Pocket sized device exploits Raman effect to enable all street drugs and nearly all chemical materials, including explosives, to be analysed in just ten seconds
Police and other agencies have always been interested in the possibility of using very small analysers that can be hand carried and that will identify typical material left at the scene of a crime including drugs and there contaminants, explosives etc, especially analysers that are small enough to be carried around in a police person's pocket.
To meet this need Spectrolab has introduced to the market a new sub compact analyser that will do just that and at the same time provide immediate screening and identification capability for literally hundreds of drugs and their known contaminants, plus practically any other material including explosives whether they be a solid, liquid, gel, powder etc This remarkable analyser is called the Inspector and exploits the Raman effect, which is an effect similar to light scattering but defines material in terms of its chemical constituents or molecular composition.
However, unlike other Raman instrumentation, this analyser measures just a few centimetres long and will neatly fit into a pocket.
Which means it can be carried and used anywhere.
Although the Inspector is very small, it can perform a formidable variety of measurements on just about any sample in any phase and in a time scale of just a few seconds.
A part of the design that makes the analyser particularly useful for forensic applications is that it incorporates an embedded wireless transmitter and a embedded CCD camera plus flash that allows the analysis to be verified remotely from a central location anywhere in the world.
This is particularly useful when repetitive analysis is required such as work undertaken by Customs and Excise, or the inspection of documents such as passports or perhaps when potential explosives require identification.
For on the spot analysis the instrument is used with a palm notebook PC which fits into a jacket pocket and contains data libraries and algorithms to convert the measured Raman spectrum into a simple list of materials present in a particular sample.
For example a white powder can be analysed, photographed with the built in camera and positively identified perhaps as a mixture of met amphetamine plus sugar and a case written using MS word in less than a minute.
Data and images can be uploaded to a laboratory PC when convenient and edited as required.
Any operator can be trained to use the Inspector in just 30 minutes, says Spectrolab.
The Inspector also provides the possibility to revolutionise drug identification and provide government agencies with a powerful analyser that can be used by anyone anywhere.
For a complete identification simply place the unknown substance which can be a pill, powder or liquid close to a small probe supplied and start.
It's as simple as that.
Even ecstasy tablets can be analysed in just a few seconds. The Inspector can be used for a lot of other applications as well and will find a home in any environment that can take advantage of this remarkable ultra compact chemical or molecular analyser including use as a quality control tool, in pharmaceuticals, environmental, petrochemicals, medical, military, Customs and Excise plus a lot more.
For applications that demand multiple methods of analysis for absolute verification, a compact near IR spectrophotometer is available that will, directly interface to the Inspector.
