Point-of-care Testing for Illicit Drugs and Alcohol Intoxication in an Emergency

描述(由申请人提供)：这项小型企业创新研究第一阶段的提案专注于开发一种基于化学传感器阵列的高速色谱分析系统，该系统专门用于检测乙醇和毒品。核心技术是一种微型气相色谱仪，它将利用基于MEMS微电容传感器阵列和乙醇检测器的双检测器系统。MEMS传感器阵列将涂覆几种针对毒品检测而优化的化学选择性聚合物，而透皮乙醇传感器将基于化学电阻或电化学池。Mini-GC的入口处将内置一种新型的热解吸器，用于蒸发采样采集设备中的微量毒品。在用双传感器阵列进行层析分离和随后的检测之前，将蒸发的分析物预浓缩在对感兴趣的分析物具有增加的相对吸附强度的吸附剂上。该分析仪器将为近实时检测药物痕迹提供一个低成本、最小侵入性的护理点诊断平台。拟议的药物筛选设备将是最先进的层析桌面和免疫分析药物测试的替代方案，样品制备基于痕量检测，而不是对尿液或血液样本的分析。该诊断工具的预期应用之一是用于急诊科，在那里可以对患者进行快速酒精和药物筛查，这将为医生提供对患者的初步评估，以帮助做出治疗决策。例如，通过脚踝手镯监测经皮酒精渗透的想法和通过离子迁移率光谱检测毒品的痕量都已经分别应用了多年；然而，这两个概念以前从未被结合到一个仪器中，并以低成本提供。带有双探测器系统的海岸迷你GC将缩小这一差距。 与公共卫生相关：在急诊科寻求治疗的患者中，受药物滥用不利影响的人占相当大的比例。海岸科学公司提出了一种快速、定点药物筛选测试，将为医生提供对患者的初步评估，以促进治疗决策。这项测试可以应用于每一名寻求紧急护理的患者，因为这种测试是微创的，可以从患者的皮肤收集微量的麻醉剂和透皮酒精，而不需要血液或尿液样本。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I proposal focuses on the development of a high-speed chromatographic analysis system based on a chemical sensor array that is specialized for the detection of ethanol and narcotics. The core technology is a miniature gas chromatograph that will utilize a dual detector system based on a MEMS microcapacitor sensor array and an ethanol detector. The MEMS sensor array will be coated with several chemoselective polymers optimized for the detection of narcotics while the transdermal ethanol sensor will be based on a chemiresistor or an electrochemical cell. A novel thermal desorber will be built into the inlet of the Mini-GC that vaporizes traces of drugs off a sampling collection device. The vaporized analytes are preconcentrated on a sorbent with increased relative adsorption strength for the analytes of interest prior to the chromatographic separation and subsequent detection with the dual sensor array. The analytical instrument will provide a low-cost, minimal invasive, point-of-care diagnostic platform for the detection of drug traces in near-real time. The proposed drug screening device will be an alternative to state of the art chromatographic desktop and immunoassay drug tests, with the sample preparation being based on trace detection rather than the analysis of a urine or blood sample. One of the intended applications of the diagnostic tool is for an emergency department where patients can be quickly screened for alcohol and drugs, which will provide physicians with an initial assessment of patients to facilitate the treatment decision making. The idea of monitoring transdermal alcohol by means of an ankle bracelet for instance, and the trace detection of narcotics by ion mobility spectroscopy have both been applied separately for years; however, the two concepts have never before been combined in one instrument and made available at low cost. Seacoast's Mini-GC with the dual detector system will close this gap. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Persons adversely affected by drugs of abuse comprise a substantial proportion of the patients that seek care in emergency departments. Seacoast Science proposes a fast, point-of-care drug screen test that will provide physicians with an initial assessment of patients to facilitate the treatment decision making. The test can be applied to every patient seeking emergency care, since the test is minimal invasive by collecting traces of narcotics and transdermal alcohol from a patient's skin, rather than requiring a blood or urine sample.