The demo version of a passenger screening portal was used to give live demonstrations of the LIMS technology. The LIMS sensor is capable of “sniffing out” tiny traces of explosives, chemicals or drugs
The technologies are being developed to ensure maximum security with minimum disruption of the flow of travellers or goods. Explosives and other energetic materials, along with chemicals and biohazards, are the weapons of choice for terrorists plotting mass murders. EADS is developing technologies to counter such threats: a trace detection system for screening persons and items, a neutron interrogation system for the examination of luggage and cargo, and an automated system for the fast detection of biological pathogens in drinking water.
These technologies greatly improve sensitivity, cutting false alarm rates, throughput and cost compared to existing solutions. Two of the three technologies – the Laser Ion Mobility Spectrometer (LIMS) sensor and the automated detection system for biological pathogens – were evolved from development activities at the EADS Innovation Works corporate research facilities, while the neutron interrogation system is based on defence and industrial systems already fielded by EADS SODERN. EADS is currently pursuing partnership agreements for the marketing and industrialisation of these three revolutionary technologies.
Artificial nose
Three advanced sensor technologies are designed to detect security threats including chemical, nuclear and biological hazards as well as drugs are built in an security portal.
Using the experimental setup, an EADS research scientist demonstrates the principle of the multi reflex cell of a Laser Ion Mobility Spectrometer (LIMS). A laser beam made visible by artificial smoke is reflected several times by mirrors. This increases the ionisation efficiency and therefore the sensitivity of the artificial nose.
Operating principle of the ULIS system: Emitted neutrons penetrate the object under investigation. They interact with the atomic nuclei of the substances inside to produce characteristic gamma rays, which are then analysed by the system software
The demo version of a passenger screening portal was used to give live demonstrations at the EADS stand. The portal's sensor element is the book-sized LIMS, which is capable of detecting tiny traces of explosives, chemicals or drugs.
Once someone has stepped into the portal, an overhead fan washes air over and around the person for about ten seconds. The air stream drives all materials downward and into a sampler, from where they enter the LIMS. There the molecules are split into ions, or electrically charged particles, in a process called ionisation. The LIMS subsequently subjects the various ions to an electrical field, in which they travel at different speeds depending on their specific characteristics. From this mobility spectrum and by comparing it with a database in its memory, the LIMS can determine whether or not a particular substance is present.
The novel feature of the LIMS technology is that the ionisation is not performed by a radioactive source, as is usually the case, but by a laser beam. This makes the detector highly selective, while supporting reflector technology additionally increases its efficiency. This 'artificial nose' is several times more sensitive than a dog's sense of smell – and it does not tire of its task after half an hour like its canine counterparts.
The EADS Innovation Works researchers aim to further miniaturise the LIMS sensor so that it can also be installed in hand-held equipment similar to metal detectors used at security check-points. The low power requirements of the LIMS compared to other detection devices will be an advantage for the portable model.
The basic research for the technology was carried out as part of the MILAN project – 'Miniaturised Laser Ion Mobility Spectrometer for Analysis' – sponsored by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research and carried out in cooperation with Bavarian Photonics, Optimare and the University of Potsdam.
ULIS – Unattended Luggage Inspection System
The ULIS neutron tube is fitted with an alpha-particle detector which enables the system to determine not only the substances themselves, but also their position inside an object
On the EADS stand at the Paris Air Show 2007, EADS SODERN presented a mock-up of its portable neutron interrogation system for the detection and identification of explosives, chemicals and nuclear and radioactive materials possibly hidden inside suspicious objects.
In EADS SODERN's current products, the neutron interrogation technology is employed by machines which analyse – in real time – the exact composition of minerals such as coal and cement when these materials pass through them on a conveyor belt. The company is currently working on adapting this proven technology to a number of security applications, particularly the ULIS system. ULIS is a case containing a miniaturised neutron tube, a gamma-ray detector, an electronics module, batteries and a highvoltage power supply, and two small video cameras. The case is connected to a remote laptop computer, so that the system can be operated from a safe distance.
