Europlaz to produce critical components for fingerprint drug test cartridge

Press Release

Intelligent Fingerprinting partners with specialist UK medical mouldings firm to scale manufacturing of innovative fingerprint sample collection cartridges

• Signs agreement with Europlaz to accelerate production of tamper-proof single use cartridge for fingerprint collection and drug screening
• New non-invasive drug test cartridge collects sweat sample from fingerprints in just five seconds and contains sealed liquid reagents for analysis
  

UK-based Intelligent Fingerprinting has signed a three-year deal with UK medical device manufacturing specialist Europlaz to produce critical components for the innovative fingerprint drug test cartridge element of the new Intelligent Fingerprinting Drug Screening System.

The Intelligent Fingerprinting system works by analysing fingerprint sweat on a single use collection cartridge. Sample collection takes a few seconds and can then be used to screen for the four main drug groups – cocaine, opiates, cannabis and amphetamines – simultaneously. The new fingerprint drug test – which has been fully trialled and is now available to order – has applications across a variety of screening scenarios, including drug rehabilitation programmes, workplace applications, criminal justice and for use by coroners. The device’s performance is highly dependent on two specialised features, its anti-tamper sliding cover which protects the fingerprint from contamination after collection and the sealed reagent release mechanism.

Europlaz is a leading contract medical manufacturer specialising in the production of the highest quality plastic injection moulded components, sub-assemblies and finished medical devices. The company has worked closely with Intelligent Fingerprinting on the manufacturing development of its small, ergonomically-designed and tamper-proof single use cartridge for drug screening. Key elements addressed by Europlaz in the process include precision moulding to create a ‘living hinge’ that supports the cartridge’s buffer clip, as well as a number of high quality features for the cartridge’s secure sliding cover.

“Our ground-breaking technology depends on the highest standards of quality and accuracy, and Europlaz has already proved to be an essential partner in the design and development of our innovative, tamper-proof fingerprint collection cartridge,” commented Dr Jerry Walker, Intelligent Fingerprinting’s CEO. “Europlaz brings proven injection moulding skills and impressive clean room facilities to our partnership, and we now look forward to extending our relationship as we scale up our manufacturing following the full validation and commercial introduction of our fingerprint-based drug screening system.”

“With our extensive clean room facilities and over 40 years’ experience in the highest quality precision plastic moulding, Europlaz has proved to be an important partner in the development of the innovative Intelligent Fingerprinting Drug Screening System,” added Eddie O’Keefe, CEO at Europlaz. “Now that the Intelligent Fingerprinting system is available commercially, we’re moving on to the next stage of the project as we collectively scale up cartridge manufacturing to ensure we meet the price points needed for what will quickly become a globalised product.”

About the Intelligent Fingerprinting Drug Screening System
The two-part Drug Screening System consists of single-use, tamper-evident Intelligent Fingerprinting Cartridges (for sample collection) and the portable Intelligent Fingerprinting Reader 1000 analysis unit. The Cartridge uses lateral flow assay technology and fluorescence-labelled antibodies to selectively detect specific drugs or their metabolites in eccrine sweat collected from a single fingerprint.

The portable Reader 1000 is a highly sensitive, robust and effective fluorescence measurement instrument which is used to read the cartridge, providing a positive or negative result for four groups of drugs – amphetamines, cocaine, opiates and cannabis.

To learn more about the Intelligent Fingerprinting Drug Screening System please take a look at our introductory video:

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For media information contact Cheryl Billson at Comma
Email: cheryl.billson@commacomms.com  Tel: +44 (0)7791 720460

Notes to Editors:

About Europlaz
Europlaz provides a complete solution for contract medical manufacturing, with state-of-the-art cleanroom facilities and an emphasis on continuous improvement. The company has the UK’s largest cleanroom injection moulding machine, and over 40 years’ experience in the design, manufacture and assembly of injection moulded components. Europlaz is an innovative, full service supplier to both international blue-chip medical device companies as well as start-up operations.

www.europlaz.co.uk

About Intelligent Fingerprinting
Intelligent Fingerprinting’s unique fingerprint-based portable Drug Screening System is set to revolutionise the way drug screening is carried out across a range of sectors. The distinctive Intelligent Fingerprinting technology, which works by analysing the sweat from a fingerprint sample, enables non-invasive, cost-effective screening for multiple drug groups in less than 10 minutes (currently amphetamines, cannabis, cocaine and opiates).

Intelligent Fingerprinting has attracted worldwide interest in its technology from a wide range of drug-screening markets including the criminal justice arena, drug rehabilitation centres, prisons and occupational health services. The technique has potential for many other uses including healthcare diagnostics and homeland security applications.

The company’s ground-breaking technology detects drug use by analysing chemicals, known as metabolites, contained in the minute traces of sweat found in a fingerprint. (Metabolites are chemicals produced by the body as a result of normal metabolic processes.) The Intelligent Fingerprinting Drug Screening System looks for the presence of specific drugs or drug metabolites in the test subject’s fingerprint sweat sample and, if detected, identifies which drugs have been consumed.

Intelligent Fingerprinting also works closely with universities, measurement and testing bodies – including organisations such as LGC, University of Surrey and the UK National Measurement Laboratory and Designated Institute for chemical and bio-measurement – to support the wider development of fingerprint-based drug screen analysis methods and future research into fingerprints as a diagnostic matrix.

Founded in 2007, Intelligent Fingerprinting is a spin-out company from the University of East Anglia (UEA).  The company is based in Cambridge, England and currently employs around 30 people. Since 2012 Intelligent Fingerprinting has raised £11.23m in funding from a consortium of private UK and US-based investors, as well as government funding for pilot studies within the UK’s National Health Service and Coroners’ services.

www.intelligentfingerprinting.com

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