Last updated December 18th, 2024.
If you have any further questions or would like to learn more, please reach out to your Spectra representative or email us at info@spectraplasmonics.com.
Can you please describe your organization’s mission, motivation, management team, legal structure and ownership, and revenue model?
Mission: empower anyone to make better informed, human health related decisions by developing chemical sensing products that are high performing and simple to use.
Spectra is a Canadian-controlled private corporation (CCPC); due to the heavy research focused nature of the company, the vast majority of proceeds from Amplifi ID get reinvested back into improving the product, which includes regular updates to the detection library, software interface, and servicing.
Spectra’s owners take no dividends or profit-sharing from the company’s proceeds.
Revenue model: one-time revenue from the sale of our Amplifi ID Reader, and potential additional revenue from Test Kits and warranties/support.
What experience does your organization have in the field of harm reduction, if any?
Since 2019, Spectra Plasmonics has been working with people and organizations in the harm reduction field to tailor the development of Amplifi ID to the needs of the community.
Spectra’s team has included and sought guidance from several former/current frontline harm reduction workers, and have integrated this feedback in our product and service model.
From January to April 2021 Spectra staff conducted drug checking themselves at a partner site to better understand how our tool is being used and how we can improve its capabilities.
All employees have a mandatory harm reduction workshop in their onboarding to learn the basics of harm reduction as it relates to substance use.
How does your organization give back to the community of people who use drugs?
Non-profit Harm reduction groups currently benefit from a discount off the Reader cost and a lifetime access for detection library updates.
As part of investing in the technology, we offer complimentary user sessions for continued drug checking education and to provide forums for organizations to share program best practices with each other.
Whenever we can, we are vocal advocates for our current and future customers, whether that be to assist with their funding campaigns or help advocate to their local governments for their causes.
We also have sponsored several events hosted by harm reduction groups which has been reinvested into their work.
Our research and development team actively incorporates results and field feedback to our drug detection software.
Can you please describe how your technology works in lay terms?
Amplifi ID uses laser light to detect unique scattered light signatures from drug samples. These signatures are extremely information rich and specific to each drug, hence the detection signal is often known as a “molecular fingerprint”.
Our software translates that information into a plain language result on what substances are found in a sample.
How has your technology been validated? Please describe validation using reference standards (i.e., pharmaceutical grade known compounds in known amounts), as well as drugs from the unregulated supply. Please provide reports, peer-reviewed publications.
Amplifi ID’s detection capabilities have been validated using over 400 real world street drug mixtures from multiple North American cities that have been confirmed with gold standard mass spectrometry.
Scientific whitepaper on detection of xylazine and fentanyl within reference standards and within real world samples: https://www.spectraplasmonics.com/devices#xylazine-white-paper
Initial peer reviewed scientific paper on detecting and differentiating fentanyl analogues with our developed SERS technology (Trace Scan mode): https://doi.org/10.1016/j.snb.2020.129303
Can you please provide detailed limitations for your technology?
Bulk Scan: Limit of detection for bulk analysis is ~5% wt., depending on the substances chemical structure and complexity of the sample.
Trace Scan: Limit of detection for trace scan is 10-50 ug/mL in pure dilutions depending on the analyte.
Fluorescent/Dark coloured samples will present masking issues for Bulk Scan mode (can be overcome with Trace Scan).
Mixtures with more than 5 substances present will have challenges reporting all substances without further expert spectral analysis.
Has your technology been piloted in a community setting? If so, how, where, and could you provide a community contact we could connect with to learn about their experience?
The technology was piloted in Canada from late 2020 to 2022 and is successfully in use in multiple community settings within Canada and the US.
We are always happy to provide contacts of organizations currently using the technology in both Canada and the United States.
Is your technology new or does it build upon a technology already used for drug checking?
Amplifi ID utilizes lab-grade Raman spectroscopy instrumentation and SERS (enhanced Raman). SERS has been studied in academia for many years but is a ‘new’ method relative to other spectroscopic analysis techniques.
