A new device that detects trace amounts of dangerous synthetic drugs – including substances often found in prisons and secure facilities – is set to reach frontline services following a new licence agreement between the University of Bath and leading forensic technology company foster+freeman.

Developed by Professor Chris Pudney and his team in the Department of Life Sciences at Bath, the technology provides a fast, practical tool to identify synthetic cannabinoids (commonly known as spice) and other hidden drugs that pose growing risks to public safety.

The device addresses an urgent challenge: the sharp rise in synthetic cannabinoids being smuggled into prisons and remand centres concealed by being soaked into documents and fabrics.

Until now, frontline staff have lacked rapid and reliable tools to detect these drugs, often relying on laboratory analysis that takes up to a week, incurs significant costs to the prison service and leaves serious gaps in protection.

Spice remains a significant concern across the UK and internationally, particularly within prisons and homelessness settings, yet no widely available point of care test exists to detect recent use. In response, Professor Pudney’s team developed early prototypes capable of detecting spice on materials or in saliva in under five minutes, attracting interest from police forces, prisons, drug treatment providers and charities.

The newly licensed ContraSCAN, which builds upon the research that won last year’s Royal Society of Chemistry Horizon Prize, is a handheld device that can identify synthetic cannabinoids on surfaces such as paper, fabric or herbal material simply by being passed over them. This gives prison staff in particular the ability to detect drugs smuggled into facilities on impregnated items and to act swiftly to prevent harm.

Professor Pudney said the licence agreement marks an important step in translating research innovation into real world protection.

He said: “This device was developed in response to very real and urgent challenges faced by frontline staff. Partnering with foster+freeman means we can accelerate their translation into practical tools for use in prisonsand forensic settings.”

Speaking about the ContraSCAN device and the licence agreement, foster+freeman CEO Phil Wild explained the critical nature of technology.

He said: “With drug use in our prisons at endemic levels, ContraSCAN represents a vital breakthrough. By enabling the instant detection of synthetics like spice, we are empowering prisons to reclaim control, disrupt supply chains, and restore the safety essential for meaningful prisoner rehabilitation.”

With foster+freeman’s established track record in forensic technology, the collaboration positions the ContraSCAN to move quickly towards market readiness and widespread deployment. The University of Bath and foster+freeman will now work together to prepare the product for commercial launch, with further announcements expected later this year.