NIRLab

Mobile quantitative drug analysis

The NIRLab system enables rapid field analysis of selected drugs, including rapid quantitative analysis in the field. The analysis is simple, very fast and does not need any chemicals etc. The analysis can be carried out by a routinely trained worker (training time approx. 15 minutes). It is a comprehensive system built on cloud solutions and it is assumed that a large number of instruments are working in the field. NIRLab in conjunction with the unique hardware of the microNIR spectrometers (VIAVI, USA) ensures that all instruments always analyse the same way (all spectrometers are always working with the latest algorithms and the same library version at any given time). This is also possible due to the unique reproducibility of the production of the microNIR spectrometers. All spectrometers produce identical results, even in quantitative analysis mode. Data can be stored in the central cloud storage of the organization and can be further manipulated (printing of reports, data management, export) or superstructure analyses (tracing, mapping...). The whole system is fully localized into Czech language.

The NIRLAB system is built on three cornerstones:

1. Unique hardware from VIAVI (Santa Rosa, California, USA) - NIR spectrometers microNIR OnSite W
2. NIRLab Cloud services (software and secure HW)
3. On the mobile and tablet endpoint applications (NIRLab App) and the desktop application for PC and tablet (NIRLab Desktop App).

Analysis workflow

1. The handheld NIR spectrometer measures the spectrum of the sample within seconds, this is sent via the mobile app (mobile phone, tablet) to the NIRLab Cloud.
   
2. The NIRLab Cloud performs sample identification, qualitative analysis (e.g. determining whether THC or CBD type of marijuana, identification of diluents in heroin or cocaine...) and quantitative analysis (if a quantitative model is available for the substance). Currently, the quantitative analysis of heroin, cocaine and marijuana is fully validated, and the analyses of MDMA and amphetamine are also functional. In the case of marijuana, continuous work is being done to refine the model - with the large number of varieties and variability of real samples, accuracy is being further improved over time. The final stage of development is the quantitative analysis of methamphetamine, which will be available during 2021. The whole system uses artificial intelligence and machine learning principles, so the models are continuously improved as the number of samples analysed increases, and a very robust solution is gradually emerging given the expected global deployment.
   
3. Analysis results from the NIRLab cloud are sent back to the mobile phone/tablet and displayed in the NIRLab Mobile App. An example of cocaine sample analysis output is shown in the figure. There are three repetitions of the analysis of a single cocaine sample (due to the inhomogeneity of real samples, it is recommended to perform multiple analyses from a single sample). Due to the high speed of the analysis, it is easy to perform a larger number of analyses and obtain a result that represents the average composition of the entire amount of substance retained. The resulting concentration is given in % and the error in relative percentages for heroin, cocaine and MDMA. Thus, in this case, the absolute error for the determined 43.1% cocaine (HCl) content is approximately 3.8%. In the case of marijuana, the resulting error is also reported as an absolute error in %. The data sent between the spectrometer, the cloud solution and the mobile app are from this point on anonymized and very small (spectral data only). The user can now save the data at the touch of a button and the results, including the location determination, are stored in a protected cloud database that is created for his organization.
4. The NIRLab Desktop App is designed for viewing and working with the data stored in the cloud application. This can be opened on any device with a web browser and internet connection, even on the same tablet where the NIRLab Mobile App for field measurements is located. This app offers two levels of service, Premium and Gold. Within the Premium services, it is possible to view stored data, the program automatically calculates averages when analyzing multiple sites from a single sample, more detailed analysis information is displayed, data can be exported and reports can be printed. The Gold service allows for advanced data analysis (trends, map entries, spectral similarity analyses - tracing, etc.).

If you would like more information, please contact us.