Bioanalytical applications of solid-phase microextraction

The development of solid-phase microextraction (SPME) has experienced significant growth since its introduction as a new approach to sample preparation in the early 1990s. In comparison to existing technologies, such as liquid-liquid or solid-phase extraction, SPME offers many advantages, including simplicity, speed, solventless extraction, and a convenient format for the analyst.The objective of this review is to discuss the most recent developments and future challenges in the application of SPME to in vivo and in vitro bioanalytical problems. We discuss applications of fiber SPME for determination of binding constants and free concentrations, inside living organisms or in conventional samples. We show that the ability to perform direct and selective extraction of analytes from complex samples greatly extends the applications of SPME into the field of bioanalysis.