THE POWER OF KNOWING NOW: RAPID DRUG SCREENING USING ASAP-MS

Importance of the Topic

Rapid and reliable screening of seized drug samples is critical in forensic and toxicology laboratories due to high workloads, the emergence of novel psychoactive substances, and the need for timely decision-making.

Objectives and Study Overview

The study evaluates a compact Atmospheric Solids Analysis Probe coupled to mass spectrometry (ASAP-MS) device (RADIAN-ASAP) for rapid drug screening and compares its performance with a high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) screening method.

Methodology

A simple Dip & Detect workflow was applied:

• Certified reference materials and seized samples dissolved in methanol or methanol:water (50:50, v/v) and diluted.
• Glass capillaries dipped into sample solution and introduced into the ASAP probe.
• Data acquired at four increasing cone voltages (15, 25, 35, 50 V) to generate a distinct molecular fingerprint.
• Real-time library matching using LiveID 2.0 software with a reporting match factor threshold of 850 (max 1000).

Instrumentation

• RADIAN-ASAP-MS compact device with heated nitrogen nebulizing gas.
• High-resolution mass spectrometer with UNIFI Forensic Toxicology Screening solution (Waters Corp).
• LiveID 2.0 library matching software.

Key Results and Discussion

• Analysis time under 2 minutes per sample.
• CRM analysis of 40 illicit drugs yielded match factors ≥877 in 97.5% of cases, with ≥900 considered high confidence.
• Seized samples (n>60) demonstrated 40% ketamine, 30% MDMA, 20% cocaine, and mixtures, including identification of a designer benzodiazepine (flualprazolam) in a pill labeled as Xanax.
• Duplicate analyses showed excellent reproducibility and agreement (>95%) with HRMS confirmation.

Benefits and Practical Applications

• Minimal sample preparation and no chromatography.
• High specificity from multi-voltage fragmentation fingerprints.
• Rapid throughput suitable for large seizure screening and quality control.
• Potential reduction of false positives and resource consumption.

Future Trends and Applications

• Expansion of spectral libraries to cover emerging substances.
• Integration with laboratory information management systems (LIMS) and automated workflows.
• Development of portable ASAP-MS platforms for field use.
• Incorporation of AI algorithms for enhanced identification and prediction.

Conclusion

The compact ASAP-MS approach delivers rapid, reliable, and reproducible drug screening with performance comparable to HRMS, offering a practical solution for high-throughput forensic and analytical laboratories.

References

• No references provided in the original document