Scientists at the University of Waterloo have actually introduced a quickly, lifesaving blood test that spots opioids like fentanyl in less than 3 minutes, an important development in combating the opioid crisis.The testing method has the ability to take a look at blood samples in half the time compared to alternative approaches.Researchers at the University of Waterloo have developed an ingenious blood testing strategy that identifies potent opioids more quickly than standard methods, with the potential to save lives.The approach, the latest effort by Waterloo entrepreneurs and researchers to lead health innovation in Canada, can concurrently analyze 96 blood samples that might contain opioids such as fentanyl in under 3 minutes– twice as rapidly as other techniques.Picture of the microfluidic open interface system. Credit: University of Waterloo” The distinction between our blood screening method and standard methods used in hospitals and labs is that we can do it quicker and reach the very same conclusion,” said Emir Nazdrajić, a postdoctoral fellow in Waterloos Department of Chemistry and co-author of a study that details the brand-new technique. About 7,000 people die from fentanyl annually in Canada, nearly one-third of which occurs in British Columbia, which is among the worst rates per capita in North America.When utilizing the Waterloo-designed approach, the researchers place a little amount of blood in a 96-well plate with a phosphate buffer.