Handheld Bio Detector Nears Fruition
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edited by Robert H. Williams
A
joint effort by the Air Force Research Laboratory and the Energy
Department’s Northwest National Laboratory has produced a
fast-acting, handheld biosensor that can test people and equipment.
The green box sensor is being developed for Air Force special operations
forces, which should soon have a reliable and cost-effective means
of determining whether biological warfare agents are present in
their operational environment.
Test results are available in minutes, the company says.
The system, which is still in trials, relies on a biochemical assay
that checks out DNA fragments. A liquid crystal display and light
emitting diodes quickly tell the operator whether a threat is present
and its degree of potency.