Space-age technology is being used in a new, quick way of detecting fake pharmaceuticals, a university has said.

The Spectral ID project helps identify counterfeit drugs where differences cannot be seen by the untrained eye.

Developed from a spectrograph originally designed for astronomical research, trials have so far had a 100% success rate and the scientists behind it have been shortlisted for an award.

The project, which began in 2005, has been undertaken by Professor George Fraser and Professor Martin Gill, from the University of Leicester.

They found the need for a system that could quickly identify a counterfeit drug product in the field, rather than existing solutions involving costly laboratory testing.

Prof Fraser, director of the university’s Space Research Centre, said: “Pharmaceutical manufacturers do not have a simple to use, speedy, non-destructible method of detecting counterfeits and we have the potential to offer just that.

“Feedback results from the use of our device are obtained within seconds.”

The technique relies on detecting the differences between the characteristics of light reflected from printed packaging.

Dr Nigel Bannister, also from the Space Research Centre, was responsible for the Faulkes Telescope spectrometer, used to make the original tests on counterfeit goods.

The space-age technology was developed with help from University of Leicester spin-out company Perpetuity Research and Consultancy International (PRCI) for use in removing counterfeit drugs from the market.

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