A Novel High Performance System for Detection of Explosives, Chemical Weapons and Illicit Drugs

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Ancon Technologies (Ancon) has developed a conceptually new technology for the detection and identification of trace quantities of explosives, chemical weapons and illicit drugs within the defence and security markets. Its technology has demonstrated exceptional performance, validated by superior sensitivity, accuracy and efficiency. Ultimately, this will lead to an enhanced passenger experience by reducing time in security whilst increasing safety.Trace detection of explosives, chemicals and narcotics at airports and within the wider critical infrastructure is currently largely met by Drift Time Ion Mobility Spectrometry (DTIMS) based systems. These systems have been in place for many years and have effectively reached their technology limits in terms of sensitivity, accuracy and efficiency. Combined with an increasingly compelling set of factors, this has led to an urgent requirement for innovation. These additional factors include a wider range of threats, high numbers of false alarms, considerable reliance on operator capability, more sophisticated concealment and an increasing need to detect in open environments. A final, increasingly vital factor in light of the pandemic is a requirement to reduce contact and direct interaction with passengers. Ancon's innovative technology has the potential to address these requirements in their entirety thereby paving the way to the next generation of safety and security solutions.Currently, the most pressing aspects of trace detection include false alarms, reliance on operator capability and the extent to which there is contact and interaction with passengers. The latter has been highlighted as a result of the current pandemic requirements and is not going to diminish moving forward.Ancon's technology is a novel Anisotropic Diffusion Ion Mobility Analyser (ADMA). It is a conceptually new ion selecting technology where broadening of signals due to Brownian diffusion is suppressed by a combination of non-linear electric and velocity fields. This leads to a narrowing of ion trajectory beams which is the foundation for low false alarm rates and detecting a wider range of security threats.Underpinning this project is a significant target market with established interest from commercial partners which provides a clear route to commercialisation in the near-term. By delivering through this project proposal, a British-led innovation will be brought to the forefront of safe, secure movement of passengers over the medium and longer term.