Amplifying fluorescent polymer

Detection of Explosives Using Amplified Fluorescent Polymers... 

The unique simplicity of TNT detection by this method renders the fabrication of an operable device built around amplified fluorescent polymer technology a relatively simple proposition in comparison to other technological platforms. The method relies purely on changes in fluorescence intensity. AH that is theoretically required is a means of introducing vapor samples to a conjugated polymer film, a light source to excite the polymer film, and a photodetector to measure the emission intensity as a function of time. 

The selectivity inherent to TNT detection by amplified fluorescent polymers, as described in Section 4, helps to rriinirriize false-positives in land mine detection. These sensor devices respond only to nitroaromatics and similarly small, electron-deficient analytes, which are found typically only in or close to explosives and explosive devices. Field-tests to date have demonstrated that these devices are at least as reliable as trained dogs in detecting explosives that contain nitroaromatics. There is still uncertainty concerning what chemical that dogs actually detect when searching for explosives [17]. This... 

M.E. Fisher, Applications of Sensors Utilizing Amplifying Fluorescent Polymers For Ultra-Trace Level Detection of Explosives, Eighth International Symposium for the Analysis and Detection of Explosives (ISADE), Ottawa, Canada, June 2004. 

Fisher, M., M. la Grone, and I. Sikes. Implementation of serial amplifying fluorescent polymer arrays for enhanced chemical vapor sensing of landmines, in Proceedings of UXO/Countermine Forum 2003, Orlando, Florida, September, 2003. 

T. Swager, E. Towers, and V. Williams. Developments in the use of an amplified fluorescent polymer-based sensor for the detection of landmines, in Proceedings of Aerosense 2001, Volume 4394-111, International Society for Optical Engineering, Orlando, Florida, April, 2001. 

EXPLOSIVES DETECTION BASED ON AMPLIFYING FLUORESCENCE POLYMERS... 

Figure 9.1 Two vials containing the amplifying fluorescent polymer (AFP) that has been developed to detect nitroaromatic explosives. They fluoresce when excited by light of a given wavelength as shown by the vial on the right. The vial on the left contains trace amounts of TNT, which has quenched the fluorescence.

P Cyclodextrin - (G HioOsh Microelectron capture device Amplifying fluorescent polymer Airborne laser mine detection system Ammonium nitrate icing sugar Antipersonnel (as in mines)... 

Chapter 9, Explosives Detection Based on Amplifying Fluorescence Polymers, describes a relatively new technology with very high sensitivity that has been applied successfully to several real-world search efforts. This is the sensing technology used in Chapters 6 and 7. 

AMPLIFYING FLUORESCENT POLYMER ARRAYS FOR CHEMICAL DETECTION OF EXPLOSIVES... 

Abstract Amplifying fluorescent polymers developed by collaborators at the... 

Key words Fido, landmine, explosives, amplifying fluorescent polymer (AFP)... 

The selectivity of previous Fido sensor prototypes for landmine chemical signature constituents has proven to be excellent. However, improvements in chemical selectivity for target analytes translates into better false alarm performance, so methods for reducing sensor false alarms have been a focal point of sensor research efforts. Previous sensor prototypes have achieved selectivity primarily through the chemical and physical properties of the amplifying fluorescent polymer (AFP) materials used as sensoiy materials in the system. Described here are changes to the sensor hardware that should further enhance the selectivity of the sensor. 

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