The present invention relates to a diagnostic device for evaluating substances in potable (drinkable) liquids.

The present invention preferably provides an illicit substance detector and, more particularly, but not solely, a device for detecting a clandestine illicit chemical in a beverage.

Drugs are sometimes used to assist in sexual assault. Drugs such as flunitrazepam (also known as Rohypnol), ketamine hydrochloride (commonly known as Ketamine) and gamma hydroxybutyrate (abbreviated to GHB) have been used in so-called "date rape" or drug-facilitated sexual assault. An apparatus and method is known for detecting an illicit drug in an alcoholic drink or soft drinks such as cola and mineral water. In the known apparatus and method a sample of the solution from the drink is removed by means of a dropper and is placed upon an area of a substrate in the form, for example, of a drinks coaster or business card which may be marked with various regions for indicating various drugs.

A drinking straw is known from UK Patent No 2353935 which has a tubular plastics body which changes colour when subjected to a particular physical condition, e.g. change in temperature. Another drinking straw known from US Patent Application No 2003/0111003 incorporates indicator sections for showing the presence of caffeine or sugar in a drink. Although caffeine is a drug it is not normally deemed to be harmful and is therefore not banned by law.

Current diagnostic tests exist to detect substances found in drinks but these invariably consist of separate sampling and analysis apparatus in order to prevent the possibility of the reagents within the analysis device coming into contact with the liquid to be drunk. GB2383130 describes a method and apparatus used to collect and determine date rape drugs in drinks. Liquid from the drink is collected by use of a small sampling device, and then the collected liquid sample is tested separately using a variety of analysis strips or devices.

The present invention preferably provides a simplified device which makes it easier for diagnostic tests on potable liquids (e.g. drinks) to be carried out without the possibility of contaminating the potable liquid being tested.

According to the present invention these is provided a detector for detecting the presence of an illicit obnoxious substance in a beverage, the detector comprising an elongate carrier body and indicator means carried by the body capable of changing physical characteristic when contacted by said substance within a beverage in which the body is placed.

In one form the body is an elongated cylinder having apertures and the indicator means is litmus-like paper or other substrate within the body and arranged so as to be contacted by the ingress of liquid through the apertures when the cylinder is inserted into a drink. When the cylinder is inserted into a drink, the litmus-like paper or substrate will change colour if the drink has been spiked, i.e. if clandestine illicit or obnoxious substance has been added to the drink.

Further, according to the present invention, there is provided a diagnostic testing device for evaluating potable liquids, the device comprising a housing having an inlet for the reception of a sample of potable liquid, a reagent medium for evaluating a substance or substances within the sample and wicking matter disposed between the inlet and the reagent medium to provide controlled flow of liquid from the inlet to the reagent medium

The housing is preferably tubular with the inlet at or near one end and an outlet at or near the other end. The wicking matter is preferably in the form of a series of wicking filter materials and the reagent medium preferably takes the form of one or more pads or strips. The wicking filter materials may be designed to prevent any possibility of contamination of the liquid during operation by the reagents within the device.

Constructional embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:-

Figure 1 shows a cross-sectional view of a detector according to the present invention;

Figure 2 shows a side elevation of the detector shown in Figure 1; and

Figure 3 shows a cross-sectional view of a device according to a preferred embodiment of the invention.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2 the detector is in the form of a plastics drinking straw comprising an outer tube 3 and an inner tube 4. Sandwiched between the tubes 3 and 4 is litmus-like test paper 5 or other substrate impregnated with one or more drug-detecting chemicals. The outer tube has a plurality of apertures in the form of slots 6. The tubes are preferable concentric.

When the straw is placed in a beverage such as an alcoholic or soft drink, liquid enters through slots 6 and soaks into the paper 5 which changes colour or other physical condition in the presence of an illicit chemical.

The slots 6 are arranged at or near one end of the straw which is the lower end when the straw is inserted into liquid in a glass. The test paper 5 may extend one half the length of the straw. The portion containing the test paper 5 may be connected to the portion to be placed in a mouth, by frangible means so that after a test is completed the test .portion can be broken off and discarded so that the remainder can be used as a clean drinking straw untainted by test chemicals. - A -

In other forms of the invention the device is a rod-like structure in the form of a stirrer, cocktail spoon or swizzle stick. The slots could be replaced by a one¬ way valve and the straw could be used only as a test device by sucking liquid in through the valve. The device is preferably transparent for viewing the test substrate or has other means for making a sufficient portion of the substrate visible. Crystals could be used in place of test paper.

A preferred form of the invention, however, is shown in Figure 3 wherein a diagnostic testing device has a housing in the form of a waterproof tube 12 having an inlet 11 at one end for the reception of liquid and an outlet 19 near its other end. Adjacent the inlet 11 is a reservoir 13 for the collection of liquid received through the inlet 11.

Wicking matter in the form of wicking filter material is arranged between the inlet 11 and outlet 19 and comprises a fast wicking filter plug 14, a slow wicking filter strip 16 and a slow wicking filter plug 18. The strip 16 extends through or via a stopper 15. The housing also contains reagent pads, plugs or strips 17.

The tube 12 is like a small drinking straw sealed at one end and with the outlet 19 adjacent the sealed end forming a small air outlet hole.

The filter plug 14 is hydrophylic and the stopper 15 is hydrophobic to prevent any back-washing of liquid from the reagent pads. The stopper may be made of waxy plastics material or wax. The strip 16 is of slow wicking capillary material which allows one-way movement of liquid to the reagent pads but prevents any backwards diffusion of reagent towards the inlet 11. The strip 16 may be of paper or glass fibre. The reagent pads may be made of paper impregnated with reagents. The plug 18 may also be made of paper. When the inlet 11 is dipped in a liquid, e.g. an alcoholic beverage, the device collects a sample of liquid in its reservoir 13. The device can be immediately removed from the drink as the lower fast wick 14 will suck or draw the sample towards the strip 16. The strip 16 draws liquid from the wick 14 to the pads 17. Upon reaching the pads 17 the sample liquid reacts with the reagents to produce colour change and indicate a positive or negative reaction. Liquid, on reaching top wick 18 continues to be sucked up by capillary action to prevent any downward diffusion of reagents. Also, liquid now sucked out of the lower wick 14 produces an air gap in lower wick 14. If the device is now inserted back into the liquid no liquid will enter the base of the device as no air gap exists within the device to allow the passage of liquid.

It is believed that by integrating sample collection and analysis into a single device, diagnostic testing is greatly simplified to a level where substances may be evaluated quickly and accurately in a domestic, social or commercial environment by unskilled individuals, e.g. members of the public.

The material forming the tube of the diagnostic device is preferably non- porous to the passage of a variety of liquids including water and alcohol. The wicking filters provide a controlled but continuous flow of the sub-sampled potable liquid into the analysis area of the device. The wicking filters within the device may be specifically designed to prevent any possibility of contamination by reagents kept within the device of the potable liquid during operation of the device. The reservoir automatically collects a sub-sample of the potable liquid for evaluation allowing the device to continue operation even when the device is removed from the main source of potable liquid. The collection chamber preferably comprises an active ingredient or ingredients for reacting with substances within the collected potable liquid.

The active ingredient strips or pads may be single of multiple in order to conduct multiple analysis within the same device. The collection chamber includes a display for displaying results of sample evaluation. The display device may be a transparent section of tube. The whole tube may be transparent. The display apparatus may comprise a window for viewing contents of the collection chamber.