Unmanned aircraft system combined with ambient ionization mass spectrometry to enhance the efficiency of sample transportation and toxicant identification for emergency care applications.
Analytica chimica acta · 2026-03-28 · Method & validation
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Acute poisoning requires the swift and accurate identification of toxicants to enable timely and effective medical interventions. Conventional specimen transportation by automobile can often be delayed due to urban traffic, geographic barriers, and unpredictable road conditions, which can postpone critical toxicant analysis. The exploration of advanced technology such as the unmanned aircraft system (UAS) and ambient ionization mass spectrometry (AIMS) addresses these challenges by expediting sample delivery and enabling rapid detection of toxic substances with minimal sample preparation. In emergency scenarios, integrating UAS and AIMS can significantly accelerate the provision of life-saving analytical data. RESULTS: This study compared and investigated the efficiency of specimen transportation between a conventional automobile and a UAS and toxicant identification using AIMS for emergency care applications. An acute pesticide poisoning scenario was simulated, which involved collecting discharged biological fluids and leftover pesticide-contaminated food on scene, transporting specimens from the poisoning site to the laboratory, and analyzing samples using thermal desorption electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (TD-ESI/MS/MS) to identify pesticides. Data on transportation times, geographical barriers, and road conditions were recorded and compared. Quantitative analysis of pesticides using TD-ESI/MS/MS showed a linear response for fenthion between 5 ppb and 2 ppm (R2 = 0.9905), and the method demonstrated good reproducibility with a relative standard deviation of 12.7% over ten consecutive analyses of a 1 ppm standard solution. SIGNIFICANCE AND NOVELTY: This study underscores the transformative potential of the use of UAS technology in expediting specimen transportation and TD-ESI/MS/MS in simplifying and accelerating toxicant identification for emergency medicine applications. These findings can support the further integration of these innovative technologies to optimize patient care in acute poisoning cases.