Armando Alcaraz

They had that task force that was just sitting there waiting for the results so they could move forward. So that was putting a lot of pressure on us, and that's why we were working late.

They had that task force that was just sitting there waiting for the results so they could move forward. So that was putting a lot of pressure on us, and that's why we were working late.

No, but what the heck's going on? And so the instrument would start leaking on me, the solvents, and I'd be frustrated and just like, oh, pulling my hair out.

No, but what the heck's going on? And so the instrument would start leaking on me, the solvents, and I'd be frustrated and just like, oh, pulling my hair out.

He goes, I think we're there. It was solid. Actually, what the cartridge did was it acted like a magnet where it would just collect the drug or things similar to the drug and sort of it gripped onto it. And then it allowed us to then wash off all of like the tobacco products and other biomaterials that were in the tissue. But the drug stayed attached. But yeah, that was amazing.

He goes, I think we're there. It was solid. Actually, what the cartridge did was it acted like a magnet where it would just collect the drug or things similar to the drug and sort of it gripped onto it. And then it allowed us to then wash off all of like the tobacco products and other biomaterials that were in the tissue. But the drug stayed attached. But yeah, that was amazing.

That was a magic cartridge.

That was a magic cartridge.

We didn't see anything. I mean, there was no signal. Then the second set of samples for the second patient and there was nothing there. And then, you know, the third one, nothing there. And then I'm thinking, oh, God, what's going on? Is there just nothing in some of these tissues? You start to doubt whether you're going to see anything.

We didn't see anything. I mean, there was no signal. Then the second set of samples for the second patient and there was nothing there. And then, you know, the third one, nothing there. And then I'm thinking, oh, God, what's going on? Is there just nothing in some of these tissues? You start to doubt whether you're going to see anything.

And I was like, I got something here. It's there. And so I ran over to Brian. I pretty much ran over there saying, you got to look at this. We got a hit on this. It's confirmed. It's there. It was that, yes, we did it. So then we were we were on a roll and we started looking at various tissues from that individual.

And I was like, I got something here. It's there. And so I ran over to Brian. I pretty much ran over there saying, you got to look at this. We got a hit on this. It's confirmed. It's there. It was that, yes, we did it. So then we were we were on a roll and we started looking at various tissues from that individual.

And sure enough, we were getting positives on the kidney, on the bladder tissue, on the brain. So all of these that one patient was hot. Wow.

And sure enough, we were getting positives on the kidney, on the bladder tissue, on the brain. So all of these that one patient was hot. Wow.

And when he heard about what he had to do, he was like...

I thought it was still going to be enough contamination and at such low levels that we weren't going to be able to see it.

And we would then have to sort of pull that needle out of a haystack.

Yeah, at that point, you don't know whether it was actually real urine or whether water seepage had gotten into that coffin and there was moisture in it.

And that's what you're analyzing.

And the reason is it breaks down real fast.