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Scientists from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore, have developed a ground-breaking non-invasive technique to identify explosive and hazardous chemicals hidden inside any container, including non-metallic ones like envelopes, plastic and coloured glass bottles.
A portable, easy-to-operate table-top setup helps detect the explosive material, and according to the scientists, it can be used by the police and the armed forces.
The technique also has commercial application at airports, railway stations, bus stations and ports.
Prof. Siva Umapathy, J.C. Bose Fellow Professor, Department of Inorganic and Physical Chemistry, IISc, who co-developed the technique, said this method is based on Raman spectroscopy - Universal Multiple Angle Raman Spectroscopy (UMARS).
It relies on illuminating the sample with a light source, which provides scattered light, offering molecular specific signatures to identify the chemical substance.
The research paper has been published in the prestigious Nature Scientific Reports journal, in its June edition.
"The UMARS technique employs the principle of deep penetration of photons and diffusion using non-absorbing media employing multiple scattering and detection of signals from all the observable angles. UMARS is a geometry independent, flexible, robust, non-invasive technique having potential to be used in various fields of science," added Prof. Umapathy, who is also Special Professor, Department of Chemistry, at the UK's University of Nottingham.
For instance, the method can be used to detect and identify explosives packed in liquids in bottles such as water, milk, creams, emulsions, alcohol or other chemicals - which is not possible with the conventional X-ray baggage screening methods currently in use.
Prof. Umapathy's student Dr Sanchita Sil, who is now at the High Energy Materials Research Laboratory, Pune, pointed out that they have spent two years developing this idea.
"The process to screen the material by the device is generally within 100 milliseconds and the longest time in difficult samples is less than a minute. The laboratory based prototype is ready and is in progress for miniaturization of the UMARS instrument," she added.
In the next phase, the scientists plan to have different designs for specific applications.
Raman spectroscopy, originally discovered by Indian physicist C.V. Raman, who won the Nobel Prize in 1930, has developed considerably because of innovations in lasers and associated technologies.
This technique has been traditionally used for chemical identification of materials from the scattered light due to interaction of laser light with the sample.
The group has already filed two patents for this new technique.
IISc unveils exciting new technique to spot explosives hidden in ANY container | Mail Online
A portable, easy-to-operate table-top setup helps detect the explosive material, and according to the scientists, it can be used by the police and the armed forces.
The technique also has commercial application at airports, railway stations, bus stations and ports.
Prof. Siva Umapathy, J.C. Bose Fellow Professor, Department of Inorganic and Physical Chemistry, IISc, who co-developed the technique, said this method is based on Raman spectroscopy - Universal Multiple Angle Raman Spectroscopy (UMARS).
It relies on illuminating the sample with a light source, which provides scattered light, offering molecular specific signatures to identify the chemical substance.
The research paper has been published in the prestigious Nature Scientific Reports journal, in its June edition.
"The UMARS technique employs the principle of deep penetration of photons and diffusion using non-absorbing media employing multiple scattering and detection of signals from all the observable angles. UMARS is a geometry independent, flexible, robust, non-invasive technique having potential to be used in various fields of science," added Prof. Umapathy, who is also Special Professor, Department of Chemistry, at the UK's University of Nottingham.
For instance, the method can be used to detect and identify explosives packed in liquids in bottles such as water, milk, creams, emulsions, alcohol or other chemicals - which is not possible with the conventional X-ray baggage screening methods currently in use.
Prof. Umapathy's student Dr Sanchita Sil, who is now at the High Energy Materials Research Laboratory, Pune, pointed out that they have spent two years developing this idea.
"The process to screen the material by the device is generally within 100 milliseconds and the longest time in difficult samples is less than a minute. The laboratory based prototype is ready and is in progress for miniaturization of the UMARS instrument," she added.
In the next phase, the scientists plan to have different designs for specific applications.
Raman spectroscopy, originally discovered by Indian physicist C.V. Raman, who won the Nobel Prize in 1930, has developed considerably because of innovations in lasers and associated technologies.
This technique has been traditionally used for chemical identification of materials from the scattered light due to interaction of laser light with the sample.
The group has already filed two patents for this new technique.
IISc unveils exciting new technique to spot explosives hidden in ANY container | Mail Online
