Estonian drug analyzer draws international interest

Researchers at Tallinn University of Technology and startup SafePAS have developed a portable drug analyzer that identifies both a narcotic substance and the amount present within 15 minutes, ERR reports. The developers’ next goal is to make the device smaller and as effective at detecting drug impairment as a breathalyzer is at measuring intoxication.

Police and emergency medical workers currently rely mostly on rapid tests when they need to assess possible drug intoxication at a scene. These tests are often not sufficiently accurate, and positive samples must be sent to a laboratory to determine the precise substance and quantity, with results sometimes taking days.

Speed is particularly important when assessing a person’s health, especially in cases involving substances that break down quickly in the body. This includes situations where it is necessary to determine whether GHB, a substance that may be added to a drink, was administered to a victim.

Researchers at Tallinn University of Technology and SafePAS have spent more than 10 years developing the Drug Hunter analyzer, with the aim of bringing precise drug testing out of laboratories. The device can identify a narcotic substance and quantify it in about 15 minutes.

The technology has so far been tested in close cooperation with the Police and Border Guard Board. This summer, the team also worked with event organisers to understand how the device could be used by private individuals, said Jekaterina Mazina-Šinkar, a junior professor at Tallinn University of Technology and founder of SafePAS.

“It is possible to analyse saliva from people who suspect that a narcotic substance was added to their cocktail. Or a person may have consumed something and feel very unwell without knowing what it was,” Mazina-Šinkar said.

Technology tracks a changing illicit market

The device uses capillary electrophoresis, a technology also used to analyse DNA. The method separates all the substances in a sample, excites them and identifies them with a detector. It then not only identifies the substance but also quantifies it.

Additional laboratory testing remains necessary for positive samples, Mazina-Šinkar said.

Drug Hunter can currently detect common narcotics including cocaine, amphetamine, methamphetamine and MDMA. It can also identify tramadol, codeine, morphine and THC.

Because the spread of narcotic substances varies greatly over time and by region, researchers must continually track changes in the illicit market. Their research includes new narcotic substances, their metabolism and how they can later be detected in the human body.