Drugs and precursor sensing by complementing low cost multiple techniques: overview of the European FP7 project CUSTOM

Alberto Secchi; Anna Maria Fiorello; Massimiliano Dispenza; Sabato D'Auria; Antonio Varriale; Alessandro Ulrici; Renato Seeber; Juho Uotila; Vincenzo Venditto; Paolo Ciambelli; Juan Carlos Antolín; Francesco Colao; Tom Kuusela; Ilkka Tittonen; Päivi Sievilä; Grégory Maisons

doi:10.1117/12.973756

8 November 2012 Drugs and precursor sensing by complementing low cost multiple techniques: overview of the European FP7 project CUSTOM

Alberto Secchi, Anna Maria Fiorello, Massimiliano Dispenza, Sabato D'Auria, Antonio Varriale, Alessandro Ulrici, Renato Seeber, Juho Uotila, Vincenzo Venditto, Paolo Ciambelli, Juan Carlos Antolín, Francesco Colao, Tom Kuusela, Ilkka Tittonen, Päivi Sievilä, Grégory Maisons

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 8545, Optical Materials and Biomaterials in Security and Defence Systems Technology IX; 85450G (2012) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.973756
Event: SPIE Security + Defence, 2012, Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Abstract

A large number of techniques for drug precursors chemical sensing has been developed in the latest decades. These techniques are able to screen and identify specific molecules even at very low concentration in lab environment, nevertheless the objective to build up a system which proves to be easy to use, compact, able to provide screening over a large number of compounds and discriminate them with low false alarm rate (FA) and high probability of detection (POD) is still an open issue. The project CUSTOM, funded by the European Commission within the FP7, deals with stand alone portable sensing apparatus based on multiple techniques, integrated in a complex system with a complimentary approach. The objective of the project is to achieve an optimum trade-off between opposite requirements: compactness, simplicity, low cost, sensitivity, low false alarm rate and selectivity. The final goal is the realization of an optical sensing platform able to detect traces of drug precursors compounds, such as ephedrine, safrole, acetic anhydride and the Benzyl Methyl Keton (BMK). This is reached by implementing two main sensing techniques: the fluorescence enhanced by the use of specially developed Organic macro-molecules, and a spectroscopic technique in Mid-IR optical range. The fluorescence is highly selectivewith respect to the target compounds, because it is based on properly engineered fluorescent proteins which are able to bind the target analytes, as it happens in an 'immune-type' reaction. The spectroscopic technique is based on the Photo-Acoustic effect, enhanced by the use of a widely Tunable Quantum Cascade Laser. Finally, the sensing platform is equipped with an air sampling system including a pre-concentrator module based on a sorption desorption cycles of a syndiotactic polystyrene polymer.

Citation Download Citation

Alberto Secchi, Anna Maria Fiorello, Massimiliano Dispenza, Sabato D'Auria, Antonio Varriale, Alessandro Ulrici, Renato Seeber, Juho Uotila, Vincenzo Venditto, Paolo Ciambelli, Juan Carlos Antolín, Francesco Colao, Tom Kuusela, Ilkka Tittonen, Päivi Sievilä, and Grégory Maisons "Drugs and precursor sensing by complementing low cost multiple techniques: overview of the European FP7 project CUSTOM", Proc. SPIE 8545, Optical Materials and Biomaterials in Security and Defence Systems Technology IX, 85450G (8 November 2012); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.973756

ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE

INSTITUTIONAL
Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.

SELECT YOUR INSTITUTION

PERSONAL
Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.

PERSONAL SIGN IN

No SPIE Account? Create one

PURCHASE THIS CONTENT

SUBSCRIBE TO DIGITAL LIBRARY

50 downloads per 1-year subscription

Members: $195

Non-members: $335 ADD TO CART

25 downloads per 1 - year subscription

Members: $145

Non-members: $250 ADD TO CART

PURCHASE SINGLE ARTICLE

Includes PDF, HTML & Video, when available