Chemical detection1st Detect in $735,000 contract for chemical detection in the field
Phase II SBIR contract from the Joint Science & Technology Office for Chemical and Biological Defense will allow the company to design and develop a novel sample inlet system intended to improve the sensitivity of mass spectrometers used for chemical detection in the field
Austin, Texas-based 1st Detect Corporation, a subsidiary of Astrotech Corporation, announced that the Joint Science and Technology Office for Chemical and Biological Defense, Ft. Belvoir, Virginia, in conjunction with U.S. Army Dugway Proving Ground in Dugway, Utaqh, has awarded a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II contract to the company to design and develop a novel sample inlet system intended to improve the sensitivity of mass spectrometers used for chemical detection in the field. This contract follows 1st Detect’s successful execution of a Phase I SBIR that was awarded in May 2009.
“This award recognizes the achievements we’ve made developing advancements in chemical detection technology, designed to enhance the U.S. Military’s capability to better detect chemical warfare threats,” said John Porter, chief executive officer for the company.
The Phase II award enables the company to transition its proof of concept pre-concentrator into a field-testable prototype, and opens up significant potential markets beyond chemical and biological defense. The $735,000 award will be used further to develop 1st Detect’s pre-concentrator inlet designed to provide a fast response time along with significantly increased chemical detection sensitivity.
The pre-concentrator will be integrated into 1st Detect’s Miniature Chemical Detector, a portable, handheld mass spectrometer. The device, originally created to sample the air quality on the International Space Station, detects residues and vapors from a wide range of toxins, organic compounds, and explosives. This technology is being marketed to the military, security, industrial, and healthcare markets
A key objective of the Chemical and Biological Defense Small Business Innovation Research Program is to permit small businesses to conduct research and development, and subsequently transition innovative technologies between the Department of Defense and the private sector for mutual benefit.
The program targets those technology efforts that maximize a strong defensive posture in a biological or chemical environment using passive and active means as deterrents.
