Philips to unveil saliva-based roadside drug test later this year

In the vein of the breathalyzer, Philips has developed an on-the-go drug test, that can be used by the side of the road to test suspected imbibers for cocaine, heroin, cannabis, amphetamines and methaphetamine. Unlike the standard alcohol testing equipment, this one is used by having the suspect spit into a small receptacle, which is then inserted into the measurement chamber which contains magnetic nanoparticles coated with ligands that bind to one of five different drug groups, delivering color coded test results in about 90 seconds. Philips, which has been developing the device since 2001, built it as an optical device that would be easy to mass produce for law enforcement. The company expects to ship them by the end of the year, though there's no word on exactly which markets will employ them as of yet.

[Via Coolest Gadgets]

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Philips to unveil saliva-based roadside drug test later this year originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Aug 2009 06:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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