British biotech company GFC Diagnostics (Bicester, United Kingdom) has developed a novel, rapid and user-friendly diagnostic test that provides confirmation that an individual has stopped smoking tobacco cigarettes.
According to LabMedica, the test detects cotinine which a breakdown product of nicotine the active component in the tobacco cigarette.
”Cotinine has an in vivo half-life of approximately 20 hours, and is typically detectable for several days (up to one week) after the use of tobacco. The level of cotinine in the blood is proportionate to the amount of exposure to tobacco smoke, so it is a valuable indicator of tobacco smoke exposure,” LabMedica said.
The newly improved Saliva SmokeScreen assay is more sensitive and specific than its previous version, being reported at 90% and 98% respectively, with an accuracy of 94%.
To test for nicotine exposure the user places the test swab in the mouth to absorb saliva. The swab is removed from the mouth, placed inside the plastic collector, and pushed against the grid half way down. This procedure squeezes the saliva into the bottom of the collector.
The presence of cotinine causes a color change that is visible after one minute. The optimal time to read the result is six minutes. If read before five minutes, the result will be positive, but less than the correct result. After six minutes, it will be more than the true result.
The test has been certified as a tool in a British health insurer’s program to verify nonsmoking in their policy holders, so they can qualify for its unique nonsmoker cash back reward.