BioCheck™ Powder Screening Test Kit

Wednesday, May 19, 2004WASHINGTON (AP)— The top intelligence official at the Homeland Security Department, worried about an increased risk of attack in coming months, says Al Qaeda wants to strike on U.S. soil with something other than a conventional explosive — perhaps with a chemical or biological weaponRetired Lt. Gen. Patrick Hughes…worries about chemical and biological attacks, including a dirty bomb. And, in particular, he points to the possibility of another anthrax biological attack, following the one that wreaked havoc on the postal system, closed a Senate building for three months and killed five in 2001. "It's not the only one," Hughes said of that possibility, but anthrax is easy to produce and disperse, he said, noting that the recipes for it and the deadly poison, ricin, are on the Internet. "It's not hard to do."

Bioterrorism: Renewed Threats

1 Real Threat = 1,000 False Alarms

Powdered Sugar; Flour

Cosmetics

Cornstarch

Drywall Dust

Needs of first responders

Reliable resultsReliable results (low false positive and negative)

Reasonable priceReasonable price SpeedSpeed in obtaining results EaseEase of useLong shelf lifeLong shelf life & robust

Limitations of Existing Field Tests

Require Instrumentation ($$$)

Different tests Needed for each agent (Ricin, Anthrax, etc.) ($$$)

Complex to use

Not easily scalable

Short shelf life: not robust

False positive = Panic!

NeededSimple, reliable, disposable, inexpensive, test toquickly rule out most of the substances thatthe public suspects might be bio-terror agents

Indicates the presence or absence of protein in suspicious powders through a simple color change.

A simple chemical test for protein: a change to purple in the test tube indicates a possible biothreat.

pH test provides additional information (bioterrorist materials are more likely to be of physiological (neutral) pH.

BioCheck™ Powder Screening Test Kit

BioCheck simultaneously screens for the bio-terror agents anthrax, ricin and botulinum toxin in 10 minutes or less.

BioCheck™ Powder Screening Test Kit

BioCheck™ Kit Protocol

BioCheck Protocol: Step by Step

Confirm that product has not passed expiration date (on front of box) before using.

BioCheck Protocol: Step by Step

Tubes and swabs should be at or near room temperature before deployment

Do not confuse the ‘Protein Detection’ swab (used first to collect and test the sample) with the ‘Protein Control’ swab (used as a positive control to confirm a negative result for protein).

BioCheck Protocol: Step by Step

BioCheck Protocol: Step by Step

The pH test does not provide an answer to the question ‘Is this a possible bioterror agent?’ (This is the function of the protein test). Rather, it provides additional information about the substance being tested

Be sure to read the result within 15 minutes of transferring the sample to the tube. Warmer temperatures will cause the reactions to proceed more quickly; lower temperatures will slow the reaction rates.

BioCheck Protocol: Step by Step

BioCheck Protocol: Step by Step

NOTE: A positive is the appearance of a purple color in the solution (not just on the swab or on the powder sample)

NOTE: A positive (purple color in the ‘Protein’ test solution) does not necessarily indicate the presence of a bioterror agent: merely the need for further testing. In actual 911 calls, 87% of substances were negative for protein.

BioCheck Protocol: Step by Step

If the Positive Control Swab does NOT cause a negative protein test to turn positive (purple) repeat testing with another BioCheck Kit or test with a different methodology

BioCheck Result Summary Chart

Protein result Control result pH result Conclusion

Positive n/a Any Positive: protein is present

Negative Positive Any Negative: Follow local protocol

Negative Negative Any Invalid Test Result

The pH test is advisory: high and low pH materials are less likely to be biological in origin. The protein result determines the proper course of

action, no matter what the pH result

Examples of Positive and Negative Substances (Protein)

Protein Negative• Dangerous chemical

agents

OR Sugar (powdered) Plaster dust Salt Corn starch Dry wall dust

Protein Positive• Biological warfare agents OR

Yeast Pancake mix Corn meal

Proven in the Field D.C. Fire & EMS White Powder Testing Protocols

In more than 50 911 calls in 2002, more than 85% of substances tested were NEGATIVE for protein ruling out a bio-terror agent. The product has been successfully tested against Anthrax and simulantsHundreds of first responder agencies using BioCheck nationwide: the kit has been incorporated into SOPs for responding to suspicious powder calls.

Example of Field SOP PID Screening

Radiological Screening

Chem Warfare Agent Screening

If warranted

20/20 Protein-pH Test

If NEG Protein-Hi/Lo PH

If POS Protein-Neutral pH

Sensor IR Screening

Prime Alert Microbe Test

If POSITIVE

Tetracore Strips (5 tests)If Airborne – use Mesosystems Air Sampler

If POSNotify SP Ops, MPD & FBI

Prepare sample for Lab (SWAB)Bag Item for evidence (Triple bag)

Do Not Perform Site/Evidence Decon until Investigation is complete

Any POS indication shall be reconfirmed by a minimum of two (2) methods –no samples are confirmed positive without laboratory confirmation!

Threat AssessmentVisual Assessment

For more information: Ph: 866-572-2020

24 hour: 202 669-5189www.biocheckinfo.com