Sociedad Europea de Análisis Diferencial de Movilidad

SEADM

Vapour Detection Security Applications

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AIM

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• SEADM is a Spanish SME founded in 2005, whose aim is to become a centre of excellence in the field of analytical instrumentation for the analysis of trace elements and nano- particles.

• SEADM founders are: •General Manager: Gonzalo Fernandez de la Mora, with management experience in R&D international programs

•Technical consultant: Juan Fernandez de la Mora, Yale Univ. Professor, well known in the field of vapours and nanoparticles separation in gas flow

250 m2 facilities located in Boecillo (about 200 km North-West from Madrid) Staff: 17 engineers Participation in eight European Projects up to date

Present in the markets of security, environment and health

BASIC FACTS

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TECHNICAL EXPERTISE

PROFESSOR JUAN FERNANDEZ DE LA MORA • Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Yale University

• Specialist in gas phase analysis of ions and nanoparticles and electrospray ionization

• Author of 127 publications and referee of many relevant journals, including “Journal of Fluid Mechanics”

• Inventor of 9 patents on DMA, ionisation and MS, with first developments in the area dating back to 1994

• Sinclair Award in 2006 to the most relevant US professional trajectory in the field of aerosol science

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2. IONIZATION 3. SEPARATION BY ELECTRICAL

MOBILITY

4. MASS AND MASS

FRAGMENT ANALYSIS

+

+ +

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1. SAMPLING

Liquid samples, low flow (≈2µl/min), ionization Nano-ESI

Vapour samples, direct ionization without pre- concentration using SESI, APPI or APCI

ANALYSIS TECHNOLOGY: OVERVIEW

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Automated Reliable Quick

OUR NETWORK IN THE SECURITY SECTOR

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UK Defense Science and Technology

Laboratory

FR Service Technique de

l’aviation civile

GER Federal Police

Technology Centre

ISR Israel Prime

Minister Office

SPA Guardia Civil

NED TNO (National reference

Laboratory)

DMA TECHNOLOGY: ADVANTAGES

Real time Transmission efficiency 50% (vs. other IMS ≈ 0.1%) Limits of detection sub-ppq 0.01 ppq for RDX (vs. other IMS ≈ ppb) Fully automated

Low operational cost

Differential Mobility Analyzer, DMA

Explosive (to the MS)

Vapour sample

Same principle of canine detection (detection by vapour), but:

With six orders of magnitude lower limits of detection!!

And, of course, no tiring nor physiological effects

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DMA TECHNOLOGY: ADVANTAGES AND APPLICATIONS

CBRNE DETECTION

APPLICATIONS

PEOPLE

MOBILE PLATFORMS: PATROLING

CARGO

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Just click on your favourite application

CARS AT BORDERS / CHECKPOINTS

BURRIED MINES

R&D

CARGO 1/7

• Methodology

AIR SAMPLING

VAPOURS RETAINED IN FILTER

FULLY AUTOMATIC ANALYSIS (no skilled personnel needed)

In comparison with X-ray…. Probability of detection and false alarm rates improved by more than an order of

magnitude !! Throughput dramatically increased !! 10

CARGO 2/7

software (analysis and control)

D-LFSESI

Flat DMA

Mass spectrometer

Sample

Thermal Desorber

High Volume Sampler

Filter Filter Ionization

Filter Filter Separation by volatility

Separation by ion (electric ) mobility

Separation by ion mass and ion

fragments mass

Vapour and particle retention

Filter input Output results

Analyzer

• Extensively tested for the detection of minute quantities of explosives in cargo containers

• 2-3 minutes analysis with unbeatable values of Probability of Detection and False Alarm Rate

•In collaboration with main Air Security Agencies in the world

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World record of limit of detection 0.01 parts per quadrillion for RDX

explosive

Analytical Chemistry, (2018) 90, 4, 2468-2474.

CARGO 3/7

• Wide variety of targets succesfully tested

TRUCKS

AIR CARGO CONTAINERS

PALLETS

PARCELS

MARITIME CONTAINERS

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CARGO 4/7

ACHIEVEMENTS • World record in limit of detection: 0.01 parts per quadrillion (ppq) for RDX explosive in the screening of large volume freight • Probabilities of detection in excess of 90%

• Large network of stakeholders including European Air Security Agencies, Customers, End Users and law enforcement agencies

• Selected by the Transportation Security Laboratory of the US (2017) as one of the three best companies for vapour detection for security applications

• Only non-British organization to have won a project in the Future of Aviation Security Solutions call (2018), in collaboration with Smiths Detection

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-commits-18-million-to-fund-innovation-in-aviation-security 12

PEOPLE 1/3

Somalia (Oct-2015)

Egypt (Feb-2016)

Throughput ↓↓ Brussels (Mar-2016)

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mm-wave scanning machines False alarms rate

≈ 40%

Probability of detection ↓↓

SHORTCOMINGS OF CURRENT SoTA TECHNOLOGY

No intrusiveness False alarm rates < 0.1 % Probability of detection > 90%

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INTEGRAL PERSON SCREENER

Already running as part of the EUROSTARS-funded VAPEX project

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VAPEX: Introduction Fast high flow sampling system for passengers Fast desorption solution ACES analyzer

