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APPROACHING SUSPICIOUS SUBSTANCES SAFELY
PUBLIC SAFETY
ORIGINATING TECHNOLOGY/ NASA CONTRIBUTION
A mineral identification tool that was developed for
NASA’s Mars Rover Technology Development program is
now serving as a powerful tool for U.S. law enforcement
agencies and military personnel to identify suspicious
liquid and solid substances.
PARTNERSHIP
In 1998, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory awarded a
Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract
to EIC Laboratories, Inc., to develop a portable Raman
spectrometer and fiber-optic probe that could be used
on a Mars exploration rover. Raman spectroscopy, an
analytical technique for identifying molecules in gases,
liquids, and solids, uses a laser to scatter light
from a targeted sample. The Raman spectrometer detects
the returned light in order to identify the sample’s
makeup. NASA needed this tool to be easily integrated
into a Mars rover to provide chemical identification
of Mars soil and mineral samples. Spectrometers such
as this one are part of a cluster of instruments in
the rover that combine traditional field tools with
the equipment typically found in geological laboratories
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EIC Laboratories’ work on the NASA project resulted
in a portable Raman spectrometer with dual wavelength
illumination that could obtain full-range spectra of
mineral samples. The company also developed instrument
control software for the system and a database of the
Raman spectra of minerals for Mars exploration. The
entire spectrometer fits inside a “suitcase” roughly
24 by 16 by 8 inches, and employs a fiber-optic probe
4 by 0.5 inches in diameter that can be integrated
into the rover arm.
PRODUCT OUTCOME
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The portable InPhotote™ stems from technology developed for the chemical identification
of Mars soil and mineral samples.
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The U.S. Army had been using EIC Laboratories’ high-resolution
Raman spectrometer for applications such as identifying
chemical agents in sealed glass vials, and was interested
in buying a man-portable version of it for use in field
analysis. At the same time, the U.S. Federal Bureau
of Investigation (FBI) began stting up mobile laboratories
to ascertain potential threats at high-profile events
such as the Democratic National Convention in 2000
and the Presidential Inauguration in 2001. Just like
the Army, the FBI needed a portable Raman system with
high sensitivity and sufficient spectral resolution
to identify unknown chemical substances with confidence.
In response to this need, the basic spectrometer originally
built for NASA was repackaged for forensic and military
applications. The commercial product, the InPhotote,™
is manufactured and distributed by InPhotonics, Inc.
, a spinoff company of EIC Laboratories, co-located
in Norwood, Massachusetts. The portable InPhotote is
a complete Raman spectrometer system contained in a
16- by 9- by 8-inch aluminum case, weighs approximately
22 pounds, and can be set up in a matter of minutes.
The tool can measure unknown substances through glass
and plastic packaging materials with the RamanProbe™
focused fiber-optic probe. The probe length can be
extended up to 200 meters to enable users to analyze
potentially dangerous substances at a safe distance.
In many cases, the spectrometer and personnel are kept
in a safe zone while the probe is positioned next to
the sample being analyzed. Being able to identify chemicals
in remote locations also saves users time and labor,
since otherwise the samples would need to be collected,
transported, and prepared prior to measurement in the
laboratory.
One of the major advantages of Raman spectroscopy over
other analysis techniques is its ability to measure
through clear and semi-clear containers. Other techniques
cannot analyze samples without manipulating or contacting
them in some way. Raman spectroscopy, which is very
specific to molecular structure, can also be used to
identify a wide variety of organic and inorganic compounds
as long as there are intramolecular bonds present.
InPhotonics is working on expanding its Raman database,
which currently contains 243 compounds of explosives
and precursors, to include pesticides and other toxic
chemicals. According to the company, many of the InPhotote’s
users have created their own libraries specific to
their application in order to rapidly identify unknown
substances in the field.
InPhotonics has seen an increased demand for the InPhotote
following the terrorist attacks against the United
States on September 11, 2001. Since the system can
rapidly identify a wide range of potentially hazardous
materials, it is currently of interest to law enforcement
and security agencies worldwide. The InPhotote continues
to undergo engineering changes to improve detection
limits, reduce size and weight, and minimize power
consumption for long-term operation off an internal
battery.
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The InPhotote™ can measure unknown substances through glass and plastic packaging
materials with the RamanProbe™ focused fiber-optic
probe.
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While the ability to rapidly identify chemicals onsite
is more important than ever before, the company is
also exploring non-forensic applications. Chemical
and pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities would like
to bring the laboratory to the sample, rather than
transfer a sample to the laboratory and wait for the
results. A portable instrument could also be used for
quality control of incoming materials or finished products.
The latter can be measured through packaging materials
as a final step before shipment.
In response to other market needs, InPhotonics recently
repackaged the portable system into a laboratory spectrometer
known as the VERAX.™ This product meets the needs of
customers who want the performance specifications of
the InPhotote product but do not require the portable
package. The company is targeting the VERAX for process
development in the pharmaceutical industry as well
as for general analytical and research applications.
InPhotote,™ RamanProbe,™ and VERAX™ are trademarks
of InPhotonics, Inc.
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