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Concateno to preview new portable drug testing device at ICADTS
Concateno to preview new portable drug testing device at ICADTS
The device incorporates a number of additional features and benefits, including a new ergonomic design with full colour display screen, faster collection times, and improved sensitivity for THC, allowing lower levels to be detected.
Oxfordshire,
Abingdon,
United Kingdom
(pr4links.com)
17/09/2010
"Concateno’s testing technology for drug driving follows a similar process to an alcohol breathalyser test, except that an oral fluid sample is collected from the donor rather than a breath sample."
Concateno, Europe’s most experienced drug and alcohol testing company, is previewing its next generation handheld drugs of abuse detection device at the 2010 International Council on Alcohol, Drugs and Traffic Safety (ICADTS). The new drug driving device will be exclusively previewed to traffic police, legal professionals, and traffic safety organisations at the event which takes place in Oslo, Norway on August 22-26, in advance of the Global Preview at the MEDICA world trade fair in November in Düsseldorf.
Available to end customers in 2011, upon completion of performance evaluation studies and regulatory clearances, the portable unit will supersede Concateno’s existing Cozart® DDS® device and test up to six different drug groups from a single oral fluid (saliva) sample. The device incorporates a number of additional features and benefits, including a new ergonomic design with full colour display screen, faster collection times, and improved sensitivity for THC, allowing lower levels to be detected. Drugs of abuse will be identifiable at the roadside within 90 seconds for some tests, and within a few minutes for broader, more sensitive tests that capture a wider range of substance misuse. The system also comes with improved software capabilities, allowing users to easily download test results and compile management reports.
Concateno’s testing technology for drug driving follows a similar process to an alcohol breathalyser test, except that an oral fluid sample is collected from the donor rather than a breath sample. It is already employed in many countries – including Australia, Spain, Croatia and Italy – and has helped to reduce the number of accidents and fatalities on the roads.
Concateno’s drug driving expert, Iain Forcer, said: “Our roadside testing work with Australian police forces, among others internationally, proves that a clearly defined offence based on the presence of a drug in the system is successful in reducing levels of drug misuse and improving public safety.”
Since roadside drug testing was introduced in the Australian State of Victoria in 2004, roadside drug testing has been implemented across Australia. In Victoria, incidences of drivers detected with illicit drugs present has halved over a five-year period, from one driver in 44 to one driver in 94, and a reduction in the involvement of illicit drug in road trauma has occurred. Australia’s head of roadside testing for the State of Victoria Police, Inspector Martin Boorman, said: “In Australia, the use of roadside drug testing technology has proved extremely successful and has certainly helped to make our roads safer.
“Roadside drug testing, much like the roadside alcohol screening test, acts as a deterrent, but also provides the police with a quick and effective means to help catch those people who drive while using illegal substances. This technology, used in conjunction with a widespread educational campaign, has and continues to be extremely successful.”
In Italy, Concateno’s current testing device is being deployed at the roadside by a number of regional/local police forces across the country. Concateno has most recently been working on a study with Rome City Police in an unprecedented collaboration with an external organisation. The organisation has provided an all inclusive package of testing services, using the point of care device at the roadside followed up by the confirmation of any positive results back at the Concateno centre of excellence in Abingdon, Oxfordshire. The units are already proving successful and have lead to a number of roadside arrests.
In the UK, drug driving laws and current testing practice have been under continued scrutiny. The North Review was commissioned by the Department for Transport as the first major evaluation of drink and drug driving law in 34 years. The report made 16 recommendations (out of a total of 44) specifically relating to drug driving – a recognised, but still poorly understood danger on UK roads.
Forcer said: “Concateno supports the North Review’s call for the earliest possible introduction of drug screening devices to identify those driving under the influence of illegal substances. However to enable this to happen, the Government needs to set down what devices should be capable of testing and how. Commercial suppliers such as Concateno will need to seek official confirmation that their testing devices fulfil this specification. Only then will police forces here in the UK be able to adopt such technology to help improve safety on the roads.
“When launched, Concateno’s new device will contain the most advanced technology available on the market and we are confident that with its fast collection speeds and ability to detect for a wide range of substances, this device will meet any criteria that may be required.”
• An exclusive, invitation-only, preview of Concateno’s new drug testing device will be available on the Concateno stand at ICADTS on Wednesday, August 25, between 5-6pm – please contact Jaspal Nicacio on +44 (0)1235 861 483 or at jaspal.nicacio@concateno.com for more details of the preview event.
Ends
For more information regarding Concateno, please contact:
Carrie Lowe or Matt Trace
Telephone: +44 (0)1962 893 893
Mobile: +44 (0)7554 014 188
Email: carrie.lowe@concateno.com / matthew.trace@concateno.com
Concateno – global drug testing services
Informed testing for informed decisions, when it matters most
Concateno (www.concateno.com) brings together Europe’s strongest and most experienced drug and alcohol testing organisations and over 60 years of collected expertise. It offers an unparalleled breadth of advisory services and testing capabilities – spanning laboratory, point of care tests and all sample types for any biological specimen, including urine, oral fluids, hair and sweat.
Concateno’s 400 employees perform and deliver more than 10 million tests annually, supported by a global network of 600 sample collection officers, trained in-house in chain-of-custody procedures. Together, they conduct testing for approximately 8,500 clients in 130 countries around the world across all industries, healthcare and government bodies.
Concateno’s dedicated divisions specialise in: Child Protection, Clinical Diagnostics, Criminal Justice, Employee Services, Healthcare and Maritime.
Quality is assured by the highest levels of accreditation, supported by expert and responsive customer service. Concateno’s three UK laboratories are audited and accredited by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) to the international standard ISO/IEC 17025 for the testing for substance misuse in hair, oral fluids and urine, respectively. Laboratory products and point of care test products are manufactured within ISO 9001:2008 and ISO 13485:2003 certified facilities. The company is also subject to a range of external quality assurance programmes, including UKNEQAS, IIP and CAP (US scheme).
In August 2009, Concateno became a subsidiary of Alere Inc., formerly known as Inverness Medical Innovations, Inc. (NYSE: ALR).
About Alere
By developing new capabilities in near-patient diagnosis, monitoring and health management, Alere Inc.(http://www.alere.com/), formerly known as Inverness Medical Innovations, Inc., enables individuals to take charge of improving their health and quality of life at home. Alere’s global leading products and services, as well as its new product development efforts, focus on infectious disease, cardiology, oncology, drugs of abuse and women’s health. Alere is headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts.
About
Concateno is Europe's leading drug and alcohol testing service provider and a manufacturer of clinical diagnostic instruments and drug testing kits. Working in Child Protection, Clinical Diagnostics, Criminal Justice, the workplace, Healthcare and the Maritime industry.
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