Alliance For More Sensitive Chem/Biothreat Detection
The development of emerging technologies often draws upon the talent in private sector, government, and academic research institutions. This is well illustrated by the contract signed by SpectraFluidics of Santa Barbara, California, to partner with the University of California and the US Army to develop and commercialize SpectraFluidics chemical detection technology as an advanced, field-deployable chemical detector for explosives and biohazards. SpectraFluidics is a privately owned corporation focused on the development of advanced technologies for the field detection of trace levels of explosives, illicit drugs and other contraband. Its scientists will work with counterparts at UC Santa Barbara’s Institute for Collaborative Biotechnologies (ICB) and the US Army’s Edgewood Chemical and Biological Center to develop the next-generation chemical/biological detector, which integrates free-surface microfluidics (FSF) and nanoparticle techniques with surfaceenhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS).
Each SpectraFluidics chemical detection device contains a tiny (approximately 1.0 cm X 1.6 cm X 0.7 cm) microfluidic chip that the company manufactures on standard silicon wafers. Many detectors can thus be fabricated on a single 12" diameter silicon wafer. By using the proven production techniques, which currently drive the semiconductor industry, SpectraFluidics realizes large-scale and low-cost production of its gas sampling and analysis systems. The SpectraFluidics microfluidic chip performs gas sampling and analysis from within a single miniature device. The chip can be easily replaced by the user to ensure reliable and accurate detection over time. Since all sample collection and analysis functions occur from within the chip, replacement of the chip eliminates detector performance degradation after extended use.
Among the explosives and contraband materials that have been accurately detected at parts per trillion levels with the SpectraFluidics technology are trinitrotoluenedynamite; dinitrotoluene (a decomposition product from TNT), RDX (cyclotrimethylene trinitramine, or Royal Demolition eXplosive, that is, plastic explosive), TATP (triacetonetriperoxide or "liquid explosive"), PETN (nitropentaerythrite, pentaerythrite tetranitrate, pentaerythritol, tetranitratea, a high explosive), picric acid ("home-made" explosive), DMDNB (a molecular taggant for plastic explosives), and cocaine. SpectraFluidics continue to expand the library of molecules, which can be detected sensitively and accurately in the gas phase at room temperature and pressure.
"The primary external threat to every civilized region of the world today is terrorism. Terrorism is the tactic of choice for extremist groups of all kinds; our military leaders refer to these types of threats as `asymmetric warfare,’" explained Craig R. Cummings, chief executive officer of SpectraFluidics. "The common tool of choice for the terrorist is the improvised explosive device (IED). It may be a sophisticated, remote-controlled device using `plastique’ explosives or a crude suicide bomb composed of pilfered hand-grenades. The need for a highly sensitive, highly selective device capable of detecting a wide range of explosive materials could not be greater. This need is what drove us to integrate microfluidic and SERS technologies, resulting in a sensor design capable of detecting ultratrace levels of explosives in the most challenging operating environments."
Cummings noted that merging these technologies into a single seamlessly integrated instrument posed a challenge in itself. The California company drew on its own considerable experience in the fields of microfluidics, SERS, feedback control and system integration, however, the CEO acknowledged that even with this level of expertise, "We do have pockets of expertise that are missing, so we have ventured out to fill those with our partnerships. Our collaboration with UCSB and ECBC is exactly that sort of move."
Carl Meinhart, the chief technology office of SpectraFluidics, pointed out that the unique combination of five orders of selectivity from FSF, 10 orders of enhancement from SERS, and the specificity provided by the SERS detection technique creates a powerful tool that significantly improves explosives detection technology at a time of increasing security risks. Since the SpectraFluidics explosives detector is based on nanotechnology, it is naturally small and can be engineered to operate within a small handheld detector. Other technologies on the market cannot be easily reduced in size without suffering performance degradation. In addition, high sensitivity and specificity enable the SpectraFluidics detector technology to eliminate the laborintensive swabbing technique typically used for airport luggage screening.
SpectraFluidics' explosives detector exhibits the benefit of both the commerciallyavailable "sniffer" technologies and hand-held Raman spectrometers. Further, the FSF/SERS technology offers the added advantage of detecting explosives in either vapor phase or solid phase (such as fertilizer-based explosives), which enables the device to be adaptable to emerging threats.
"Today, our military does not have access to any explosives sensor device that is capable of detecting ultra-low levels of explosives in complex background environments," pointed out Cummings, who said typical applications of the SpectraFluidics technology would include remote detection of roadside bombs; screening of any person(s) who are suspected of possessing, handling or being in the presence of explosive materials; early identification of potential suicide bombers; screening of attendees at high-profile public events; screening of suspicious mail or packages, and so on. "We plan to deliver initial evaluation units to the Army in 2010 with the intention of delivering production units the following year," he said.
SpectraFluidics’ chief executive remarked that new explosive detection devices and systems must address an ever-increasing spectrum of targeted high energy materials and detonation techniques. Further, they must be able to detect accurately at larger stand-off distances and in the presence of high concentrations of interfering background chemicals. "This is an enormously challenging problem, and it is not going to go away any time soon," he concluded.
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