I-Corps: Developing the Value Proposition for the Rapid Detection and Classification of Designer Drugs

I-Corps团队提出了一种便携式电化学检测设备，可以快速检测毒品。执法机构和医疗设施使用低成本的试剂检测来快速检测现场的可疑毒品。然而，这些检测缺乏分子特异性，容易出现假阳性。此外，试剂检测只能检测有限类别的麻醉药品，不足以进行设计师和处方药的常规检测。因此，便携式电化学检测装置背后的动机是为了创造一种廉价的化学传感器，供执法机构重复、准确地检测多类毒品。几十年来，电化学技术一直在实验室中用于检测化学品和生物制剂。用于电化学检测的传统便携式仪器价格昂贵、繁琐，需要特殊的技能。由i-Corps团队提出的便携式电化学检测设备通过在易于使用的紧凑和便携式容器中使用廉价的传感器来解决上述挑战。这种装置有望影响许多领域，包括农产品、精细化工产品和中间体的质量控制和监测。这里提出的电化学装置使用纸基电极，具有精心设计的通道，允许从基质中分离可疑药物。根据其物理性质，药物在通道中沿着层流流动，直到到达电极的检测区域。检测区域有三个导电墨水/膏体电极，用于药物的安培测量。I-Corp团队打算对便携式电化学检测设备的商业化潜力进行产品市场分析。与潜在客户的直接对话将使您更好地了解每个工业部门？S在实验室外进行常规化学分析的痛点。参与还将有助于i-Corp团队澄清这项技术可以向前发展的方向，例如满足已确定的特定市场需求的产品开发问题。

The I-Corps team presents a portable electrochemical detection device that can rapidly detect narcotics. Law enforcement agencies and medical treatment facilities use low-cost reagent tests to rapidly detect suspected narcotics in the field. However, these tests lack molecular specificity and are prone to false positives. Additionally, the reagent tests can only detect a limited class of narcotics and are not adequate for the routine detection of designer and prescription drugs. Therefore, the motivation behind the portable electrochemical detection device was to create an inexpensive chemical sensor for law enforcement agencies to reproducibly and accurately detect multiple classes of drugs. Electrochemical techniques have been used for decades in laboratories to detect chemicals and biological agents. The conventional and portable instrumentation used for electrochemical detection is expensive, cumbersome and require special skills. The portable electrochemical detection device presented by this I-Corps team addresses the above challenges by using inexpensive sensors in a compact and portable container that is easy to use. This device is expected to impact many fields including quality control monitoring of agriculture produce and fine chemical products and intermediates.The electrochemical device presented here utilizes a paper-based electrode with carefully engineered channels to allow separation of the suspected drug from the matrix. The drug migrates along laminar flow in the channels based on their physical properties until it reaches the detection area of the electrode. The detection area has three conductive-ink/paste-based electrodes that are used for the amperometric measurement of the drug. The I-Corp team intends to perform a product-market analysis for the commercialization potential of the portable electrochemical detection device. Direct conversations with prospective customers will allow for greater understanding of each industrial sector?s pain points for routine chemical analysis outside of the laboratory. Participation will also help the I-Corp team clarify the direction the technology can take going forward such as product development issues to meet identified specific market needs.