The Analytical Materials Science department of Sandia National Laboratories has developed a device to make the faint signals fed into an ion mobility spectrometer (IMS) stronger and clearer, resulting in greater sensitivity, better resolution, and faster processing time. Using Fourier transform ion mobility spectrometry (FT-IMS ) technology, the device can detect with 100 times more sensitivity than conventional IMS technology.
The Department of Defense has funded the integration of FT-IMS technology into a robust, handheld explosives detector. The device has the potential to be used by militaries worldwide to detect chemical warfare agents; by security agencies to detect explosives and narcotics; and by industries to detect toxic industrial chemicals.
At four inches by six inches, the device is
small enough to fit inside a pocket, and is powered
by 9-volt batteries. It detects in real time and
provides feedback in less than a second, so first
responders could use it at an incident scene or
for pre-incident monitoring.