Raman spectroscopy has been widely used within the pharmaceutical industry and analytical laboratories for various forensic applications for decades and is a well studied analytical technique
Like FTIR, Raman spectroscopy is considered a “category A” technique for forensic drug analysis under ASTM E2329-17 meaning it is a technique that can grant the highest level of identifying and differentiating power.
How is your technology serviced?
Devices under warranty with component malfunctions are shipped and swapped with loaner devices until the servicing is complete to minimize downtime at no cost to the organization.
How do we access instrument support? How long do we have to wait for instrument support? Are there costs associated with accessing instrument support?
Support requests will be responded to in 24 hours by email or you may call our technical support line through EST business hours for real-time support
Accessing basic troubleshooting and functionality support from our team has no cost associated and many of the troubleshooting challenges can be handled remotely.
Components requiring repairs or replacements can be fully covered under warranty as mentioned above.
What qualifications or training are required of those that conduct drug checks using your technology?
Amplifi ID users do not need previous experience in spectroscopy or laboratory practices. No previous qualifications are required, so any background is sufficient.
A 3-hour training session will be provided - either in person or remotely - with the purchase of a device. This is mostly troubleshooting and time to practice preparing the samples, which is similar to the process of preparing a test strip sample.
Our software provides comprehensive plain-language results, so users are not required to interpret raw data like with other drug checking methods. However, we will also provide the raw results for operators to review if they please.
How durable is your technology (i.e., could it be used outdoors or in a vehicle)?
The Amplifi ID Reader comes with a shock, dust, and waterproof carrying case, simplifying transportation.
The Reader can easily be used in a vehicle or outdoors, but heavy dust and water exposure should be avoided when the device is outside its carrying case.
The optics of the Reader are resistant to vibrations, so the device can be easily moved between mobile drug checking locations, but the Reader should be kept still during a measurement.
The Reader has a daily calibration and system check to monitor any measurement issues with the instrument.
What sample types can be checked using your technology? E.g., substances (powder, crystals, rocks, pills, blotter, liquid), residue on used drug equipment.
Bulk Scan function: powder, rocks, crystals and pills may all be scanned through the baggy.
Trace Scan function: all of the above can be tested in trace scan mode as long as they can be diluted in our preparation solvent. Liquids and residues can also be measured on Trace Scan mode.
Are samples checked in raw form or are they diluted? If diluted, with what?
In the Bulk Scan test, samples may be checked in their raw form, through a plastic baggy with no sample prep required should the baggy be clear.
Alternatively in Trace Scan mode the sample is diluted with an alcohol-based solvent which is included in each shipment of trace scan kits.
What expected drugs can be checked using your technology?
Cocaine, methamphetamine, street opioid mixtures, prescription drugs, MDMA, ketamine, and some other psychedelics.
For the most up to date drug checking library list, please reach out to us.
Does your technology destroy the sample that is checked?
Bulk Scan function: no, this method is completely non-destructive and can be done through a clear baggy or transparent containers.
Trace Scan function: a small amount of the sample is consumed as it is diluted before testing - this only requires ~5-8mg of a sample.
How long are turnaround times for results?
If completing Bulk Scan and Trace Scan tests, the whole process can be completed within 10 minutes, including the time to prep the sample.
If conducting only bulk analysis, the test-to-answer time can be as little as 2 minutes.
Which drugs can your instrument detect?
Amplifi ID can detect over 150 unique substances including: fentanyl analogues, benzodiazepine analogues, nitazenes, stimulants, prescription pharmaceutical opioids and stimulants, over the counter medications, and psychedelic compounds.
The detection library is updated around every 8 weeks.
For the most up to date drug checking library list, please reach out to us.
Can your instrument detect non-drug fillers and other types of compounds? If so, which ones?
Yes - some examples include caffeine, levamisole, lidocaine, various sugar molecules, dimethyl sulfone, and many more.
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