908 Devices Inc., a pioneer of purpose-built handheld and desktop devices for chemical and biochemical analysis, and a Returning ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Award Champion from 2021, has entered the initial production phase of the Aerosol and Vapor Chemical Agent Detector (AVCAD) program for the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD).
The company and its partner on the project, Smiths Detection, who were Recognized in the 2019 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards Program for Best Vehicle Mounted Security Solution in their ScanVan 100100 PRO portable X-ray system, will initially produce 122 systems in this next phase.
The systems, which have been in development and testing since 2019, are next-generation chemical detectors designed to detect, identify, alarm, and report the presence of traditional and advanced threat vapors and aerosols.
Using a wireless remote alarm capability, the AVCAD, which can be mounted or portable, will support U.S. Army, Navy, Coast Guard, and Marine Corps missions.
To ensure the highest level of detection and to meet the key deployment needs of the U.S. Department of Defense, the AVCAD features the company’s High-Pressure Mass Spectrometry (HPMS) technology.
Mass spectrometry is considered to be the gold standard of analytical lab techniques.
908 Devices’ proprietary HPMS technology leverages micro-scale geometries and high-frequency electronics to enable an efficient regime of vacuum operation for a significant reduction in device size and power consumption compared to conventional lab instruments.
(Learn more about aerosolized threats and how 908 Device technology allows users to detect and identify these threats at trace levels. Courtesy of 908 Devices Inc. and YouTube.)
As part of the AVCAD scope, the award will include five fixed systems for ships (including detectors, control display units, and remote display units) and eight kits for vehicle mounting detectors.
“908 Devices is pleased to continue working with the U.S. Department of Defense and our partner, Smiths Detection, on this enterprise, multi-year program,” explained Kevin J. Knopp, CEO and Co-founder of 908 Devices.
“Being selected for this limited production phase validates our technology as a new standard for chemical detection, and we are truly honored to have a role in protecting our U.S. military.”
“Smiths Detection has partnered with the Department of Defense to provide more than 91,000 Joint Chemical Agent Detector (JCAD) units over 16 years,” added Inder Reddy, Smiths Detection President.
“We’re honored to have been able to contribute to the development of next-generation AVCAD devices that will help to keep our military and communities safe.”
“The development of this new technology is a testament to the incredible people at Smiths Detection and their dedication to making the world a safer place.”
The next phase of the program will include production verification and multiple service operation testing.
908 Devices is revolutionizing chemical and biochemical analysis with simple handheld and desktop devices, addressing critical-to-life applications.
Their devices are used at the point of need to interrogate unknown and invisible materials and provide quick, actionable answers to directly address some of the most critical problems in life sciences research, bioprocessing, pharma/biopharma, forensics, and adjacent markets.
Headquartered in the heart of Boston, 908 Devices designs and manufactures innovative products that bring together the power of mass spectrometry, microfluidic sampling and separations, software automation, and machine learning.
To learn more, please visit 908devices.com.
908 Devices Returns to Compete in 2023 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards Program
