Need for Improved Chemical Threat Detection

Although other companies have developed chemical detection technology to address security and military needs, these devices have limitations. They either cannot detect lethal threats with sufficient sensitivity, produce too many false positives, or are too large, complex and/or expensive to be practical for wide-scale deployment. For example, products based on ion mass spectroscopy (IMS) or flame photometry are susceptible to false positives, and are also bulky and costly: stationary units for explosives may cost $50,000 or more and typically require a skilled operator. Other portable devices are the size of a shoebox and can cost up to $40,000 or more per unit, making them unlikely to be deployed and used by soldiers or front line emergency responders.

PicoSensor® for Trace Detection

Boston MicroSystems (BMS) has developed the PicoSensor, a robust and versatile electronic nose capable of meeting the demanding needs of end customers in the military, homeland security, first responder, and other industrial markets. This sensor technology has already been validated in applications including chemical warfare agents (CWA), trace levels explosives, and toxic industrial compounds. The PicoSensor technology is:

1. *Ultra-Sensitive - The PicoSensor was tested at a US government lab for detecting the presence of trace levels of explosives, where it was shown that single digit ppb (part-per-billion) concentrations could be reliably detected.
   

2. *Precise - Because the PicoSensor is actually an array of multiple independent detectors that can be given very different (orthogonal) detection characteristics, the PicoSensor has exceptional ability to selectively detect only the target(s) of interest.
   

3. *Robust and Reliable - Because of the ruggedness of the silicon carbide materials used in manufacture, the BMS PicoSensor can withstand extreme temperature variations and can be taken almost anywhere without needing supplemental packaging for temperature control. To put this in perspective, other portable devices can take as much as 30 minutes merely to adjust to the ambient temperature of the surroundings.
   

4. *Portable and Efficient - A detection device incorporating a BMS PicoSensor could as small as a cell phone and weigh less than one pound. Most competing devices are the size of a shoe box, bread box, or larger, weighing several pounds or more.