EyeDetect Provides a More Comprehensive, Accurate Drug Test
None of the current methods used to cheat on a urinalysis test will work with EyeDetect
The makers of EyeDetect, which monitors eye behavior to detect deception, say their technology offers a more comprehensive and accurate drug and alcohol test than the traditional urinalysis test.
LEHI, Utah – Feb. 2, 2017 – If one Utah start-up technology company has its way, drug testing will soon be done by monitoring the subject’s eye behavior via a high-speed, infrared eye-tracking camera to detect illegal drug use. The technology, EyeDetect by Converus, offers a more comprehensive and accurate drug test, and eliminates the need for a urine sample.
EyeDetect is an ocular-motor based lie detection technology that asks a series of true/false questions. The system’s eye-tracking camera determines if an examinee is truthful or deceptive regarding recent drug or alcohol use by taking approximately 60 measurements per second of involuntary eye behavior in each eye — including pupil dilation, blink rate, response time, and other eye movements. Peer-reviewed studies show EyeDetect detects deception with an 86 percent accuracy.
Urinalysis (UA) is the most common method of drug testing today. A UA attempts to show the presence of drug metabolites or drug residues in the examinee’s urine. These chemicals remain in the body for a brief period, called a detection window, after the effects of the drug have worn off. UA’s can detect most target drugs for 1-4 days after use. As time advances, specificity decreases.
According to Converus, none of the common cheating methods for passing a urinalysis test will affect the EyeDetect test. Methods commonly used to deceive include altering creatinine levels by drinking too much water, drinking excessive liquids prior to the test, taking supplements or substances to change creatinine levels, drinking water with baking soda or using baking soda before a test, or using someone else’s urine or other liquids that look alike.
“EyeDetect can test for any kind of illegal drug use, and the test doesn’t have to be done within a certain window to be effective,” said Converus President and CEO Todd Mickelsen.
Mickelsen added that a positive UA does not necessarily mean the examinee was under the influence of drugs at the time of the test, but that it only detects and measures the use of certain types of drugs within the detection window. He said it’s possible that a prescribed medication may cause a false positive result, and if the last dose of illegal drugs occurred outside of the detection window (whether far in the past or even recently), some testing methods will return a negative result.
“It boils down to the fact that a UA may not be sufficiently diagnostic,” said Mickelsen. “For drug courts and testing centers looking for a more comprehensive, cheat-proof drug test, EyeDetect is it. In a way, it’s like the next-generation drug tester.”
Another issue is UA testing usually only applies to a few substances mandated by Federal drug-testing programs and may include alcohol. Most times, UA’s scan for amphetamines, THC, cocaine, opiates and phencyclidine. There are other illegal drugs not mandated by the law that can be present, which will not be detected or reported.
“Testing for alcohol must be done very soon after consumption because alcohol passes rapidly through the system; as such, a UA may not be helpful in detecting alcohol use,” said Mickelsen. “An EyeDetect test reveals all drug or alcohol use. It eliminates the problem of false positive results based on urine sample.”
For more information, visit www.converus.com.
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About Converus®
Converus (“with truth”) is committed to providing trustworthy credibility assessment solutions. Its flagship product, EyeDetect® is the first ocular-motor deception detection solution. It’s an accurate, cost-effective, efficient, secure and nonintrusive method that detects deception in 30 minutes by analyzing eye behavior. The same scientists credited with computerizing the polygraph in 1991 developed EyeDetect. It’s a new way for organizations to manage risk and ensure workplace integrity, and for law enforcement agencies and governments to detect deception. Ultimately, it helps protect countries, corporations and communities from corruption, fraud and threats. Converus is headquartered in Lehi, Utah. Visit www.converus.com.
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Press Contact: Jeff Pizzino, APR / +1 480.606.8292
