{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,30]],"date-time":"2026-07-30T14:29:42Z","timestamp":1785421782617,"version":"3.56.0"},"reference-count":23,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"8","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,24]],"date-time":"2026-07-24T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1784851200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Scientific Technology Research Project of the Beijing Public Security Bureau","award":["2024CX23013"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2024CX23013"]}]},{"name":"Scientific and Technological Research Project of General Administration of Customs","award":["2024HK238"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2024HK238"]}]},{"award":["2024HK238"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2024HK238"]}],"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/00s255r43","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Biosensors"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Etomidate is an ultrashort-acting imidazole-derived intravenous anesthetic. The non-medical abuse of etomidate as a new psychoactive substance has emerged as a critical public health challenge globally, particularly among adolescents, necessitating sensitive, rapid detection methods for forensic analysis. This study developed a quantum dot-based immunochromatographic test strip and a corresponding rapid detection method for the sensitive detection of etomidate acid in urine. CdSe\/ZnS fluorescent quantum dot microspheres were used as labeling probes combined with specific monoclonal antibodies, and the detection protocol utilized a portable fluorescence reader. The method\u2019s validation demonstrated a linear range of 10\u20132000 ng\/mL (y = \u22120.231lnx + 0.5241, r = \u22120.991), with intra-batch and inter-batch coefficients of variation below 12%. The spike recovery rates ranged from 88.24% to 95.69%. Cross-reactivity testing against 12 common drugs and structural analogs showed no interference. The detection limit of 10 ng\/mL represents a substantial improvement over conventional colloidal gold strips and approaches LC-MS\/MS sensitivity. Assays of real urine specimens confirmed that the immunochromatographic test strip and detection method possess favorable accuracy and reliability. This fluorescent quantum dot-based immunochromatographic assay provides rapid, quantitative, and highly specific etomidate screening suitable for on-site forensic applications, effectively bridging front-end rapid testing with confirmatory laboratory analysis.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/bios16080404","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,27]],"date-time":"2026-07-27T08:15:56Z","timestamp":1785140156000},"page":"404","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Development of a Quantum Dot-Based Immunochromatographic Assay for Rapid and Sensitive Detection of Non-Medical Etomidate Abuse"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"16","author":[{"given":"Xin","family":"Yan","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Beijing Key Laboratory of Psychoactive Substances Detection and Control, Beijing Narcotics Control Technology Center, Beijing 100164, China"},{"name":"National Narcotics Laboratory Beijing Regional Center, Beijing 100164, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Liwei","family":"Jiang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Beijing Key Laboratory of Psychoactive Substances Detection and Control, Beijing Narcotics Control Technology Center, Beijing 100164, China"},{"name":"National Narcotics Laboratory Beijing Regional Center, Beijing 100164, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Xiaolong","family":"Zhang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Science and Technology Research Center of China Customs, Beijing 100026, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yizhe","family":"Zhao","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Beijing Key Laboratory of Psychoactive Substances Detection and Control, Beijing Narcotics Control Technology Center, Beijing 100164, China"},{"name":"National Narcotics Laboratory Beijing Regional Center, Beijing 100164, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Zixin","family":"Wan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Beijing Key Laboratory of Psychoactive Substances Detection and Control, Beijing Narcotics Control Technology Center, Beijing 100164, China"},{"name":"National Narcotics Laboratory Beijing Regional Center, Beijing 100164, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jun","family":"Ma","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Beijing Key Laboratory of Psychoactive Substances Detection and Control, Beijing Narcotics Control Technology Center, Beijing 100164, China"},{"name":"National Narcotics Laboratory Beijing Regional Center, Beijing 100164, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Chunhui","family":"Song","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Beijing Key Laboratory of Psychoactive Substances Detection and Control, Beijing Narcotics Control Technology Center, Beijing 100164, China"},{"name":"National Narcotics Laboratory Beijing Regional Center, Beijing 100164, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yikai","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Science and Technology Research Center of China Customs, Beijing 100026, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Xingliang","family":"Liu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Beijing Key Laboratory of Psychoactive Substances Detection and Control, Beijing Narcotics Control Technology Center, Beijing 100164, China"},{"name":"National Narcotics Laboratory Beijing Regional Center, Beijing 100164, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,24]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"251","DOI":"10.1002\/j.1875-9114.1983.tb03266.x","article-title":"Etomidate: A new intravenous anesthetic induction agent","volume":"3","author":"Giese","year":"1983","journal-title":"Pharmacotherapy"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"380","DOI":"10.1111\/aas.12289","article-title":"Etomidate\u2014A review of robust evidence for its use in various clinical scenarios","volume":"58","author":"Erdoes","year":"2014","journal-title":"Acta Anaesthesiol. 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