GE introduces hand held chemical substance detector
02 Jun '08
3 min read
“First responders need convenient, easy-to-use, real time identification capabilities at hand on the scene when dealing with chemical and biological emergencies,” said Frost & Sullivan research analyst David Fishering. “StreetLab Mobile can be on the scene with first responders giving them the information they can use to assess, react and respond to an emergency in a matter of seconds.”
The StreetLab Mobile chemical identification unit is available for customer orders now. These units will be easily upgradeable to dual mode versions when the biological substance detection capability becomes available later this year.
StreetLab Mobile is presently capable of identifying more than one thousand potentially dangerous chemicals, including toxic industrial substances such as formaldehyde and liquid and solid explosives, as well as the chemical components of common explosives.
It can also identify chemicals such as Cresol and Benzene, exposure to which can have serious health consequences. It is expected that StreetLab Mobile will be able to recognize many biological substances when the bio component becomes available.
Utilizing Raman Spectroscopy, StreetLab Mobile identifies substances based on their molecular structure. Raman technology works by analyzing the interactions of light with the sample's chemical bonds, allowing a sample to be analyzed without being consumed or destroyed in most cases.
StreetLab Mobile will be on display at the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) Hazmat Response Team Conference in Hunt Valley, Md., from May 30th to 31st, 2008, GE Security booth 507.
GE Security Inc, a wholly owned indirect subsidiary of the General Electric Company, is a leading supplier of security and life safety technologies, with operations in more than 35 countries and $1.8 billion in annual sales.