Advancements for Laboratory Colorimetric Screening of Seized Drugs

Color testing continues to be reported as the most common seized drug screening method because of the advantages of low cost, rapid results, and simple visual interpretation. However, limitations from human factors considerations, interferents, and manual interpretation and recording of results often lead to opportunities for user error and unreliable results. Although there have been significant technological advancements since the early implementation of color tests for seized drugs, many of these methods have not been fully explored or integrated into color test workflows today. This presentation will discuss several different research efforts to support advancements in traditional color testing. For example, these tests are advantageously amenable to digital improvements using imaging. Available tools and software are best suited for research purposes rather than implementation due to the lack of automation and number of manual steps that can be time-consuming when processing many images. Alternatively, developing a custom software for needs such as throughput, automation, and objective analysis beyond research-grade tools requires advanced computer programming knowledge and expertise in computer vision and learning. One advancement that will be discussed is the improvement of automated image processing and objective color interpretation that is configurable for integration into other complementary technology platforms.