Advanced optical engineering allows streamlined manufacture of fingerprint drug test

Advanced optical engineering has enabled the developer of a fingerprint drug testing solution to streamline manufacture and reduce the size and weight of its sample reader. 

This has also enabled the business to make inroads to other areas of medical diagnostic testing.

Intelligent Fingerprinting appointed Sagentia Innovation to optimise its sample reader device, improving the user experience and broadening potential use cases. New applications include a rapid, non-invasive drug screening system and a COVID-19 antigen test development project. Sagentia Innovation’s optical engineers identified a new way to read samples, involving a camera, mirrors and filters rather than a scanning system.

The engineering team eradicated moving parts and delivered further benefits related to size, weight and performance. At 980g, the new DSR-Plus reader is portable, it also has storage capacity for 300 tests and its battery supports up to eight hours’ operation. It has an intuitive user interface and adheres to medical-grade quality procedures surrounding documentation and controls.

Sagentia Innovation’s CTO Nick Collier said: “We used our optics knowledge to rethink how sample cartridges are read. The previous model was heavier and less portable which limited usage scenarios. The new approach is simple, effective and compact, making the device efficient, user-friendly and suitable for a wider range of applications.”

Intelligent Fingerprinting’s drug testing system analyses sweat from fingerprints to screen for specific drugs and drug metabolites and doesn’t require saliva or urine samples. The DRS-Plus reader is used in safety-critical work environments such as construction and transport as well as drug rehabilitation services and specialist applications like detecting drug mules at airports.

Philip Hand, executive chairman at Intelligent Fingerprinting, said: “With Sagentia Innovation’s help, we’ve made fingerprint drug testing an even more versatile and compelling alternative to conventional test methods. Our DSR-Plus reader is already helping us make inroads into new sectors and additional international markets. For example, we’re able to conduct testing in a safer, socially-distanced environment – benefiting both the operator and the person being tested. As we develop into other key areas of medical diagnostics, the DSR-Plus will also be an important tool in bringing multiple tests to market. As well as bringing advanced optical engineering skills to the table, Sagentia Innovation worked quickly and effectively, driving focused and high-value improvements to the device within a challenging timeline.”

Intelligent Fingerprinting’s drug testing system features a small, tamper-evident drug screening cartridge onto which ten fingerprint sweat samples are collected, in a process which takes less than a minute. The Intelligent Fingerprinting DSR-Plus portable analysis unit then reads the cartridge and provides a positive or negative result on-screen for all drugs in the test in ten minutes.