Developed by a PhD student in criminal sciences, the NIRLAB rapid, portable drug analysis solution is now set to be brought to market. A licensing agreement has just been finalised between the University of Lausanne and its spin-off company.
Florentin Coppey, co-founder and director of NIRLAB Forensics Sàrl. © Félix Imhof / UNIL
A portable and very easy-to-use device capable of detecting drugs in five seconds, thanks to bespoke software. This is what NIRLAB Forensics
Sàrl, a spin-off from theUNIL
, co-founded by two researchers from the School of Criminal Sciences (ESC)
, has to offer: Professor Pierre Esseiva and research fellow Florentin Coppey, who developed this system in 2019 as part of his PhD thesis.
On 21 February 2022, a licence agreement negotiated by the ‘PACTT
’ (Office de transfert de technologies) UNIL
-CHUV
was finalised between the ‘UNIL
’ and ‘NIRLAB Forensics
’ Sàrl. It allows the company to use the software owned by the University to develop and sell its drug detection solution. If successful, a portion of the revenue will go to theUNIL
, helping to fund further research.
Already in use in more than 20 Swiss cantons, NIRLab
is the first rapid, portable drug analysis solution available to police forces worldwide. It was developed with the support of the Swiss National Science Foundation (PACTT
) through a grant InnoTREK
/FIT
.
Interest in ‘drug checking’ programmes
Using an infrared spectrometer and a mobile app, this new device is capable of identifying and quantifying the majority of illicit substances found on the market in a matter of seconds. Beyond its use by the police, this tool is also of interest to public health services wishing to use it as part of ‘drug checking’ programmes and for monitoring the illicit drugs market. A pilot project with the Canton of Vaud is currently underway.
“The founders of NIRLAB Forensics
Sàrl are delighted to have secured an exclusive licence from the University of Lausanne for this first software programme,” explains Florentin Coppey. He is delighted about the collaboration with theUNIL
, which will enable the company to keep the development of its device at the cutting edge of scientific knowledge, drawing on the expertise of leading scientists, and to continue building “a unique database”.
- The NIRLAB solution
- The Foundation for Technological Innovation (FIT)
- The School of Criminal Sciences (ESC)
- Its lamp detects drugs in five seconds (article published in 2021 in Allez savoir! magazine)
