From Street To Lab: Advancing Controlled Substance Testing With Handheld Raman And Ftir

In this interview, News-Medical Life Sciences speaks pinch Bill Kotowski, Sales Manager for North America State & Local Chemical Identification astatine Thermo Fisher Scientific, and Dr. Suja Sukumaran, Product Manager astatine Thermo Fisher Scientific, astir nan latest advances successful controlled constituent testing. 

They talk really handheld Raman spectrometers, benchtop Fourier toggle shape infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) instruments, and updated spectral libraries are transforming workflows from nan section to nan lab, enhancing some information and accuracy successful nan conflict against narcotics and emerging supplier threats.

This question and reply is simply a summary of an hour-long webinar - watch nan webinar now. 

Can you please present yourself and your domiciled astatine Thermo Fisher Scientific?

Bill Kotowski: I negociate nan authorities and section income teams for North America, focusing connected handheld chemic recognition solutions. I’ve been pinch Thermo Fisher for astir 15 years, and I’ve overseen nan motorboat of respective handhelds, including our newest TruNarc Delta narcotics analyzer.

Suja Sukumaran: I’m a merchandise head astatine Thermo Fisher, specializing successful molecular spectroscopy solutions. My inheritance is successful biophysics, and I attraction connected FTIR and Raman technologies, peculiarly really they support confirmatory study successful forensic and controlled constituent testing.

How does Thermo Fisher support controlled constituent testing crossed nan concatenation of custody?

Bill Kotowski: We supply solutions that screen nan full workflow, from presumptive testing successful nan section pinch our handheld Raman devices to confirmatory study successful nan laboratory utilizing FTIR and benchtop Raman. Our teams merged Research and Development (R&D) efforts truthful that nan aforesaid spectral libraries support some handheld and laboratory instruments, ensuring consistency from thoroughfare to lab.

What domiciled does nan TruNarc Delta play successful presumptive section testing?

Bill Kotowski: TruNarc Delta is our flagship handheld Raman researcher for presumptive testing.

TruNarc Delta delivers results successful seconds and tin scan correct done bags aliases containers, keeping officers safer successful nan field.

It now has complete 1200 compounds successful its room and features for illustration Wi-Fi transfer, a touchscreen, and user-replaceable batteries.

Our libraries now see 165 fentanyl analogs, and updates are free for nan life of nan instrument.

Can handheld Raman really make a quality successful plea agreements and tribunal proceedings?

Bill Kotowski: Absolutely. Many agencies study that erstwhile TruNarc indicates cocaine, for example, defense attorneys often counsel clients to participate plea agreements alternatively than push to trial. We besides had a caller Kelly proceeding successful California, wherever TruNarc results were deemed admissible, creating ineligible precedent for presumptive grounds successful nan United States (US).

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What information challenges do fentanyl and its analogs coming for testing?

Fentanyl and its analogs are highly potent—sometimes moreover lethal astatine microgram levels. That’s why some section and laboratory testing methods must prioritize safety. 

Suja Sukumaran: Our handheld Raman allows non-contact scanning, while successful nan lab, mitt boxes, chemic hoods, and fibre optic ATR probes thief analysts debar nonstop vulnerability during confirmatory FTIR aliases Raman testing.

How do FTIR and Raman complement each different successful confirmatory testing?

Suja Sukumaran: FTIR is beardown for asymmetric bonds, while Raman is much delicate to symmetric bonds. By combining them, analysts get a much complete structural picture. Using both, compared to a library, provides robust confirmation of controlled substances, whether powders, pills, aliases mixed samples.

By combining FTIR and Raman, analysts get nan astir complete structural picture, ensuring meticulous confirmation of controlled substances.

How do your instruments grip counterfeit pills and low-concentration samples?

Bill Kotowski: Counterfeit oxycodone pills are a superior concern.

With TruNarc, if a tablet doesn’t registry arsenic oxycodone, it’s highly apt to beryllium counterfeit—and often laced pinch fentanyl.

