Originally published by Digital Health.
This month’s industry nibs includes NHS Wales embarking on a new early payment programme for its suppliers, a new fingerprint drug test to be used by Staffordshire (South) Coroner Service to assist investigations and LumiraDX new product to assist in INR self-testing patients on anticoagulation.
Staffordshire (South) Coroner Service to use fingerprint drug test in assisting investigations
Following a successful trial, HM Senior Coroner for Staffordshire (South) has placed an order for a new fingerprint-based drug screening system from Intelligent Fingerprinting. The new technology will be used by the Coroner’s team to carry out a simple, non-invasive drug test on the deceased immediately upon arrival at the mortuary. The test results will help to prioritise costly and time-consuming post-mortem investigations.
Launched last month, Intelligent Fingerprinting’s new drug screening system detects recent drug use by analysing the sweat collected from the tip of a finger. Sweat deposits are still present even after death. Sample collection takes five seconds, and the system delivers simultaneous screening results for the four main drugs of abuse – cocaine, opiates, cannabis and amphetamines – in under ten minutes.
The Staffordshire (South) Coroner’s Office has been an active participant in trials of Intelligent Fingerprinting’s drug screening system over the last 18 months, with trial results showing that fingertip-based testing can deliver effective screening, prioritising the requirement for further post mortem enquiries and full toxicology analyses.
