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Philips Develops Roadside Drug-Testing Device

Posted by timothy on from the better-for-your-privacy-citizen dept.

Al writes "A handheld developed by Philips for law enforcement detects traces of cocaine, heroin, cannabis, and methamphetamine in 90 seconds. The system uses magnetic nanoparticles attached to ligands that bind to traces of these drugs. Once saliva has been placed inside the device, an electromagnet mixes the sample and the nanoparticles. Frustrated total internal reflection (FTIR) — the same phenomenon that underlies fingerprint scanners and multitouch screens — is then used to measure a change to the refractive index. By immobilizing different drug molecules on different parts of a sensor surface, the analyzer is able to identify traces of each different drug. An electronic screen displays instructions and a simple color-coded readout of the results."

5 of 647 comments (clear)

  1. Legalization by Delwin · · Score: 4, Interesting

    This could go a long way towards treating other drugs like alcohol for driving purposes. One of the major roadblocks in legalization was no field test for driving while impaired.

    1. Re:Legalization by eln · · Score: 5, Interesting

      MADD has morphed over the years from an organization with a laudable enough goal (reduce drunk driving deaths) into a neo-prohibitionist organization that is waging a war on all drinking. If they had their way, booze would be taxed at a higher rate than tobbaco and every car sold in the US would have an ignition interlock system. The Founder of the organization left it sometime ago in disgust at what it has become.

      This is a problem with interest groups in general. Most are formed with a specific goal in mind. However, they also employ people and generally give a lot of people a sense of belonging that they don't want to give up. So, once the goal they were created for is reached, they don't disband like they should. Instead, they just set new, generally more extreme goals, until they eventually degenerate into a fringe group of wackos. Unfortunately, the disproportionate political influence they gained from fighting for their earlier, more generally supported, cause is often maintained far longer than it ought to be, so many of their extremist garbage ends up being discussed, and even acted on by Congress, more than most people would like.

    2. Re:Legalization by networkBoy · · Score: 4, Interesting

      last time I came up on a DUI checkpoint I was completely sober, and was on my way to my brothers house for an all-nighter of Halo and booze (great combo BTW).

      Looking for some entertainment I made an obvious end-run around the checkpoint by turning into an adjacent shopping center just before the check, and back onto the road just after the check.
      I was lit up and pulled over within 30 seconds.
      I was asked "do you know why I pulled you over?" to which I responded truthfully: "I avoided the checkpoint".

      several minutes later I was released because I had nothing on my person, nothing in plain sight to give probable cause to search my vehicle, and I passed the field sobriety check by blowing a 0.02. What's scary about that number is that I had *nothing* to drink in the last 3 hours, and no booze at all that entire day... So where did the .02 come from?
      -nB

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    3. Re:Legalization by Jah-Wren+Ryel · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Ketosis. You might be on atkins, you might be diabetic.
      http://www.proteinpower.com/drmike/uncategorized/low-carbers-beware-the-breathalyzer/
      http://www.avvo.com/legal-guides/ugc/diabetes-and-the-counterfeit-dui

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      When information is power, privacy is freedom.
  2. False Positives? by Banichi · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Do they return false positives for people who eat poppy seed cake? http://www.snopes.com/medical/drugs/poppyseed.asp