St. Petersburg, FL – Field Forensics announces the availability of microTLCTM, a portable, fast and easy to use solution for the separation and identification of drugs and explosive mixtures. In addition to achieving package miniaturization using only one thin layer chromatography (TLC) plate, the microTLC has other innovations including an integrated ultra-violet light source, digital video camera for plate analysis and record management, extended battery operation, together with easy menu-driven operations. TLC is an established laboratory procedure that identifies compounds belonging to the same general chemical class. Now the microTLC enables both laboratory and field analysis to be performed by first responders and forensics scientists.

The lightweight microTLC provides a streamlined sampling and testing protocol that allows rapid, reproducible, separation and identification of the real-world drugs and cutting agents, explosives and precursors, with extended use to a wide range of hazardous materials. The miniaturized kit employs the use of commercially available plates as the separation medium and a colorimetric identification scheme that provides confirmation of the identity of the analyte under analysis. Pre-spotted plates can be used with drugs and explosives standard materials. Total analysis times can be less than three minutes. Limits of detectability are typically at nanogram levels. Picogram levels are possible.

With the microTLC, the elution solvent can be changed to develop a different separation pattern. This provides a method to confirm the identity of a suspected drug or explosive without physically changing the type of TLC plate. This is important when there may be a non-drug or non-explosive material that has the same retention factor as one of the standard drug or explosive compounds.

To meet the fast growing law enforcement case work challenges created by the increasing availability of cocaine and heroin mixtures together with new classes of synthetic drugs, the microTLC provides rapid identification of compounds of seized drugs including isomers and analogs. The microTLC is a category B instrument for presumptive testing under the SWGDRUG guidelines.

The microTLC is available now and can be delivered within four weeks after receiving customer orders. Pricing for one unit is less than US$5,000.