Optical Arduino sensors for detecting purity of streetdrugs on the spot

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Arduino technology has advanced to a point where it could potentially serve as a more practical alternative for on-the-spot drug purity testing compared to previous Raspberry Pi mass spectrometry projects, which were cumbersome and not mobile. The goal is to create a compact device that can recognize various drugs and their purity, with a focus on saving lives. There is a discussion about the differences between Raman and mass spectroscopy, clarifying that they are distinct techniques requiring different hardware. The conversation also highlights the importance of building a reliable database of real drugs for accurate identification. Overall, the community is exploring the feasibility of using Arduino sensors for this purpose.
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Are there a mature DIY projet using Arduino for detecting the purity of street drugs on the spot?
Some time ago I posted this Raspberry PI DIY Mass Spec using Raman Scattering. It's was something of a cumbersome project though, needing a 3D printer and special heat-resistant plastic giving of carcinogenic fumes during printing. To be blunt it was also not very mobile and interpreting the results was further cumbersome

Recently though, I've been told that Arduino, and it's various sensor packages, has matured to the point where it's a usable alternative. Now I realize that a cigarette pack-size device may be a little too much to hope for for street use, but has anyone heard of a project along those lines?

I doubt there's a patent waiting there but that is also not my intention. My intention is to save lives as easy as possible, and it seems to me that Arduino could be a viable alternative to the first clumsy attempt.

Building up a database of the real drugs will present no problem (I'm pretty well connected, and not in an Godfather way :smile:), so essentially we're down to recognizing the individual drugs. For starters I'd be happy with a yes no for the various compounds. Purity might come down the line...
 
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I've seen hand-held scanners used on a TV show that I watch about US Customs & Border Protection. Here is what my Google search turned up -- you might look into the devices they list to see if you can get more info about how they work:

1758309625157.webp
 
Thank you. I've allied myself with a civil engineer. He was the one who suggested it offhand. Now we have something to start with.
 
Perhaps I am missing something but I don't get why you mix Raman spectroscopy with mass spectroscopy, these are completely different, unrelated things.
 
Borek said:
Perhaps I am missing something but I don't get why you mix Raman spectroscopy with mass spectroscopy, these are completely different, unrelated things.
Which "you"?

Also, both are mentioned in the reply that I posted. They are different modalities and need different hardware, yes.
 
berkeman said:
Which "you"?

OP, here:

sbrothy said:
I posted this Raspberry PI DIY Mass Spec using Raman Scattering.

(link removed)

This is seriously misleading as written.

Mass spectroscopy is a technique that involves evaporating sample in a vacuum, ionizing it, accelerating ions in an electric field, deflecting them in a magnetic field and finally detecting them afterwards so that they can be identified according to their mass/charge ratio.

Raman spectroscopy is a technique in which you shine laser at the sample and register scattered light. Trivial in principle, although challenging technically, as the scattered light is very weak compared with the exciting beam.

Both are valuable analytical techniques, but you can't do one using the other.
 
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Borek said:
OP, here:

Mass spectroscopy is a technique that involves evaporating sample in a vacuum, ionizing it, accelerating ions in an electric field, deflecting them in a magnetic field and finally detecting them afterwards so that they can be identified according to their mass/charge ratio.

Raman spectroscopy is a technique in which you shine laser at the sample and register scattered light. Trivial in principle, although challenging technically, as the scattered light is very weak compared with the exciting beam.

Both are valuable analytical techniques, but you can't do one using the other.

[…] are you objecting to my use of the NMR designation? That I can believe.

“Spectrometer” then. Pure and simple. :smile:
 
Last edited:
I think I get it. You’re objecting to my use of the words: “Raman Mass Spec” (EDIT: in the same sentence and in that order naturally).

Duly noted then. I stand corrected! :smile:
 
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  • #10
From $20.000 USD to $700! That's quite a difference. But of course there's the question of understanding and "fingerspitzengefühl". :smile:

I doubt I'll arrive at a comparable result the first time around! :woot:
 
  • #11
sbrothy said:
From $20.000 USD
Is that a US decimal point or a European comma/thousands separator?
 
  • #12
berkeman said:
Is that a US decimal point or a European comma/thousands separator?
In European 20,000 would mean just 20. So I guess it's a US decimal point meaning $20000. Really dunno why I put it in there.

EDIT: So yeah, "thousands separator".
 
  • #13
sbrothy said:
I guess it's a US decimal point meaning $20000
No. US $20.000 = $20. Cheap. :smile:
 
  • #14
berkeman said:
No. US $20.000 = $20. Cheap. :smile:
Oh? I got that all wrong then! Embarrassing.

EDIT: Heh, but yeah: cheap indeed!
 
  • #15
So I mix up mass spectroscopy and spectroscopy and can't even tell the difference between 20000 and 20?

I'm really on a roll here! :woot:
 
  • #16
Ironically, it's my own language that uses the period:

Great Britain and the United States are two of the few places in the world that use a period to indicate the decimal place. Many other countries use a comma instead. The decimal separator is also called the radix character. Likewise, while the U.K. and U.S. use a comma to separate groups of thousands, many other countries use a period instead, and some countries separate thousands groups with a thin space.
---- https://docs.oracle.com/cd/E19455-01/806-0169/overview-9/index.html

Danish uses the thin space, if anything.
 
  • #17
Time to go to sleep!
 

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