Modern PKU screening uses mass spectrometry to measure phenylalanine levels from dried blood spots, and Cardian uses DNA analysis as an orthogonal screening method.

“we got more sophisticated and had ways of being able to directly measure phenol alanine and we now do it with a process called t of mass spectrometry but we still use that Dy blood spot to be able to do it um interestingly enough uh with a program that we've recently started called cardan we also have an orthogonal way of being able to screen which is based on looking at the DNA um so that we've got two different essentially data streams coming in to help us with the adjudication of what I was describing before who really needs treatments where's that threshold and being able to be better in terms of our test parameters both sensitivity and specificity so that we can really identify with greater certainty the babies who need treatment”