanta, GA, USA) Newborn Screening Quality program and other third party testing facilities.

"To secure the supply and delivery of U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA; Rockville, MD, USA)-approved high quality specimen cards is a priority for PerkinElmer and our newborn screening customers," said Ann-Christine Sundell, president, genetic screening, PerkinElmer. "This agreement expands our offering with a high quality product, and provides IDB Systems with a strong and proven distribution channel for its product."

Gary Resler, health services consultant for the Newborn Screening Program in the State of Washington has been using ID Biological Systems' specimen collection cards for samples processed in his laboratory for the past nine months. "A consistent supply of high quality sample cards is an imperative in a public health laboratory processing hundreds of neonatal samples each day," said Mr. Resler. "ID Biological Systems has delivered this quality and consistency along with a tremendous level of service."

Related Links:
PerkinElmer, Inc.
ID Biological Systems
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
U.S. Food and Drug Administration