New Technology Will Radically Improve Explosives Detection

The discovery of explosive materials in packages that originated in the Yemen, has highlighted the need for improved detection methods in freight and in cargo planes in particular.

Clearly current detection methods used at East Midlands Airport failed to pick up the presence of PETN (Pentaerythritol tetranitrate) in the package. Keith Golding, managing director at instrumentation technology company Quantitech is pleased to announce that his firm has been working with a Canadian organisation which claims to have resolved many of the detection challenges, including the detection of PETN.

Mr Golding says, “TeknoScan Systems recently developed an analytical instrument, the TSI-3000, which offers a level of trace detection capability that far exceeds anything we have seen before.

“In recent demonstrations in Europe, the TeknoScan TSI-3000 has detected and identified threat substances in containers. Following on from this success, official trials will commence in Europe within a matter of weeks. Importantly, this technology does not rely on vaporised samples and includes advanced sampling tools that make it possible to test almost any container, vehicle or package.”

The new instrument is a transportable system which is able to detect up to 50 target substances (narcotics and explosives) simultaneously, providing complete analysis of a sample in 3 minutes or less.

The TSI-3000 was originally launched in the UK during the Transport Security Conference at London Olympia in September and will be also be exhibited at the Emergency Services Show 2010 at Stoneleigh, 24th to 25th November.

Looking forward, Keith Golding says, "This new state-of-the-art technology offers a major opportunity to help combat the threat of terrorism and organised crime whilst also enhancing transport security and safety. However, it has only recently been launched, so extensive trials will be necessary before it can be fully exploited.”