ULIS is very easy to handle, and the neutron interrogation technology has specific advantages for such an application. The materials needed to create the neutron flux are fully contained within the sealed, metallic neutron generator. The entire ULIS system is enclosed in a small suitcase-type housing and works independently of any power source. There is no neutron emission when the system is switched off.
To investigate a suspicious item of luggage, the ULIS case is placed near the object and activated from the laptop. The tube emits neutrons, which penetrate the object under investigation. Some of the neutrons interact with the atomic nuclei of the various chemical elements inside and produce characteristic gamma rays, which are captured by the gamma-ray detector in the ULIS case. The ULIS software compares the gamma-ray spectra with a 'library' of known signatures and thus unambiguously identifies the contents of the object under investigation.
The ULIS neutron tube incorporates an important additional component: the associated particle detector. This attachment makes use of the fact that every emitted neutron releases an alpha particle in exactly the opposite direction. High-speed processing by the ULIS electronics module takes this directional information into account and combines it with time-of-flight measurements in a triangulation algorithm, thereby producing an image showing the location of suspect material inside the object under investigation. The result is shown within a few minutes. If no suspect material is found, ULIS indicates 'No threat detected'.
The neutron interrogation technology enables threat detection even through steel walls two centimetres thick, making it suitable for the screening of cargo containers. When screening trucks, the combination with x-ray technology ensures that humans or animals are detected before the neutron flux is activated. EADS SODERN is also developing a neutron interrogation system for the detection of land mines.
The ULIS software compares the measured gamma-ray spectra with an existing database and displays the result – a list of identified substances
Early warning system for biological pathogens in drinking water
The pores of the micromechanical filter are only a few nanometres in diameter. Bacteria and single-cell organisms are trapped on the filter surface, where they can effectively be rinsed off after having been identified with the aid of fluorescent antibodies and laser light
Research scientists from EADS Innovation Works presented a demo system that is capable of identifying bacteria and single-cell organisms in drinking water samples within just a few minutes, using a micromechanical filter. The system is designed to operate automatically and unattended, and is expected to have extremely low false detection rates
A growing concern about drinking-water safety, together with the highly distributed nature of drinking-water supplies, emphasizes the importance of being able to detect intentional contamination with dangerous pathogens in near-real time. Current state-ofthe- art techniques for the definitive detection of biological threats in water require samples to be taken to a lab, resulting in long turnaround times of one or two days, which makes the method unsuitable for use as an early warning system.
At the Paris Air Show 2007, EADS Innovation Works presented a demonstrator system capable of detecting bacteria and single-cell organisms in drinking water that reduces detection to a matter of minutes, also eliminating the need to take samples to a laboratory. The system is designed to operate automatically and unattended, and will have extremely low false detection rates.
The heart of the system is a micro-mechanical filter produced from a silicon wafer, using batch manufacturing methods similar to those used in the production of computer chips. This method is cost-effective and allows the pores of the filters to have a diameter of only a few 100 nanometres. Biological pathogens such as bacteria and single cell organisms have larger dimensions and can thus be trapped on the filter surface for subsequent identification. This is done by pumping industrially manufactured antibodies through the filter chamber, which will specifically bind with bacteria trapped on the filter. The antibodies have the added ability to become fluorescent when illuminated by laser light. The presence of bacteria is then detected by a photomultiplier, which measures the resulting number of light spots on the filter surface. The result is displayed by the software program, which controls the sequencing of the system's valves and pumps. Since the trapped bacteria and antibodies remain on the surface of the micro-mechanical filter, they can be effectively rinsed off and the detection process can start again with a clean filter. The system's development potential ranges from the detection of viruses and biological toxins and other applications, such as the monitoring of on-board water supplies and air-conditioning systems in aircraft, to military applications in NBC vehicles and field hospitals, as well as other homeland security applications.
Some of the research for this project has been carried out within the EU project GaNano (Gallium Nitride-based sensor arrays for nano- and pico-fluidic systems for fast and reliable biomedical testing), and some of the work on automated water monitoring is being funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research as part of the OptoZell project.
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