Commercial Opportunities: Detectors & Sensors
Ion Mobility Spectrometry based Fire Detection WO 20045354 (P2352) Full Details>>
The loss of vital equipment, such as computer systems, through fire is a cost that few companies can bear with equanimity. Dstl has developed a cost-effective method for detecting gases or vapours emitted from overheating materials, such as electrical components, which precede the onset of fire. Detecting the characteristic “high-risk” volatile features of thermal degradation minimises false positives.
The technology, based upon ion mobility spectrometry (IMS), provides rapid detection with high sensitivity and high selectivity to minimise false alarms. The signal from the detector can be used to determine a fire risk and trigger either alarms or automatic shutdown procedures.
Gas Dilution Apparatus WO 2007/031772 (P1420) Full Details>>
The patent describes a self-calibrating gas dilution apparatus and method for the dilution of a gas/vapur or aerosol incorporating a novel venturi pump. Accurate dilution has application in fields as diverse as anaesthesia (medical gases and vapours), instrumentation (trace calibration gases), olfactometry and industrial lasers (assisting and lasing gases.
Compact Optical Scanning Enhanced (COSE) camera system (P1428 & P1450) Full Details>>
The technology relates to a novel design of a compact pin-hole camera that has the ability to focus on objects in a field of view of up to 180 degrees. The COSE camera is capable of scanning onto an object anywhere in its field of view and then zooming onto it providing a much higher resolution of the target object.
Remote Monitoring System WO 2001093754 (P1252) Full Details>>
The invention relates to a system for monitoring a live population, with data collected from the population being transmitted to a remote station for analysis. The population, which can be human, animal or plant, is physiologically monitored over time along with the location of its members.
The physical condition and location data are are sent to a remote data collection computer via telecoms, where they are analysed for unusual events. The data can be reinforced by data from other sources, to predict and highlight unusual events, enabling appropriate action to be taken. The predictive analysis algorithms behind the population/event monitoring system perform more efficiently than manual based systems. The system has been field-tested in a military context.
Acoustic Cat’s Eyes Reflector WO 2006075167 (P1396) Full Details>>
The Dstl “Acoustic Cat’s Eye” provides an innovative solution to current underwater acoustic reflectors. The novelty of the design of the “Cat’s Eye” lies within its materials and dimensions of construction which geometrically focus an acoustic plane wave that is reflected off an internal surface of the device. These reflected acoustic signals are complemented with the propagation of the acoustic waves through the outer shell of the device, which provides constructive interference with the reflected waves, that boost the returned signal, to the extent that the passive acoustic reflector can, mathematically, almost match the performance of active transponders, when ‘pinged’ by an active sonar.
Working prototypes of the “Cat’s Eye” are currently being tested in collaboration with an industrial partner.
Single Sided X-ray Technology WO 2002012923 (P2982) Full Details>>
The Dstl Single Sided X-ray detection system offers a screening apparatus that images objects from a remote position without the need for X-ray detectors on the other side of the object. The system provides a high resolution imaging apparatus to produce high quality images in short exposure times.
Collimation X-ray Explosives Detection WO 199624863 (P2228) Full Details>>
The Dstl X-ray detection system for detecting explosive threats and other drug or contraband materials utilising a novel technique based on diffraction of X-ray beams by crystalline materials.
The system offers an improved method of detecting materials with crystalline constituents, especially explosives, but also drugs, which are often difficult to detect with conventional dual-scan X-ray systems. By matching the diffraction spectra of a target object with a pre-defined database of spectra it would be possible to identify a whole range of ‘suspect’ items in baggage.
