Handheld Highly Sensitive Explosives, Chemical Agent, and Radiation Detector

To meet the U.S. Army need for a handheld sensing device to simultaneously locate and identify chemical, radiological, and explosives-based weapons in real time, Physical Optics Corporation (POC) proposes to complete the development of a new, highly sensitive, integrated handheld Explosives, Chemical Agent, and Radiation (ECAR) detection system. The system is based on POC’s compact ion optics sensor with high affinity to explosives and chemical agents; a miniature COTS gamma radiation sensor; a GPS receiver; and a signal processing module. ECAR can continuously and simultaneously identify and localize in real time all types of explosives and chemical agents at femtogram levels, and radiological materials. In Phase I POC successfully demonstrated the feasibility of the ECAR system, assembling and demonstrating a prototype system simultaneously detecting and identifying these threats. In Phase II, POC will develop a portable preproduction ECAR system including a preconcentrator module; miniature turbopump; optimized ion optics; and a signal processing system. The system will be tested in real-world scenarios for accurate and simultaneous detection and localization of all threats.