Real-time drug detection using a diathermic knife combined to rapid evaporative ionisation mass spectrometry

Laura Van Hese; Pierre-Maxence Vaysse; Tiffany Porta Siegel; Ron Heeren; Steffen Rex; Eva Cuypers

doi:10.1016/j.talanta.2020.121391

Real-time drug detection using a diathermic knife combined to rapid evaporative ionisation mass spectrometry

Talanta. 2021 Jan 1:221:121391. doi: 10.1016/j.talanta.2020.121391. Epub 2020 Jul 21.

Authors

Laura Van Hese¹, Pierre-Maxence Vaysse², Tiffany Porta Siegel³, Ron Heeren³, Steffen Rex⁴, Eva Cuypers⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Anaesthesiology, University Hospitals Leuven, Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium; Toxicology and Pharmacology, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium; Maastricht MultiModal Molecular Imaging (M4I) Institute, Division of Imaging Mass Spectrometry, Maastricht University, 6229, ER, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
² Maastricht MultiModal Molecular Imaging (M4I) Institute, Division of Imaging Mass Spectrometry, Maastricht University, 6229, ER, Maastricht, the Netherlands; Department of Surgery, Maastricht University Medical Center+, Maastricht, 6229, HX, the Netherlands; Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery, Maastricht University Medical Center+, Maastricht, 6229, HX, the Netherlands.
³ Maastricht MultiModal Molecular Imaging (M4I) Institute, Division of Imaging Mass Spectrometry, Maastricht University, 6229, ER, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
⁴ Department of Anaesthesiology, University Hospitals Leuven, Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.
⁵ Toxicology and Pharmacology, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium; Maastricht MultiModal Molecular Imaging (M4I) Institute, Division of Imaging Mass Spectrometry, Maastricht University, 6229, ER, Maastricht, the Netherlands. Electronic address: e.cuypers@maastrichtuniversity.nl.

PMID: 33076053
DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2020.121391

Abstract

Fast, accurate and sensitive detection of drugs in human tissue is of crucial importance in an investigation of a suspicious death. Here, we aimed to screen cocaine, diazepam, methadone and morphine in post-mortem muscle samples without sample preparation and in quasi-real time using rapid evaporative ionisation mass spectrometry (REIMS). REIMS enables the online MS analysis of vapours generated from tissue dissection by a diathermic knife. Human muscle samples were soaked in solutions of 4 drugs at different concentrations and multiple incubation times to check the feasibility of REIMS for this innovative application. Muscle samples soaked in blank saline were used as a control. The classification model was able to distinguish between 30 μg g^-¹ cocaine (m/z 304.2), 200 μg g^-¹ morphine (m/z 286.2), 10 μg g^-¹ methadone (m/z 310.2) and 10 μg g^-¹ muscle of diazepam (m/z 285.1). REIMS tandem MS confirmed that the mass peaks that contributed to the class separation, originated from the drugs of interest. As a proof-of-concept, a forensic case muscle sample from a methadone overdose was investigated using REIMS. Here, using our classification model, the recognition software was able to detect methadone, demonstrating that the REIMS method opens new possibilities in forensic toxicology and during autopsy, leading to faster crime solving and decreased costs.

Keywords: Drugs; Forensic toxicology; Muscle; REIMS; Real-time detection.

MeSH terms

Forensic Toxicology
Humans
Mass Spectrometry
Pharmaceutical Preparations*
Specimen Handling
Substance Abuse Detection*

Substances

Pharmaceutical Preparations