Detection

Business and technology briefs
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ACRO develops a pen-like TATP detector
As an increasing number of companies develop portable, self-contained laboratories, ARCO jumps ahead to fight a common terrorist explosive; technology uses enzyme-catalyzed oxidation to produce colored pigments; low cost per unit a huge attraction for pen devices
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Westinghouse files patent for nuclear detector that overcomes lead shielding
Non-intrusive meathod of cargo screening propels deutrons into tritium in order to generate a powerful beam of nuetrons that excite hidden radioactive material
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JMAR warned by NASDAQ it may be delisted
Maker of popular BioSentry and other laser-based and X-ray detection systems receives note from NASDAQ that it is not in compliance with the minimum bid price requirement and may be delisted
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NRC established on-line nuclear material reporting system
From the construction to the pharmaceutical industries, many companies rely on sealed and bonded radioactive materials; the National Source Tracking System now requires next-day notification of purchases; data will be used to identify and track suspicious transactions
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AS&E reports Q2 financial results
Massachusetts-based radiation-detection specialist shows mixed financial results for Q2 2007; earning per share suffered as a result of the adoption in April of SFAS 123R, and the resulting pre-tax charge; the company boasts of the highest order backlog in company’s history — a respectable $117 million
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Smiths Detection moves forward with Tunnel of Truth
Scheduled for deployment at the 2012 London Olympics, the system incorporates a slew of automated measures to detect explosives and weapons; scheme resembles GE’s Checkpoint of the Future, including the use of the much-maligned puffer machines
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DHS announces winners of $113 million in portable radiation detection grants
Succesful companies include SAIC, Ametec AMT, Sanmina-SCI, Target Instruments, and Smiths Detection; DHS to purchase 1,000 handheld and 200 backpack systems
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AMETEK wins DHS contract for germanium-based nuclear radiation detector
There are several types of radiation detectors, but experts lean toward germanium-based gamma ray detectors as offering the best combination of resolution and sensitivity; a specialist in this technology has just won a $2.4 million contract from DHS — a contract with a potential $50 million value over a five year period
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Thresher acquires Talon
The market for the secure containment, transportation, and storage of nuclear materials is growing — what with these materials offering lucrative targets for terrorists and growing environmental concerns; Thresher, a company which knows a thing or two about casting and composite materials, is acquiring Talon, a specialist in manufacturing premium metal matrix composites
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ICx Nomadics turns men into dogs with new explosive sniffer
The Fido XT is used alongside canine units to maximize coverage; users must train themselves to imitate German shepherds; technology is sensitive enough to locate a pistol that has not been fired in ten years; robot mounting an option, too
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New business opportunities in radiation detection technologies
The North Korea nuclear test, and the inexorable march of Iran toward acquiring nuclear weapons, increase the risks of nuclear weapon proliferation; there are thus many opportunities in developing new radiation detection technologies
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GAO hashly criticizes the next generation of radiation portal monitors
Scheduled for deployment next year, the monitors failed to correctlty identify highly enriched uranium, whether masked or bare; GAO finds the cost of $377,000 per unit entirely unjustified and asks DHS officials to go back to the drawing board; Thermo Electron, Raytheon, and Canberra Industries to received $1.2 billion for new machines
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Researchers develop portable lab on a chip to identify WMD contamination
Soldiers and first responders are exposed to chemical and biological threats, so there is a need to develop a quick and accurate technology to identify dangerous exposure — a technology, moreover, which can be carried easily into the field or the urban disaster area to perform on-the-spot contamination checks; researchers affiliated with MIT have developed such a technology
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RAE Systems strikes a deal with the National Guard
Company will supply portable gas and radiation detectors to fifty-five Guard Civil Support Teams; agile Rapid Deployment Kits consist of four specialized monitors and sensors
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