Toilet that detects drug markers and methods of use thereof
US9671343B1 · kind B1 · utility
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 28, 2016 |
| Grant date | Jun 6, 2017 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 28, 2036 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01N2021/6439
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
The present disclosure describes a method of detecting a drug marker in urine a urine sample using a toilet. The drug markers are fluorophores each of which emits a unique fluorescence spectra. Accordingly, the method does not detect the drug but rather, the drug marker. A user who has consumed the drug with its unique drug marker then urinates into the toilet and a urine sample is captured. The toilet includes a mechanism for fluid handling which diverts urine into a fluorescence spectrometer. The fluorescence spectrometer screens the urine for drug markers based on their unique fluorescent spectra. The toilet may include a controller which quantifies the drug marker. The fluorescent spectrometer may detect multiple drug markers in a single urine sample. This method may be used to confirm drug compliance, test for illicit drugs, identify amounts of drugs consumed, and other uses described herein.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.