Spectrometers round-upBruker enhances RAID-AFM product line with radiation detection capability

Detection of biological, chemical, and nuclear contamination is big business, and one of the more inovative players in the field is Billerica, Massachusetts-based Bruker Daltonics. The company is using the 9th International CBW Protection Symposium to announce new options and capabilities for its RAID-AFM Automated Facility Monitor. The RAID-AFM product line aims to monitor large buildings, facilities, and infrastructure assets for accidents or attacks involving toxic industrial chemicals (TIC) or chemical warfare agents (CWA). The RAID-AFM is especialy suitable for large buildings such as government offices, financial centers, hotels, and more, and the system is typically deployed in building lobbies and air intake locations and works around the clock. The company says it requires but minimal maintenance. Bruker also offers handheld RAID-M chemical detectors for facility walk-throughs and detection in specific locations.

Bruker Daltonics’ RAID-AFM is based on ion mobility spectrometers (IMS). The RAID-AFM detects and identifies up to twenty chemical warfare agents and toxic industrial chemicals with short response times at IDLH (Immediate Danger to Live and Health) levels. New options introduced include:

— The RAID-AFM, now available optionally as a bifunctional integrated NC (nuclear & chemical) system that can also detect radiological and nuclear threats, including dirty bombs, in addition to TIC and CWA chemical detection.

— The RAID-AFM now is offered also with an optional nonradioactive ionization source, thus obviating the need for obtaining a license for radioactive sources. In any event, note that the RAID-AFM’s standard low activity ion source would be exempt from radiation safety requirements and thus would not need registration, record keeping, or special disposal.