Post by Currmudgeon on Nov 24, 2003 11:04:06 GMT -5
Gizmo could put police dogs on the dole
Monday, November 24 2003 by Matthew Clark
Scientists in America have unveiled new technology that could put thousands of police dogs out of work.
The so-called "Dog-on-a-Chip," developed by researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology, will allow police to search for cocaine and other narcotics with only a laptop, or eventually a handheld device. GIT said its new penny-sized detection tool is "portable, inexpensive, and doesn't require feeding or grooming."
"Our technology provides a handheld sensing device capable of real-time detection, reducing the time between drug seizure and laboratory analysis," said Desmond Stubbs, a doctoral candidate in chemistry working under the direction of William Hunt, Ph.D., a professor in Georgia Tech's School of Electrical and Computer Engineering.
The researchers also say that the new electronic "nose" is superior to other such devices that have been created over the years, many of which were built for bomb sniffing or for commercial purposes such as cheese, perfume or whiskey smelling. Details of the new nose were published in the 15 November edition of Analytical Chemistry, a journal of the American Chemical Society.
Though effective, dogs can be thrown off a scent by the presence of other odours such as coffee grounds. Furthermore, scientists still don't know exactly what chemicals canines sense when searching for drugs, making their noses imperfect sensors.
Dog-on-a-Chip addresses these issues by using a technology called surface acoustic wave (SAW) electronics, whereby sound waves are emitted from the device which and are reflected back to a quartz crystal that detects disturbances created by specific molecules, such as a cocaine molecule.
Though SAWs is a fairly common technique, a second detection method has been added to Dog-on-a-Chip that incorporates monoclonal antibodies, or cloned copies of proteins called antibodies that the immune system produces. To find cocaine, anti-benzoylecgonine (anti-BZE) particles are used. When a vapour sample passes through the tiny sensor, cocaine molecules attach to anti-BZE molecules on the chip, causing a disturbance in the sound waves on the quartz crystal that is detected as an electrical signal. According to the scientists, this process allows police to sense cocaine at a few trillionths of a gram.
"We are the first group to use specific antibodies to differentiate similar sized molecules in a complex vapour sample," Hunt said. This gives the Dog-on-a-Chip an advantage over its canine competitors and other electronic devices.
The scientists said that the sensor performed well in field tests with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. It is understood that the technology could also be used to detect explosives.
www.enn.ie/frontpage/news-9382605.html
Monday, November 24 2003 by Matthew Clark
Scientists in America have unveiled new technology that could put thousands of police dogs out of work.
The so-called "Dog-on-a-Chip," developed by researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology, will allow police to search for cocaine and other narcotics with only a laptop, or eventually a handheld device. GIT said its new penny-sized detection tool is "portable, inexpensive, and doesn't require feeding or grooming."
"Our technology provides a handheld sensing device capable of real-time detection, reducing the time between drug seizure and laboratory analysis," said Desmond Stubbs, a doctoral candidate in chemistry working under the direction of William Hunt, Ph.D., a professor in Georgia Tech's School of Electrical and Computer Engineering.
The researchers also say that the new electronic "nose" is superior to other such devices that have been created over the years, many of which were built for bomb sniffing or for commercial purposes such as cheese, perfume or whiskey smelling. Details of the new nose were published in the 15 November edition of Analytical Chemistry, a journal of the American Chemical Society.
Though effective, dogs can be thrown off a scent by the presence of other odours such as coffee grounds. Furthermore, scientists still don't know exactly what chemicals canines sense when searching for drugs, making their noses imperfect sensors.
Dog-on-a-Chip addresses these issues by using a technology called surface acoustic wave (SAW) electronics, whereby sound waves are emitted from the device which and are reflected back to a quartz crystal that detects disturbances created by specific molecules, such as a cocaine molecule.
Though SAWs is a fairly common technique, a second detection method has been added to Dog-on-a-Chip that incorporates monoclonal antibodies, or cloned copies of proteins called antibodies that the immune system produces. To find cocaine, anti-benzoylecgonine (anti-BZE) particles are used. When a vapour sample passes through the tiny sensor, cocaine molecules attach to anti-BZE molecules on the chip, causing a disturbance in the sound waves on the quartz crystal that is detected as an electrical signal. According to the scientists, this process allows police to sense cocaine at a few trillionths of a gram.
"We are the first group to use specific antibodies to differentiate similar sized molecules in a complex vapour sample," Hunt said. This gives the Dog-on-a-Chip an advantage over its canine competitors and other electronic devices.
The scientists said that the sensor performed well in field tests with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. It is understood that the technology could also be used to detect explosives.
www.enn.ie/frontpage/news-9382605.html
