A nanostructured surface for ultrasensitive detection of illicit drugs in oral fluids

Drug-impaired driving is a growing threat to the safety of road users in North America and Europe. In Ontario, over 10% of the total road fatalities involved drugs and 36% of fatally injured drivers had drugs in their system while driving. Point-of-care testing (POCT) devices, akin to the Approved Screening Device (ASD) test for alcohol, are time- and cost-efficient tools for providing enforceable means of determining impairment by drugs in drivers at the roadside. The goal of this project is to develop a nanostructured surface that can be used as a drug sensor in a novel POCT device that will sniff out trace quantities of drugs, such as cannabis and cocaine, in oral fluids. Our partnership with Spectra Plasmonics with support the research work of a Masters student who will adapt to this task a nanostructured surface that was recently invented by our research group.

Faculty Supervisor:

Aristides Docoslis

Student:

Nicholas Wilson

Partner:

Spectra Plasmonics Inc

Discipline:

Engineering - chemical / biological

Sector:

Nanotechnologies

University:

Program: