Automating Narcotic Waste Measurement and Drug Verification for Returned PCA Bags
Biomedical Engineering
Thao Tran
Abstract
MicroDose Diagnostics is developing an automatic bench-top verification system designed to check the contents of returned PCA bags in hospital diversion workflows. The device uses a withdrawn micro-sample, UV-Vis absorbance analysis, and reference-based matching to determine whether the residual liquid matches the expected narcotic, such as morphine, hydromorphone, or fentanyl.
By adding an automatic and objective screening step, the system aims to reduce reliance on visual checks alone and help identify possible mismatch, substitution, or uncertainty in returned narcotic waste.