VAPEX (Novel Vapour Analyser for the Detection of Explosives in Airports Passengers Checkpoints)

Project ranked as the 10th best Eureka proposal in 2018, over several thousand proposals in all R&D areas. In collaboration

with:

Partners Advisory Board

Objective: Detection of explosives carried by passengers in airports security checkpoints

June 2018 August 2020

August 2020 – TRL6

X-ray for baggage

Metal detector

Turntable furnace Analyzer

Robot

VAPEX operator

SEADMs SYSTEM

Air Aspiration

module

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Screened person

INTEGRAL PERSON SCREENER

Full integration with current security checkpoints

INTEGRAL PERSON SCREENER

This configuration allows to uniquely scan for explosives and drugs concealed in the body and in the baggage, to identify the individual and characterize his/her degree of stress

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For even less intrusive operation, the passenger needs to stop forsampling for ≈ 4 s

The analysis is available in ≈ 2 s (total ≈ 6 s)

RDX TNT

fg d

etec

ted Analysis

Threshold

THE CONCEPT

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THE RESULTS, SO FAR

Screening of an authorised explosiveoperator.

All clothes washed. Only source ofexplosives: traces adhered to boots

PEOPLE 3/3

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MOBILE/DISTRIBUTED PLATFORMS, 1/6

INTEGRATION OF LEAN SEADM’S VAPOUR ANALYSIS SYSTEM IN QUALITY OF AIR MONITORING NETWORK

Air monitoring station

New, leaner SEADM’s development Overall dimensions < 1x1x1 m Outstanding LoD sensibility of 0.1 ppq (*) Fully automated operation Fully integrated with current air monitoring

stations Valid for explosives, drugs and other threats

City of Valladolid Map (population 300,000) air quality monitoring

stations

(*) Parts per quadrillion. Sampling time in excess of 10 minutes. Sampling times of around 2 h would yield approximately 0.01 ppq

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MOBILE/DISTRIBUTED PLATFORMS, 2/6

SEADM is already collaboratingwith Valladolid Town Hall in theEU-funded project HAZEL

HAZEL is devoted for themeasurements of atmosphericpollutants at trace and ultra-trace levels

Valladolid Town Hall (population300,000) could be readilyinvolved if required

Transl. Director of Environment Service

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MOBILE/DISTRIBUTED PLATFORMS, 3/6

HAND-HELD SAMPLING/ANALYSIS: BUILDING SCREENING Sampling

SEADM’s Analyzer (located in a

conditioned van in the nearby)

Sensitivity: 0.01 ppq

Sensitivity ≈1 ppq

Mobile Sampler

Filter

Sampling and Analysis decoupled Sampling and Analysis fully integrated in the same device

New, leaner development With dimensions < 1x1x1 m

Platform to be embarked in a medium to large van

Platform to be embarked in a small van

MOBILE/DISTRIBUTED PLATFORMS, 4/6

Analyzer

Filter

PATROLING

/

ASCERTAIN THE LOCATION OF

COMPOSITION OF THREATS

Sampler Sensitivity 0.01 ppq

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Sensitivity ≈1 ppq

MOBILE/DISTRIBUTED PLATFORMS, 5/6

Vapour

Weapons / explosives /drugs

VEHICLE (STREET) SAMPLING-ANALYSIS

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• Our results

≈20-30 m

MOBILE PLATFORMS, 6/6

Police van belonging to a explosive unit. Parked at a

distance of 30 m of the system.

Not actually carrying any explosive, but just traces.

Depending on wind conditions

DETECTABLE BY VAPOUR AT 30 m DISTANCE!

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IF VAN DRIVES AT A DISTANCE OF ≈5 M THE SYSTEM GETS MAXIMUM SIGNAL

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CARS 1/2

• Airports

• Train stations

• Sport events

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The FP7 EFFISEC project proved the feasibility of internal sampling, watch:

https://youtu.be/XSj7IVY dzFg?t=4m4s

CARS 2/2

With the new improvements https://goo.gl/4rQH8Q

now it is possible to apply external sampling

Year 2013

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Year 2016

• Current collaboration project with the Spanish army for the detection of mines.

• Preliminary results are very positive

• For more information click this link (in Spanish)

MINES 1/1

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EFFEX: LOW COST CARGO SCREENING

EFFEX phase I (April-September 2017) and phase II (Feb 2018 - Jan 2019) were funded by the UK Government through the DASA (Defence and Security Accelerator) Objective: To develop an inexpensive and portable vapour explosive detector using the GC-DMA-Fragmenter-DMA technology (analogue to the TQ-MS) for air cargo security screening.

RESEARCH 1/3

CURRENT STATUS: TRL 5

TRL 5 TRL 6

• Technological

improvement

• Thorough demonstration

• Probability of detection

NEXT STAGE

RESEARCH 2/3

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TEXION: BAGGAGE SCREENING Objectives Development up to TRL4 of a sampling system, large area collection filter, new thermal desorber (6 seconds) and detection of TNT and RDX fingerprints

SEADM Rafael Cuesta

Business Coordinator rafael.cuesta@seadm.com

T. +34 687 503052

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