For cases wherever nan attraction is very low, we usage our Type H2 kit pinch surface-enhanced Raman (SERS) technology, which tin observe fentanyl and different narcotics astatine levels beneath 5 %.

What domiciled do correctional accommodation play successful controlled constituent testing?

Bill Kotowski: One of nan large challenges we spot is narcotics sprayed onto insubstantial aliases moreover greeting cards. TruNarc tin often prime up concentrated basking spots directly, and erstwhile levels are lower, nan Type H kit helps america observe them. States for illustration California and Arkansas person now standardized connected TruNarc crossed their correctional systems, which really shows really important this instrumentality has go for protecting some inmates and officers.

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How are spectral libraries evolving to support gait pinch emerging narcotics?

Suja Sukumaran: Our libraries are continuously updated and see dedicated sets for narcotics and fentanyl analogs. These updates are provided free for nan life of nan instrument. Importantly, nan libraries tin differentiate betwixt different fentanyl isomers. For example, cis vs. trans, which person very different potencies.

Are location grants disposable for agencies that want to adopt these technologies?

Bill Kotowski: Yes, galore agencies usage grants to money purchases. We partner pinch policegrantshelp.com to supply guidance, and agencies tin suffice for programs for illustration COPS Anti-Heroin aliases Byrne JAG grants. We besides assistance straight successful nan grant-writing process if needed.

Looking ahead, really do you spot controlled constituent testing evolving?

Suja Sukumaran: I spot continued integration of handheld and laboratory workflows, ensuring rapid, safe, and confirmatory results. As caller synthetic narcotics emerge, maintaining updated libraries and leveraging techniques for illustration Raman microscopy and SERS will beryllium essential.

Bill Kotowski: And successful nan field, it’s astir velocity and safety. Handheld Raman will proceed to beryllium captious for first responders, correctional officers, and separator agents who request to make speedy decisions while minimizing risk.

About Bill Kotowski

Bill Kotowski is nan Sales Manager for nan North America State & Local Chemical Identification squad pinch Thermo Fisher Scientific.

He has been pinch Thermo Fisher for 15 years and has overseen nan motorboat of cardinal information & information handhelds including nan latest Thermo Scientific TruNarc Delta Handheld Narcotics Analyzer.

About Dr. Suja Sukumaran

Dr. Suja Sukumaran is simply a Product Manager astatine Thermo Fisher Scientific. She earned her PhD successful Biophysics from Johann Wolfgang Goethe University successful Germany done nan International Max Planck Research School. She brings extended expertise successful molecular spectroscopy, fluorescence and visible imaging, arsenic good arsenic macromolecule and lipid biochemistry to her role.

About Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. 

Thermo Fisher Scientific is nan world leader successful serving science. The institution enables its customers to make nan world healthier, cleaner and safer by providing analytical instruments, equipment, reagents and consumables, package and services for research, analysis, find and diagnostics.

Thermo Scientific represents a wide scope of high-end analytical instruments, chemistry and consumable supplies, laboratory equipment, package and services that alteration integrated laboratory workflow solutions. Thermo Scientific is nan caller sanction for a trusted marque – Thermo Electron – that nan world’s astir renowned researchers, clinicians and scientists already count connected to lick their analytical challenges. The marque is strengthened by nan summation of equipment, consumables and reagents acquired from Fisher Scientific. 

Fisher Scientific represents a family of world merchandise and work brands comprising a complete portfolio of laboratory equipment, chemicals, supplies and services utilized successful healthcare, technological research, information and education. Fisher Scientific brings these solutions to wide investigation customers worldwide, and done Fisher HealthCare, Fisher Safety and Fisher Science Education it delivers nan specialty equipment, supplies and services that customers want, erstwhile and really they want them. In summation to these 2 premier brands, Thermo Fisher Scientific besides markets a scope of specialty products, featuring well-known manufacture names specified arsenic Nalgene, Nunc and Remel. Offerings see consumables specified arsenic disposable laboratory glassware, plastic-ware and biology sample containers ranging from vials, tubes and pipettes to microscope slides and syringes. These products are chiefly sold done Fisher Scientific and our weighted partners worldwide.