Forensic drug analysis and microfluidics

Abstract

The analysis of drugs of abuse in microfluidic devices has the potential to provide solutions to today's on-site analysis challenges. The use of such devices has not been limited to miniaturising conventional analytical methods used routinely in forensic laboratories; new and interesting approaches have been implemented in microfluidics and benefit from the ability to control minute amounts of liquids in the small channels. The microfluidic platforms developed so far have been used successfully to carry out single or multiple analytical processes and offer a great opportunity for new technologies for on-site drug testing.

Up-to-Date Applications of Microarrays and Their Way to Commercialization

“…This means there is a significant need for fast and reliable systems including point-of-need testing [28]. For doping, over 150 substances are listed as prohibited by WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency).…”

“…Additionally, they are potentially easier to adapt for clinical use, e.g., automatization. Furthermore, they are easier to miniaturize, including integrated microfluidics and sample preparation [28]. This can reduce reagent handling and transport, minimizes energy consumption and opens the door for small handheld devices [28,33].…”

“…Furthermore, they are easier to miniaturize, including integrated microfluidics and sample preparation [28]. This can reduce reagent handling and transport, minimizes energy consumption and opens the door for small handheld devices [28,33]. Because of the lack of two different epitopes of small molecule for antibody binding, the principle of a competitive assay for screening of drug abuse and doping is used [34].…”

MiniStat: Development and evaluation of a mini-potentiostat for electrochemical measurements

“…Electrochemical analysis is a key set of laboratory techniques which provides highly selective and quantitative detection of target analytes, in comparison to costly, unstable and irreproducible bioluminescent and chemiluminescent systems [11]- [16]. Currently these techniques are largely confined to laboratories and require bulky and expensive instruments to implement the sophisticated analysis systems.…”

Improving sensitivity in microchip electrophoresis coupled to ESI‐MS/MS on the example of a cardiac drug mixture

“…Chip electrophoresis is one of the most popular separation techniques which have been miniaturized to the chip level. Such miniaturized electrophoretic separation techniques are suited for the investigation of a broad range of applications, ranging from proteomics and metabolomics over single‐cell analysis and diagnostics to clinical , forensic , environmental , or food analysis . A challenge in miniaturized separation techniques is the detection of tiny sample amounts in miniature devices.…”