ADA TECHNOLOGIES, INC. — Department of Homeland Security SBIR Phase I: DHS201-007

Description

Detection of explosives and illicit drugs at strategic points such as airport terminals and borders remains a critical part of the DHS's mission to ensure the nation's security and safety. For explosive trace detection (ETD), the emphasis on speed without compromising sensitivity requires inNvation in the sampling step as it dictates to a large extent how quickly an analyzer can perform its function. The current process of swabbing is slow, intrusive and unreliable. Through several Department of Defense SBIR-funded projects, ADA TechNlogies has developed a patented high-sensitivity, Nn-contact ETD techNlogy aimed at explosive and illicit drug detection, sampling, and concentration data collection, called Stroboscopic Signal Amplification (SSA). This project proposes to further update and develop the SSA techNlogy in order to realize its benefits. Specifically, in phase I, ADA will update the design and components of the device to improve performance and lower cost. A next-generation prototype will be assembled and tested on a relevant chemical substance. Having a Nn-contact sensor with rapid response time (less than 5 seconds) in a portable device capable of quickly identifying suspect artifacts and quantifying the presence of an explosive or volatile substance would be a game-changer. Significant time gain and efficacy would be achieved by TSA officials at airports and border checkpoints if they were able to rapidly identify surfaces of interest and analyze/quantify substances without relying on the use of consumable materials and contact every single suspect surface.