Driven Flow™ Instant-view-PLUS™ Tests Give Results 5-10 Times Faster
ALFA’s patented Driven Flow™ technology outpaces lateral flow technologies in terms of accuracy, precision and speed. What previously took 5-10 minutes can now be done as quickly as 1-2 minutes! Why wait hours for a drug test result to come back from the lab when you can get results within 1-2 minutes without having to leave the patient’s side?
Faster diagnosis allows for better decisions, which means improved patient outcomes. When performing a drug test on a patient, speed is almost as important as accuracy. Detecting substances before they’re metabolized and while they’re causing symptoms is one factor. Getting rapid results to help determine the next step in the patient care path is another. Often, getting that result faster links directly to successful patient outcomes.
Why Speed Matters in Point of Care Diagnostics
Patient self-reporting about their symptoms and chemical addictions are not always reliable, especially if the person is ill or under the influence of drugs.
A person who has an infection that is becoming more severe cannot receive the right treatment unless the pathogenic source is identified. Different pathogens have specific antigen markers by which they can be identified. Assays that have a high rate of negatives or inaccurate results delay the treatment process on the scale of days, which is precious time that is lost.
When it comes to prescribing powerful drugs, there are several important reasons for healthcare professionals to conduct drug testing on all patients. Some common reasons include to help with the diagnosis and treatment plan, to assess how best to manage chronic pain, and to spot and treat substance abuse. One other important, often overlooked reason to conduct a drug test is to determine whether there is anything in the patient’s system that would negatively react with any new medications.
Shortcomings of Lateral Flow Drug Testing Devices
Before Driven Flow™ lateral flow technology was the methodology commonly used . Lateral flow technology was sufficient, but faced several shortcomings. One was the slow flow rate that prevented the analytes from being adequately exposed to the detection system. Capillary action alone may not be fast enough for optimum reaction times. Two was the individual and lot-to-lot inconsistencies of the materials used in the devices, such as nitrocellulose membranes or cellulose, that produced varying results. Third was the inaccuracy that came from viscous fluids, such as saliva, which have components that interfere with the detection of aqueous analytes. Driven Flow devices overcome all of these shortcomings.
The Revolutionary Speed and Accuracy of Driven Flow Technology
We compared Driven Flow™ technology against lateral flow technology to prove that Driven Flow™ is not only faster, but consistently more accurate. Driven Flow™ devices outperformed lateral flow devices in all three formats: cassette, dip strip, and cup. It was better at detecting negative samples, and never fell below 97% accuracy in tests involving positive samples.
Driven Flow™ Detects a Variety of Drugs
ALFA is a leader in the development and manufacturing of rapid immunoassay point-of-care tests. ALFA’s Driven Flow™ Instant-view-PLUS™ Drug Tests detect commonly abused drugs including:
- Amphetamine
- Barbiturates
- Benzodiazepines
- Buprenorphine/Norbuprenorphine
- Cocaine
- EDDP
- Ketamine
- Methamphetamine
- Morphine/Opiate
- Methadone
- Oxycodone
- Phencyclidine (PCP)
- Propoxyphene
- Tricyclic Antidepressants
- Marijuana (THC)
- MDMA (Ecstasy)
When using ALFA’s drug detection devices, healthcare professionals can get results within 1-2 minutes, enabling them to act fast in the treatment decisions for a given patient. ALFA’s drug detection assays are even capable of providing results in under one minute that serve multiple purposes, including:
- Influence clinical decisions that affect other medical conditions.
- Influence prescribing activity, especially with controlled substances.
- Reveal a potential substance abuse disorder.
- Assess a patient’s compliance with a chronic pain management regimen.
- Prevent dangerous drug interactions.
- Reveal a relapse in a known substance abuser.
One common and crucial factor to the effectiveness of any drug test is its accuracy. Is it a drug test that delivers consistently correct results quickly? Yes! ALFA’s Driven Flow™Instant-view-PLUS™ drug tests provide the most accurate results at the highest speeds.