The Ruma Marker-System offers maximum protection against manipulation attempts in urine testing
Manipulation attempts in urine testing are a common problem. There are numerous ways to try and achieve a false-negative result.
The Ruma Marker-System addresses this problem and ensures that the urine sample to be tested originates from the right person and is available in the appropriate quality.
The practical application is simple and can be integrated easily into the existing routines. The key to our success lies in our quality controlled pre-analytical procedures and precise laboratory analysis in accordance with state-of-the-art science and technology.
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Benefit from our training program and meet all requirements in this sensitive area as a certified sample collector.
The benefits for all parties involved are obvious:
- Scientific reliability instead of guesswork during direct observation
- Conclusive and comprehensive results provide certainty and reliability
- Verified integrity of the sample instead of just excluding sample substitution
- Physician-patient relations are not compromized by degrading direct observation
- Reduced time requirements and streamlined practice operations
- No additional personnel expenses due to same-sex escort to the bathroom
No other procedure offers these advantages.
The Ruma Marker-System detects manipulation agents
The influence of manipulation agents on the analysis of urine samples has been the object of intense scientific research. In this regard, manipulation agents that are supposed to yield a false negative result have been investigated as well as such agents that are supposed to interfere with the analysis itself.
Excerpt from the publication:
"Conclusion:
This study shows that there are just a few manipulants showing a significant influence on the GCMS result and they all can be detected by the selected tests on manipulants."
For more information see
Huppertz, B., Bartling, C., Baum, K.
Adulteration of Urine Samples, Discovery and Mitigation
Journal of Applied Life Sciences International,
16(4):1-8, 2018
Forms of Manipulation
Sample Substitution - Internal/external Dilution - Chemical Manipulation
Sample Substitution
Manipulation method
Probably the best known form of urine test manipulation is substitution of the sample. In this scenario the sample donor attempts to hand over a "clean" urine sample they brought along instead of their own urine. Bags hidden on the body are used in conjunction with a small tube leading to the genital area, or commercial systems relying on integrated artificial penises. The application of another person's urine into the bladder is also a well known practice.
Conventional direct observation may often detect such forms of sample substitution. However, that's by far not always the case. Comparative studies document that sample substitution is often successful even with thorough direct observation.
Among others, Prof. Backmund, Board Member of the German Society for Addiction Medicine, addressed this topic in 2007 and reached unambiguous conclusions. Even the additional testing of sample temperature has proven to be of little help because the urine that has been brought along on or in the body will be brought to temperature with small technical devices.
(See: G. Skopp, L. Pötsch, J. Becker, J. Röhrich, R. Mattern: Zur präanalytischen Phase chemisch-toxikologiser Untersuchungen, Rechtsmedizin (1998) 8:163 - 167; Springer-Verlag)
Our solution
Ingesting one of the different Ruma Markers ensures that the submitted urine sample originates indeed from the right person. The laboratory will test whether the administered marker is present in the sample in sufficient quantity. Further analyses help in determining whether the marker has actually passed through the body of the donor or whether it was added to another person's urine.
Internal/External Dilution
Manipulation method
Often, attempts are made to dilute the urine by drinking more before providing a urine sample or by adding liquids to the urine sample, so that any drugs it may contain fall below the detection limit.
This manipulation method is well documented in science and is particularly promising when using rapid tests.
Our solution
Urine is tested for dilution by measuring the creatinine concentration. Irrespective of whether the sample has been manipulated internally by drinking fluids or externally by adding fluids to the sample, this method has proven to be very reliable.
Even here, the marker provides valuable additional services: if the urine sample containing drugs is diluted with clean urine, the creatinine measurement alone cannot discover this because creatinine concentrations will be within the normal range. However, even this form of dilution can be reliably detected by comparing marker and creatinine concentrations.
Chemical Manipulation
Manipulation method
Manipulation with chemicals is another method to avoid a positive result in urine testing. In addition to normal household substances such as soap, vinegar, lemon juice or bleaching agents, there is a wide palette of products available on the market that promises a “clean” sample.
Unlike dilution, addition of chemicals is used to make the urine sample unusable for analysis or to destroy the drug molecules.
Our solution
The Ruma Marker-System uses special, purposeful analytical methods to cover the whole spectrum of chemical manipulation. To this end we took particular care during the development of our procedure to include those commercially available products that make drugs successfully "disappear" in conventional lab analysis.
