USPTO approves patent for WingMan DDD™
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
USPTO approves patent for WingMan DDD™
Nashville, TN, 12/3/15
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has granted Nicholas Wing and Dr. Brian Manhire, professor emeritus of electrical engineering, Ohio University, the patent for their co-invention, the WingMan DDD™. The patent will be effective through 2033. The WingMan DDD™ is a handheld Raman chemical identifier to aid first responders in the rapid detection & identification of drugs and toxins in the field.
The WingMan DDD™ design utilizes Raman spectroscopy to detect the spectral "fingerprint" of drugs and toxins and cross references this "fingerprint" with a library of drugs and commonly encountered household toxins. According to the American Association of Poison Control Centers there are more than 3.1 million poison control calls each year in the U.S., and a significant percentage are for children who have ingested a household toxin. If the child is unable to communicate or is unconscious, the WingMan DDD™ will allow the first responder to conduct an in vivo scan of the mouth, nose and throat to rapidly identify the toxin, potentially saving lives.
Other existing handheld Raman spectrometers include the Thermo Fisher Scientific TruNarc™, the Smiths Detection ACE-ID™ and the B&W Tek TacticID™. The WingMan DDD™ is differentiated from these Raman instruments as it is designed primarily for in vivo detection and identification. The WingMan DDD™ is also currently the only roadside screening system design that does not require taking/removing a biological sample and that is designed to screen for both drugs and alcohol in vitro in a single test.
“Like the standard breathalyzer, the use of any effective roadside drug screening solution will achieve 'positive results', improve road safety and save countless lives each year”, Wing stated.
Wing and Manhire initially envisioned their system as being primarily a law enforcement technology; however, due to the success of the existing roadside "drugalyzer" oral fluid test kits in Australia, England and Wales, and their adoption in Ireland beginning in 2016, they are considering a broader spectrum of first responder applications. According to BBC News, the use of the existing commercial oral fluid roadside "drugalyzers" has led to a 600% increase in drugged driving arrests in Cheshire, UK, and these technologies remain the ideal roadside drug testing solution. “The use of the existing roadside 'drugalyzer' oral fluid test kits has achieved unprecedented results, and until a new technology proves superior to these more comprehensive oral fluid screening solutions, it should not be considered as a viable option for road safety”, Wing stated.
Wing and Manhire are currently seeking university and major spectrometer firm partners to prototype, develop and commercialize the WingMan DDD™.
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Nick Wing, President
WingMan LLC
317 Brentwood Oaks Drive
Nashville, TN 37211
615.499.0382