Universal Detection receives Army anthrax detection order
Early warning BSM-2000 anthrax kits will be tested at the Dugway Proving Ground; the British government has already purchased two, but deal is the first with DoD; systems “pops” spores to measure the release of dipicolinic acid
More good news for Los Angeles, California-based Universal Detection Technology (UDT). We have often reported on this company, noting at various times its efforts to improve its biowarfare response capabilities through aggressive research trials and partnerships with other businesses. These have paid off, especially on the anthrax detection front: UDT this week announced it had received a purchase order from the Army for its BSM-2000 anthrax kit. The kits will be tested at the Dugway Proving Ground — the military WMD defense testing center — in an effort to improve first responder reactions to an anthrax attack. Two units of BSM-2000 have recently been sold to the government of the United Kingdom, but this is the company’s first with the U.S. Department of Defense.
How it works: Like many similar systems, the BSM-2000 is designed as a passive early warning detection system, constantly sampling the air for the presence of anthrax spores. The machine heats the air as it passes through, the idea being to “pop” anthrax spores and force them to release dipicolinic acid, which is unique to bacterial spores. The acid triggers a sensor, which in turns activates a green luminenscence that can be read under ultraviolet light. The brighter the light, the higher the concentration of spores, and once a certain level is reached an alarm is sounded.
-read more in this company news release
