DETECTION
DETECTION just got faster
Edward Perello looks at new developments in rapid diagnostics and sampling
The Nano Intelligent
Detector System (NIDS) by Smiths Detection is
capable of running 5 multiplexed assays in parallel and can
identify 10 agents in under 15 minutes.
The NIDS system as it arrives in its case to a customer.
In today’s asymmetric warfare, modern warfi ghters and fi rst responders will need to be increasingly prepared for the reality of a chemical or biological strike. There are also new and more disturbing concerns regarding emerging trends in biotechnology and synthetic biology. Although the rules for responders will change as attacks escalate from conventional low-level terrorism to the major casualties expected in a military confrontation or high-level terrorist attack, there is always a need for devices that can be used to identify any such weapon in a timely, cost-effi cient, and hassle-free manner.
Below: The On-Site Rapid Diagnostic Screening System bythe Chelsea Technologies Group is a portable next-generation device being developed for rapid deployment in the event of a terrorist attack.
M Right: The Environics ChemPro 100i
has a simple user interface that allows users to locate and classify simultane- ously. It provides a rolling line graph and audible Geiger-counter style beep so that users can see and hear areas of brighter sample concentrations.
42 CBNW 2013/01
any fi rms are developing next-generation samplings tools and rapid diagnostics devices that can bridge the variety of chemical and biological agents, and meet the high demands of a mobile response force. Of particular
importance are man-portable systems that can be rapidly deployed by unskilled personnel wherever an event begins. Smiths Detection is developing a bio-threat detector system,
the Nano Intelligent Detector System (NIDS), which represents a step forward from traditional immunoassay-based equipment. Consisting of a handheld reader into which assay test strips can be loaded, the NIDS is able to run a multiplexed assay on a sample volume as low as 100 µl (microlitres) while screening for, and detecting, up to fi ve bio-agents in parallel. Smiths Detection claims that the NIDS and two compatible
HHA strips will enable fi rst-responders and detection units to screen for the presence of up to 10 agents in less than 15 minutes – an invaluable capability in a situation where time is of the utmost essence.
Beating the Hook Eff ect Traditionally, detection systems based on enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) techniques are vulnerable to ‘the Hook Eff ect’ - an unfortunate artefact of detection that is caused by improperly oriented antibodies. Oſt en, the Hook Eff ect results in lower-than-expected quantitative readings for a target agent and it is responsible for many false negatives. While an assay experiencing the Hook Eff ect can sometimes
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