People who take drugs at the weekend have new reason to fear facing work on Monday morning.
Researchers have created the first portable drugs test which detects if someone has been using illegal substances in less than ten minutes.
The device costs just a few pounds and initial applications for the system include testing people in the workplace, in court and in mortuaries.
Researchers have created the first portable drugs test which detects if someone has been using illegal substances in less than ten minutes
The Reader 1000 can accurately test for four main drug groups – cocaine, opiates, cannabis and amphetamine metabolites.
The fingerprint sample takes five seconds to collect and generally gives results in less than ten minutes.
Created by Cambridge-based company Intelligent Fingerprinting, the device could also be used by companies where drug abuse affects people’s ability to work.
They now believe the technology is as accurate as urine tests.
It has been used to determine whether drugs was a factor in unexplained deaths at Sheffield Medico-Legal Centre – an organisation that provides treatment for adults with drug and alcohol problems in Norfolk.
Most tests analyse saliva, urine and hair to find out if someone has taken drugs – but it is not always easy to get hold of samples.
The sensor – which consists of a fingerprint sample collection cartridge and the portable Reader 1000 analysis unit – works by analysing the tiny traces of sweat contained in a fingerprint.
Drug metabolites are substances produced by the body when it processes (metabolises) drugs of abuse, and they are excreted in sweat.
The four drug groups detected by Intelligent Fingerprinting’s Drug Screening Cartridge cover the majority of mainstream drug misuse.
The test could also be used by coroners in mortuaries to provide early intelligence on drug use in order to find out if a full post mortem is needed.
The Reader 1000 can accurately test for four main drug groups – cocaine, opiates, cannabis and amphetamine metabolites. The fingerprint sample takes five seconds to collect and generally gives results in less than ten minutes
‘Our portable fingerprint drug test means that organisations can now screen for drug use almost anywhere at any time’, said Dr Jerry Walker, Intelligent Fingerprinting’s CEO.
‘It only takes a few seconds to collect a fingerprint for analysis, and our revolutionary technology offers a much more hygienic and dignified means of testing compared with conventional drug tests that require bio-hazardous samples such as urine or saliva,’ said Dr Walker.
‘Following successful UK market trials and validation, it’s clear that fingerprint samples are not only much easier to collect and process, but also deliver when it comes to the rigorous analysis required for drug use diagnostics.’
Created by Cambridge-based company Intelligent Fingerprinting, the device could also be used by companies where drug abuse affects people’s ability to work