A UNT College of Science professor is teaming with a Frisco company to roll out a portable breathalyzer that could be able to identify cannabis and opioids. The professor is Guido Verbeck. The company is InspectIR Systems LLC. Here are Verbeck and InspectIR co-founders John Redmond and Tim Wing, in a release from UNT:
“Using a mini mass spectrometer and special filters, my device can detect and identify chemical molecules in a gas,” Verbeck said. “That means it can literally smell and identify substances on your breath. Right now, I am working with John Redmond and Tim Wing, founders of InspectIR, on a breathalyzer for commercial release that will detect any number of drugs.”
“With opioid abuse at an all-time high, it is imperative to get a device on the market that can detect drug use on the spot,” said Redmond.
“It is especially important to be able to test people such as bus drivers, pilots and people who work heavy machinery.” Wing added, “Imagine the number of lives that could be saved if employees were tested prior to beginning work in a hazardous environment. The breathalyzer would allow companies to turn away workers under the influence.”
InspectIR and Verbeck are apparently not the only folks on this task.The breathalyzer will hit the market soon, the release says, and will at first test only for THC, a component of cannabis.
