Screening is an integral component of an analytical scheme to identify the presence of controlled substances in submissions to the crime laboratory. Many techniques are utilized, including color tests, thin-layer chromatography, and ultraviolet spectroscopy. While these are useful techniques to guide the examiner, all will, at best, categorize the material into a broad group of compounds. Direct Analysis in Real Time (DART), coupled with a time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometer, is an emerging technique that yields highly definitive screening data leading to the identity of controlled substances present in a case sample. Sample preparation is quick and simple and run times are typically only a few minutes. Collected data will allow the examiner to determine appropriate standards for confirmation, making the overall analysis much more efficient. Presented here is a guide to using this technique for the screening of case submissions for controlled substances.
CITATION STYLE
Steiner, R. R. (2018). Use of DART-TOF-MS for Screening Drugs of Abuse. In Methods in Molecular Biology (Vol. 1810, pp. 59–68). Humana Press Inc. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-8579-1_5
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