The world’s first portable fingerprint-based drug screening system has been launched by UK-based company Intelligent Fingerprinting and is now available in Spain. The new testing system is hygienic and easy-to-use, and collects fingerprint samples in just five seconds. It works by analyzing sweat from a fingerprint to determine if someone has recently used cocaine, opiates, amphetamines or cannabis, and delivers simultaneous screening results for the four main drug groups, including cocaine, opiates, cannabis and amphetamines, in less than ten minutes.
The company MTB Distribuciones has been appointed as the first Spanish distributor for the new fingerprint drug test. So far, the Intelligent Fingerprinting partner community also covers the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Italy and the US.
In a press release by Intelligent Fingerprinting, Dr. Jerry Walker, Intelligent Fingerprinting’s CEO, said: “Our portable fingerprint drug test means that drug screening can now take place almost anywhere, at any time. 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.” He added, “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.”
Fingerprint-based drug screening is non-invasive, fast and cost-effective, and could become an important element of drug testing programs in the workplace. The system is also currently being used by coroners in toxicology testing, as well as in the drug rehabilitation sector.
In his interview with Business Wire, the CEO of MTB Distributiones, Ignasi Balsells, said the screening system is currently being tested across a variety of settings. “We are currently working across a range of markets, including workplace testing, drug rehabilitation operations and prisons to investigate opportunities. We also feel that the Intelligent Fingerprinting method could bring huge benefits in other markets. In hospital Accident & Emergency departments, for example, the test could be used to quickly establish if patients showing signs of altered mental status, such as confusion or hallucinations, might have taken drugs.”
The new fingerprint-based drug screening system is comprised of a fingerprint sample collection cartridge and the portable ‘Reader 1000’ analysis unit. The system functions by analyzing trace amounts of sweat contained in a fingerprint to detect drugs and drug metabolites. Metabolites are substances produced by the body when it processes drugs, which are eliminated from the body by sweating. According to Intelligent Fingerprinting, the four drug groups detected by the drug screening system cover the majority of mainstream drug misuse, ensuring that the new drug testing system can be used for a broad range of drug screening requirements.
