Devices and methods for the collection and detection of substances

Abstract

The present invention provides a single self-contained device for collecting, extracting, on-site testing, and transferring for forensic confirmatory analysis, a wide variety of substances including, but not limited to, drugs of abuse, explosives, weapons of mass destruction, food toxins and industrial wastes. Samples can be obtained from a surface by swabbing a suspect area or the testing of solid materials (pills, capsules, powders), air samples and biological and non-biological fluids by placing the substance in the device. The device includes a swab, a retention well including a wash, and analysis technologies that can be, for example, a lateral flow testing system. The swab is rinsed with a wash prior to testing thereby not compromising the chemistry of the detection technologies and allowing for a wide variety of applications under a number of field conditions. Also, the device is a single self-contained unit instead of having a separate reagent droppers or sprays, making it compact and easy to use. Moreover, the device is designed to not only collect and test samples but to seal the originally target analyte, not affected by testing procedures, in a specially designed cap for shipping under chain of custody documentation to a forensic laboratory for confirmatory testing.