title: Direct drug analysis from oral fluid using medical swab touch spray mass spectrometry.
abstract: Fourteen common drugs of abuse were identified in spiked oral fluid (ng mL(-1) levels), analyzed directly from medical swabs using touch spray mass spectrometry (TS-MS), exemplifying a rapid test for drug detection. Multiple stages of mass analysis (MS(2) and MS(3)) provided identification and detection limits sought by international forensic and toxicological societies, Δ(9)-THC and buprenorphine excluded. The measurements were made using a medical swab as both the sampling probe and means of ionization. The adaptation of medical swabs for TS-MS analysis allows non-invasive and direct sampling of neat oral fluid. Data acquisition was rapid, seconds per drug, and MS(3) ensured reliable identification of illicit drugs. The reported data were acquired to investigate (i) ionization of common drugs from commercial swabs, (ii) ion intensity over spray duration, and (iii) dynamic range, all as initial steps in development of a quantitative method. The approach outlined is intended for point-of-care drug testing using oral fluid in clinical applications as well as in situ settings, viz. in forensic applications. The proof-of-concept results presented will require extension to other controlled substances and refinement in analytical procedures to meet clinical/legal requirements.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Center for Analytical Instrumentation Development, Purdue University, 560 Oval Drive, West Lafayette, 47907 IN, USA; Centro Regionale Antidoping e di Tossicologia "A. Bertinaria", Regione Gonzole 10/1, Orbassano, 10043 Torino, Italy. Electronic address: vpirro@purdue.edu.
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Pirro
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Center for Analytical Instrumentation Development, Purdue University, 560 Oval Drive, West Lafayette, 47907 IN, USA.
authors.forename: Alan K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Jarmusch
authors.affiliation: Centro Regionale Antidoping e di Tossicologia "A. Bertinaria", Regione Gonzole 10/1, Orbassano, 10043 Torino, Italy; Dipartimento di Chimica, Università degli Studi di Torino, Via Pietro Giuria 7, Torino, 10125, Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vincenti
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Center for Analytical Instrumentation Development, Purdue University, 560 Oval Drive, West Lafayette, 47907 IN, USA. Electronic address: cooks@purdue.edu.
authors.forename: R Graham
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Cooks
mesh_terms: D013058:Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000032:analysis*; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations
keywords: Ambient ionization; Drug testing; Medical swab; Tandem mass spectrometry; Touch spray ionization; Toxicology