New smart phone features molecular scanner which can test drugs

http://mashable.com/2017/01/07/smartphone-with-scio-sensor-changhong-h2/

Relevant bit:

Another application is verifying the authenticity of drugs. At a demo at CES, I saw the phone scan what I was told was a real Viagra pill and a knock-off. To the naked eye the pills looked identical, both light-blue diamond-shaped pills. But the H2's SCiO scanner recognized the impostor in seconds, calling it out with a bright orange screen.

http://imgur.com/a/84hzl

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPPfatkXx74

https://www.consumerphysics.com/


Comments


[8 Points] stilldogman:

A tiny portable spectrometer! I've been reading about these for a bit. Rad. I wonder how accurate this iteration will be/if it will need to be calibrated?

You can buy similar devices that interface with your computer already, and their pocket spectrometer is already for sale (a few hundred bucks). I haven't read any reviews of them yet, though. I'm about to go do that!!!


[6 Points] RainbowNose:

Erugh im sick of seeing this thing. Someone posted about this a few months ago. If you want it for anything to do with illicit drugs (which I assume you naughty lot will), this won't work. I'd be highly skeptical this would work at all for anything.

It (claims it) uses near infrared spectroscopy. Very little data can be extracted from this as it isn't high enough energy to vibrate molecular bonds. Its completely ridiculous to even suggest this could do the work of any spectrometer you'd find in a standard lab.

The fastest and easiest method we use in the lab for identification (and if you are incredibly smart quantification) would be infra-red spectroscopy. A new half decent FT-IR spectrometer will set you back around 20k. There is no way a smart phone will pack that kind of technology in for less than £500.

So, im not entirely sure what people are expecting from this. Yes it could probably tell you if its looking at an alcoholic drink. It might be able to distinguish between one a real viagra and a fake one (if they gave off completely different signals), but there would be no practical benefit from this thing whatsoever.

A standard reagent test would give you the same information, far more reliably and far more cheaply. Please don't fall for this.

Your resident chemist x

ps just for fun heres another kickstarter campaign that also turned out to be a load of shit here is the triton, a device that lets you breath underwater. Did it work? Of course not for fucks sake, but people still spent almost a million dollars on it. Be careful with what you do with your money people.


[6 Points] throwahooawayyfoe:

This was a kickstarter project a while back and is decently old news by now. The big drawback is it's server-based and can only identify something that has already been entered into their database. Sure, it can tell you whether you're looking at ambien or metoprolol. But, unless the company has decided to include schedule 1 & 2 narcotics in their list, it wouldn't be able to identify the bag of fent you just bought thinking it was heroin.


[1 Points] fdizile:

This is some cool shit. Can't wait to see that rolled out.


[3 Points] MollieIsYourFriend:

Here's some advice. When you show up to meet the connect with your damn spectro anal lazer..don't forget to wear a pocket protector to finish the ensemble. But don't be surprised if they just push you to the ground, take your stuff and then your chick rides home with them.


[1 Points] Ksmithskram:

https://youtu.be/ABY3GLf7wU4


[1 Points] throwoutofwindowplz:

This not accurate and furthermore so fucking expensive.


[0 Points] Blurry_bars:

i find this really hard to believe. but shit. with technology these days, who knows.


[0 Points] d45f67h8:

Yeah and my phone also checks bloody-oxygen levels... and always says it's 99%... even right before my friend went to the doctor and had his checked, which turned out to only be 85%. I wouldn't put much faith in these... they'll probably tell you something's heroin when it's really fentanyl.