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Funding boost supports fingerprint drug screening trials
Intelligent Fingerprinting has been awarded £425,000 in UK government healthcare grants to support the development of its non-invasive fingerprint drug screening technique for pilot use within hospital Accident & Emergency and coroner services. Read the full story.
Technology
Intelligent Fingerprinting uses high sensitivity detection reagents to identify metabolite substances in the sweat contained in fingerprints. Initial reagents have been devised for the detection of the metabolites of drugs of abuse and nicotine, and have shown the unique ability to both develop a high-definition image of the fingerprint that can be used to identify the individual whilst at the same time revealing intelligence about the lifestyle of the owner of the fingerprint through the dual analysis of the metabolites. The detection of the metabolites is correlated directly to the sweat pores within the fingerprint itself, meaning that the Intelligent Fingerprinting testing process is immune from problems associated with contamination, impossible to cheat, and provides a watertight chain of evidence continuity.
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Intelligent Fingerprinting has developed sample kits that can be used to both analyse samples taken directly from an individual, and also for the analysis of latent fingerprints recovered from touched surfaces. In addition to these, Intelligent Fingerprinting has developed a prototype hand-held sample collection device that will allow samples to be collected from individuals in-situ, with results available from the analysis of disposable cartridges in a matter of minutes.
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The opportunities for use of Intelligent Fingerprinting’s pioneering technology are many and varied, but can be summarised as –
Welcome to Intelligent Fingerprinting
Formed in 2008 by Professor David Russell of the University of East Anglia (UEA) in collaboration with researchers at Kings College, London Intelligent Fingerprinting uses high sensitivity detection reagents to identify metabolite substances in the sweat contained in fingerprints.
Initial studies have demonstrated utility of the technique for the detection of metabolites of drugs of abuse, and have successfully shown that it is possible to both identify an individual whilst at the same time revealing intelligence about their lifestyle.
The company is based at premises at the Norwich Research Park Innovation Centre, and is closely associated with the UEA's School of Chemistry. The company has published a number of research papers in high-impact journals that describe the technology that underpins the Intelligent Fingerprinting process.
Intelligent Fingerprinting products are not currently available for sale in the US