November 1, 2001
Genetic Engineering News
According to Amit Kumar, Ph.D., president and CEO, the device can be used for diagnostics or as an environmental sensor. "The goal is to develop a hand-held device for use at the site of interest," says Dr. Kumar. The prototype system can multiplex 12 compounds, but he says that, in principle, it should have an even higher capacity than this.
The Virtual Flask's detection capabilities range from small molecules, like ricin, to large analytes, such as viruses, spores, and bacteria, including anthrax and smallpox. "Its detection capability is as low as 50 spores," notes Dr. Kumar, making it ten times more sensitive than are comparable systems. Funded under a Department of Defense grant, the system is expected to be ready in 2002, with commercialization to follow.
Ekips Technologies (Norman, OK) is developing a tunable diode laser-absorption spectrometer targeting small gaseous molecules, which diffuse quickly once released. The device is designed for permanent deployment near likely targets. "Continuous samples are pulled into the gas cell," and a mid-infrared laser beam is passed through it while a detector measures the transmitted light, explains Patrick McCann, Ph.D., president. "The laser is tuned to a range of wavelengths," he says. The spectrometer looks for any absorption and, if it occurs, the molecule is identified by its absorption frequency. At that point, an inverted spike occurs on the detector signal, serving as a marker to identify the individual molecule and its concentration. "Each molecule has a unique fingerprint or absorption peak," he reminds. For dangerous substances, the device sounds an audible alarm. The spectrometer samples the air ten times per second and can detect odors 1,000 times below the odor threshold at a level measured in parts per billion. It operates from the electrical grid, with a battery backup.
Currently, the device is a "research-level" instrument. Commercialization is expected in about three years at an estimated price of $70,000 per unit.
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