Oral Fluid Testing

Oral fluid samples are sent to our laboratory where initial screening and in-depth confirmation testing is performed by specialist laboratory technicians. 

Concateno’s Abingdon laboratory tests oral fluid (saliva) samples for drugs. The samples are collected by customers, packaged up with the corresponding paperwork and sent through the post. Once the sample has been tested, the results are sent back to the customer via email, fax or post.

The samples are collected using one of Concateno’s sample collection kits. Results are returned within 24 hours of receipt by the laboratory.

Features

• Fully validated laboratory methods accredited to ISO/IEC 17025:2005
• Easy to use sample collection packs that follow full chain of custody requirements
• Screening and confirmation tests
• Rapid reporting of results
• Certificates of analysis and witness statements

Benefits

• Accredited laboratories independently audited
• Chain of custody to link, beyond doubt, sample to donor and result to sample
• Choice of delivery methods for results
• Secure download, email or fax
• Confirmation methods distinguish between prescribed or over the counter medication and illicit drugs
• Expert testimony for court attendance and tribunals
• Advice to customers on all aspects of drug testing

Components

Oral fluid collection kits each contain a collection swab, buffer tube, lab test request form, instructions for use and postage bag. The kits are available with split sample tubes and chain of custody.

NEW Concateno Certus® Oral Fluid collection device - Concateno have developed an improved collection device which is easier to handle and provides rapid sample collection.

Confirmation testing

Samples that screen positive may require further testing to identify specific drugs present using the latest technology:

• GC-MS (Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry)
• GC-MS/MS (Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry/Mass Spectrometry)
• LC-MS/MS (Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry/Mass Spectrometry)

These methods are the ‘Gold Standard’ in drug testing and provide fully defensible results in a court of law or industrial tribunal.

Drug groups tested

6-MAM

As we upgrade our service to include our new Certus collection device, we have replaced our specific morphine laboratory screen with a screening test for 6-Monoacetylmorphine (6-MAM). Morphine is a breakdown product of opiates and can be present in a sample following the use of opiate based products.  6-Monoacetylmorphine (6-MAM) is a unique heroin metabolite and is not formed following the use of any other drugs.  Therefore if 6-MAM is present in an oral fluid sample it would indicate that the individual has used heroin recently and will give a clearer indication of drug use.

The Alere™ DDS®2 Mobile Test System is a portable oral fluid drug testing system, which makes drug testing as easy as A, B, C.

Why use the Alere™ DDS®2 Mobile Test System?

Concateno’s research and development laboratories began a design specification for the Alere™ DDS®2 Mobile Test System in 2009 to meet the high performance demands of law enforcement agencies, drug treatment centres and workplace environments.  The result is a product which distils Concateno’s expertise in lateral flow technology with innovative design, making drug testing as easy as A, B, C.   Ease of use, fast test results and improved data management are the hallmarks of the Alere DDS®2 Mobile Test System.

Benefits

• Easy to use  - just 3 steps
• Rapid oral fluid collection
• Improved THC (cannabis) sensitivity
• Fully portable
• Full colour screen, readable day and night
• Robust and able to test in a wide range of environments
• Enhanced data management capabilities – storage of up to 10,000 results

Advantages of DDS®2 oral fluid testing vs. other drug testing methods

• The test process is clean – no sample to mix, pour or pipette
• The system is portable and battery powered
• Results can be downloaded and printed for records
• Fewer facilities needed than for urine sample collection
• Complete system and test kit includes all components needed for testing
• No special training required
• Sensitive and specific assays
• Non-invasive sample type
• Almost impossible to compromise
• Observed collections without donor privacy needed, eliminates the need for same-gender sample collection
• No subjectivity as analyser interprets test
• Using optional software, a database of results can be created for reporting, trend monitoring and analysis

Endorsements

The predecessor to the Alere™ DDS®2 Mobile Test System is the Cozart® DDS®. The DDS is used in 173 police custody suites across England and Wales as part of the UK Home Office’s Drug Interventions Programme (DIP). The system is used extensively by healthcare professionals working in drug treatment. Outside the UK, police at the roadside in Australia, Italy and Spain use the system for testing drivers who may have taken illicit drugs.

Components

The Alere™ DDS®2 Mobile Analyser will be supplied in a standard protective case and will include the following:

• Alere™ DDS®2 Mobile Analyser
• Micro USB cable for connection to a PC
• Built in SD Card
• Printer and cable
• QC Test Cartridges (positive and negative)
• Power supply unit and cable
• User guide on CD

Optional extras include:

• Alere™ DDS®2 Data Manager Software
• Car power adapter
• Hard case

Test kits will come in boxes of 25 and each test kit will include the following:

• Alere™ DDS®2 Test Cartridge
• Alere™ DDS®2 Oral Fluid Collection Device
• Instructions for use (1 per box)

Testing Panels:
DS2-404 – THC25/COC30/AMP50/MAMP50/OPI40
DDS2-403 – THC25/COC30/AMP50/MAMP50/OPI40/BZO20

Future testing panels to include buprenorphine, ketamine and methadone.

The Cozart® DDSV is an onsite drug test for oral fluid (saliva). The test is carried out using a cartridge that is interpreted by eye.

Multiple drugs can be tested for using the DDSV. The test takes from 90 seconds to 5 minutes – depending on the number of drugs that are being tested for.

Features

• Easy and straightforward to use
• Sample collection in less than one minute
• Sample adequacy indicator to ensure enough sample is collected
• Rapid analysis: two drugs in 90 seconds, six drugs in five minutes

Benefits

• Accurate screening result
• Rapid turnaround at the point of testing
• Portable for testing at multiple sites
• No additional equipment required

Components

Each Cozart® DDSV consists of a test cartridge of defined drug panel, a Cozart® DDS collection swab, a sample buffer bottle with a flip top lid and windicator.

Drug panels