Stopping weapons before they reach our borders—and preventing their movement on our many internal transportation modes—is the best way of securing our homeland.
Sandia develops technologies for detecting weapons of mass destruction and has demonstrated them in working systems at ports, airports, and subways to test their effectiveness and minimize their impact on operations. We also create portable detectors that could be used by Customs personnel.
Radiological and nuclear weapon detection at ports
Field tests at northeast ports are confirming the value of Sandia’s SMART radiation detection system, which can detect and identify radiological isotopes within shipping containers. Incorporating Sandia’s proprietary auto-isotope identification software, FitToDB, SMART indicates the probability that a radioactive material detected presents a security concern, while a video camera simultaneously captures an image of the person or vehicle carrying the radioactive material.
Sandia has created a licensing agreement with
Thermo Electron Corporation that allows the company to use FitToDB in commercial units. Thermo Electron was awarded a Homeland Security Advanced Research Projects Agency (HSARPA) contract in early 2005 to build and test three prototypes of radiological sensors using this Sandia’s software.
Explosives detection at airports
During a three-month test conducted by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) in 2005, airline passengers at a security checkpoint at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport were screened for faint traces of explosives by the Sentinel, a walk-through portal developed by Sandia and licensed to
Smiths Detection.
When passengers step into the Sentinel, puffs of air dislodge particles from their hair, skin, and clothing, and air samples are collected and analyzed. If traces of an explosive chemical are found, an alarm alerts TSA inspectors, who then take appropriate action.
Based on successful tests, TSA announced it would purchase 25 Sentinels from Smiths Detection. TSA also plans to add more machines by January 2006 to provide fast, accurate explosives detection at the nation’s 40 busiest airports.
Portable explosives detection
Sandia is currently exploring licensing opportunities for Hound™, a hand-portable sample collection and preconcentration device that, when combined with chemical detectors, enables the detection of trace amounts of explosives, drugs, and other chemicals. Recently, the Texas Department of Public Safety used Hound to identify methamphetamines and nitrates during a routine traffic stop. This product is under development.
Hand-held chemical and biological weapon detectors
Arriving at the scene of an emergency, it may be difficult to determine what type of hazards are present. Sandia’s MicroChemLab ( µChemLab™) technology installed in miniature chemical and biological detection systems place the power of an analytical laboratory into the palm of a hand. Because they can rapidly detect and identify a range of chemical and biological weapons, MicroChemLab units could help authorities quickly determine whether a chemical or biological attack has taken place—and respond accordingly. Sandia is searching for industry partners to manufacture and commercialize MicroChemLab.
The Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) announced it would purchase 25 Sentinels to offer explosives detection at some of the nation’s busiest airports. The Sentinel, built by Smiths Detection, is the commercial version of a Sandia technology that non-intrusively detects trace amounts of explosives on people.