Philips and Concateno Announce Revolutionary Drugs-of-Abuse Testing System

11-26-2008: Concateno plc, provider of drug and alcohol testing programmes, and Royal Philips Electronics have announced an innovative handheld drugs-of-abuse detection device. Concateno-Philips pioneering system will make testing for drugs such as cocaine and heroin quicker, simpler and easier enabling immediate point-of-care drug test results, similar to current alcohol tests. Concateno and Philips will deliver the new solution to selected customers in the second half of 2009.

At launch, the Concateno-Philips handheld product will test five drug groups at the same time (cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, amphetamine and cannabis) in a single saliva sample. Total test time of the new device, from collection of sample to result, will be less than 90 seconds. This represents a significant advance on existing test times, which can take up to five times longer to complete. Other significant features of the test include its sensitivity and ease of use, which has been enhanced by the product's cartridge design and data collection to ensure a reduction in the steps required to obtain results.

Point-of-care testing for drug screening is a test carried out beside or near to the individual being tested, immediately after they have provided a sample for detection. The benefits of point-of-care testing flow from having test results in a few minutes. The need for speed, multi-analytical testing, plus robustness and reliability of method are all central to effective testing.

"This enhanced run time and ease of use will make the new system ideal for worldwide roadside testing, as well as for the criminal justice sector, workplace testing markets and emergency room scenarios where a quick result is key to treatment," said Fiona Begley, Concateno chief executive officer.