UBC-developed drug testing robot heads to music festival

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A group of scientists from the University of British Columbia have made a new, moveable drug tests equipment.

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Their new prototype will be rolled out at the Shambhala Music Pageant in the Kootenays this weekend.

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Present drug tests tools are not portable, in accordance to associate professor Jason Hein.

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That’s why he and his team worked to make a smaller sized machine with the exact performance as the big, superior equipment made use of by pharmacists – delivering results in just 15 minutes.

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“We know how to do this for pharma, why never we choose the applications and abilities that we have to make a robot that can do that pro tests?” Hein mentioned. “Someone will place a thing in to it, the robot does its issue, prepares the sample, operates the sample, extracts the facts and states, ‘Here’s what is in it.’”

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When the rationalization might seem basic, the technologies applied is exceptionally advanced, he claims, as opposed to other resources presently staying utilised on the market, these kinds of as check strips.

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The UBC prototype works by using superior-effectiveness liquid chromatography to automate the approach.

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Existing transportable screening approaches require professionals and simply cannot detect more than 5 compounds in a sample at a time, according to UBC.

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“Definitely, the reason why it hasn’t occurred in advance of is simply because a software like this is expensive and huge, so we experienced to uncover a way of applying a robot and miniaturizing it to make one thing that could be deployed broadly,” Hein reported.

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In accordance to the province, there are 105 drug tests web sites across B.C.

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Dude Felicella, who is a peer clinical advisor with the B.C. Centre for Material Use, suggests the faster benefits will be innovative.

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“If you can go there and get it accomplished in just one shot faster, time-clever, it’ll make men and women search to testing their substances additional in its place of heading as a result of the system of waiting around a extensive time for their benefits,” said Felicella.

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A possibly reduced-barrier and nameless resource is a thing he suggests could preserve lives.

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“The danger of somebody who does not do fentanyl and goes and purchases a stimulant and it turns out to be fentanyl are catastrophic,” Felicella said.

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Researchers say their upcoming phase is allowing for UBC students to obtain a drop box exactly where they can place a sample of any compound they want examined.

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In accordance to Hein, there are infinite strategies for wherever the moveable drug-checking device could be brought into the marketplace. He mentioned he hopes to see a kiosk on the Downtown Eastside.