A new portable mass spectrometry device, PDRA-LTP-ITMS, can detect illicit drugs in saliva or urine within 5 seconds using only 10 microliters of sample. The method improves sensitivity up to 10-fold compared to some other techniques and achieves detection limits for MDMA, MDA, methamphetamine, amphetamine, ketamine, and cocaine ranging from 4.5 to 20 picograms per microliter in saliva, meeting Chinese national standards. The device's performance approaches that of a high-end laboratory mass spectrometer, offering a rapid on-site tool for identifying drug-impaired drivers.
A new method for quickly detecting illicit drugs in biological fluids uses paper-based sample collection combined with ultrasonic desorption and low-temperature plasma ionization mass spectrometry. Optimized with ketamine, the technique achieves detection limits of 10 to 20 ng per mL, linear ranges with R² above 0.99, and recovery rates over 91% in complex fluids. It performs reliably even with drug mixtures and under varied storage conditions. Analysis takes only 3 seconds, making it suitable for high-throughput point-of-care testing and forensic screening.