• Examining shoes for trace amounts of explosives – discreetly

    NIST has been developing a prototype shoe sampling system that relies on aerodynamic sampling as the primary mechanism for liberating, transporting, and collecting explosive contamination

  • Europe bans the use of backscatter body scanners

    In its approval of full body scanners for use at airports last week, the European Union banned the use of scanners that relied on backscatter radiation due to safety concerns; these types of scanners are widely used in the United States and have been source of sharp criticism, yet the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has continued to insist that they are safe

  • DNDO progressing on Helium-3 alternative

    DHS is one step closer in its quest to find an alternative to Helium-3, a key element used in radiation scanners that detect illegal nuclear or radiological materials; DHS’s Domestic Nuclear Detection Office (DNDO) recently announced that it had completed its final analysis on Helium-3 alternatives

  • EU to allow full-body scanners at airports

    In response to the continued threat of terrorism, the European Union (EU) recently passed legislation that would formally European airports to use full-body scanners; prior to Monday’s announcement, trial usage of full-scanners was limited to a period of thirty months; under the new rules, member states will have the option for unlimited deployment of the scanners, but will not be required to use them

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  • Researchers develop printable explosive detectors

    Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology are developing a low-cost explosives detector that can be printed on an inkjet printer; the explosive detector uses a wireless sensor to detect trace amounts of ammonia, a key chemical used in improvised explosive devices (IEDs), the deadliest killer of U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan

  • New detector can identify homemade explosives in under a minute

    A new technique could help investigators identify the type of explosive used in an attack in less than sixty seconds; the new technology is designed to aid security personnel in detecting homemade explosives, which are more difficult to detect

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  • Paper-based wireless sensor detects explosive devices

    Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have developed a prototype wireless sensor capable of detecting trace amounts of a key ingredient found in many explosives; the device, which employs carbon nanotubes and is printed on paper or paper-like material using standard inkjet technology, could be deployed in large numbers to alert authorities to the presence of explosives, such as improvised explosive devices (IEDs)

  • Smiths Detection makes Argentine prisons safer

    Smiths Detection yesterday announced the deployment of more than 150 security systems to help prevent the smuggling of narcotics, weapons, explosives, cell phones, and other dangerous materials into Argentine federal prisons

  • Valley Forge, Livermore agree on explosive detection patents

    Last Thursday Valley Forge Composite Technologies, Inc. announced that it had just reached an agreement with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory for several key technological advances in hidden explosive detection

  • U.S. Army buys Raptor's MIPs-based detectors

    Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) technology is capable of selectively sensing microscopic amounts of explosives or other molecules that are dangerous for humans and the environment, such as toxins, chemical agents, biological agents, pesticides, and poisons; the U.S. Army wants more MIPs detectors

  • Implant Sciences receives U.S. patent for explosives trace detection technology

    Keeping sample tubes used in chemical detection systems clean is important for obtaining accurate analysis results; Implant Sciences receives a U.S. patent for a procedure called Flash Heating for Tubing

  • X-ray machine operators lack proper training, says explosives expert

    Even with the increasing ubiquity of X-ray machines and other explosives detection devices, many dangerous contraband items are still passing through security checkpoints at government buildings, airports, and businesses as a result of poor training; in 2009 Government Accountability Office (GAO) investigators successfully smuggled bomb making materials into ten high-security federal buildings

  • Detroit police disarm IED found in restaurant

    On Sunday, an improvised explosive device was found in the restroom of a Detroit restaurant; police confirmed that it was a bomb and successfully disarmed it

  • Laser device detects IEDs

    Researchers have developed a laser that could detect roadside bombs — the deadliest enemy weapon U.S. and coalition soldiers encountered in Iraq and Afghanistan; the laser, which has comparable output to a simple presentation pointer, potentially has the sensitivity and selectivity to canvas large areas and detect improvised explosive devices

  • Children no longer have to remove shoes at airports

    DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano said that her agency is changing its airport security policy for children twelve years and younger who will no longer be required to remove their shoes at airport checkpoints; in addition, Napolitano said the agency’s new policies seek to avoid pat downs for children by using other screening techniques