Nanoassay on the roads
Royal Philips Electronics NV has announced the creation of the first pocket–sized mobile device using nanotechnology to quickly determine the presence of various biochemical substances, which, in particular, can be used to recognize drugs - marijuana, cocaine, Speed and others in saliva or blood. The measurement procedure takes only 2 minutes.
Philips representatives claim that the new portable device for the determination of biochemical substances is faster and easier to operate than other devices advertised to date that use the principles of chromatography (the same technology used in pregnancy tests). The sensitivity of the device is at the level of picomolar concentrations.
The Philips device uses magnetic nanoparticles pre-inserted into the sensing area where the sample is placed (for example, a swab with saliva). Nanoparticles envelop the drug molecules in the sample. The electromagnet located in the cassette attracts the nanoparticles together with the sample molecules to the biosensor receiving area, where the field of the second electromagnet removing the nanoparticles acts. The determination of the substance in the sample is carried out by optical methods based on total internal reflection.
The technology on which the device is based is called Magnotech technology. It is quite flexible and versatile, so in the future, according to the developers, it will be used for many medical tests. One of the applications being clinically tested is to determine the level of protein produced by damaged heart muscle. This test will help to establish the presence of a heart attack in a patient experiencing heart pain. A visual demonstration of the concept of the new biosensor method was carried out in a series of biological tests.
The Danish company has signed a contract with the British firm Concateno PLC – Europe's largest drug testing company – to market a new product to police forces. Philips has not yet disclosed either the cost of the new device or estimates of sales volumes. It is assumed that the first deliveries to customers will begin in 2009 in the UK.
The market seems to be as large as for road alcohol testing devices. When a policeman stops a car for inspection, taking an alcohol sample is a very simple operation: a smear is taken, placed in the device, and after 90 seconds the result is ready – the police officer does this analysis without even leaving the car window. Laws vary in different countries, but Philips representatives suggest that their new device will mainly be used to check drivers for the use of illegal drugs.
Evgeny Birger, NanoWeek