Threat detection

Based on the history of terrorist attacks, which have mostly involved hijacking and bombing of aircraft, current threat-detection measures have concentrated on detecting weapons or explosives. In the future, terrorist attacks could also involve the use of toxic chemicals, chemical and biological warfare agents, or even radiological and nuclear materials.1 2... 

The problem of threat detection can be considered on several different axes, as follows ... 

We are also now partnering with MIT, the US Army, Raytheon Co., Massachusetts General Hospital, and the Brigham and Women s Hospital to form the Institute for Soldier Nanotechnology (ISN). We seek to enhance the protection and survival of the infantry soldier using nanotechnology to create revolutionary materials and devices to improve threat detection and neutralization, concealment, real time automated medical treatment, and reduction in the size of logistical support. 

D.L. McMakin et al., Holographic Arrays for Threat Detection and Human Feature Removal, US Patent No. 7,034,746 (2006). 

The difference between LP-1 and LP-2 is the inclusion of options specifically for protection from biological and chemical airborne threats in LP-2. The presence of detection and identification technologies for biological and chemical airborne threats defines LP-3 and LP-4. Automated response to threat detection separates LP-3 from LP-4. In general, active protection (LP-3 and LP-4) has fewer vulnerabilities when implemented in conjunction with passive protection. In this case, LP-3 or LP-4 is likely to include the virtues of LP-1 and LP-2. 

Cemhi M (2007) Chemical and biological threat detection systems of the future. Chem-Bio Defense Q. 4 18-21. http7/www.jpeocbd.osd.mil/documents/Vol 4 lssue 2.pdf... 

Tactical Situational Awareness (e.g. identification tactical status type capabilities location threat flight dynamics own capabilities relative to threat threat detections threat launch capabilities threat prioritisation threat imminence and assignments current and projected intentions, tactics, firing, manoeuvring mission timing and status confidence level of information etc.)... 

Novel GaN-based Chemical Sensors for Long-range Chemical Threat Detection... 

Hochbaum, D. S. and Fishbain, B. 2011. Nuclear threat detection with mobile distributed sensor networks. Annals of Operations Research, 187,45-63. 

Disease Surveillance, Threat Detection and Point of Need Diagnostics... 

DASD(CBD) Capability Focus Areas Surveiliance JRO.CBRND and JPEO-CBD Operational Elements Sense JSTO-CBD Strategic Thrusts and Enablers Disease Surveillance, Threat Detection and Point of Need Diagnostics... 

The versatility of MS in HLS research is limited only by the laboratory environment. The system footprint, vacuum and power requirements, data processing, ease of use, and cost make most commercial MS systems impractical for field deployment. An alternative to MS for threat detection has been ion mobility spectrometry (IMS). IMS is used in the field for the detection of chemical threats in airports, by the military, at crime scenes, and in prisons. Upward of 40,000 commercial IMS systems are deployed at airport security checkpoints around the world [17]. Commercial IMS systems are operated at atmospheric pressure, use air as a carrier gas, are approximately the size of a desktop computer, and can analyze a sample in under 6 s [18]. Recently, IMS systems have been designed and optimized as handheld devices, and their overall size is approximately the size of a mobile phone [18]. 

This section discusses MS techniques for biological threat detection. Currently, the major methods to detect biological pathogens and toxins by MS involve the use of LC-MS and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ ionization (MALDI)-MS techniques. 

Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) for Nuclear and Radiological Threat Detection... 

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