General Description
AIRGARD is an FTIR-based air monitoring system which is designed to detect and alarm on ppb levels of 50+ chemical warfare agent and toxic industrial chemicals simultaneously. It does this within 20 seconds of detection.
Technical Description
AIRGARD uses a FTIR (Fourier Transform Infrared) spectrometer with a Stirling-cooled mercury cadmium telluride detector using an advanced classical least squares algorithm for extremely sensitive detection (single to low double digit part-per-billion level) of vaporous harmful chemicals.
Evaluation Criteria
THROUGHPUT:
- Detection is instantaneous
- Continuous operation with no defined runs
- System is continuous and provides real time analysis with no defined tests/samples
- The system or device is currently fully automated
- Device or system is intended for multiple detection assays
- 0-1 solutions, buffer, eluents, and/or reagents
- 0 components
- 5-10 minutes is required for setup
- Automatic detection
LOGISTICS:
- An afternoon of training and some technical skills required
- Approximately the size of a carry-on luggage suitcase
- Between 25 and 50 kg
- Wired connections are available
- System or device has 110V electrical requirement
OPERATIONS:
- Can be used from 4°C to 41°C
- Components must be stored at room temperature (27°C)
- Performance is not influenced by relative humidity
- 5-10 years expected life
- Results can be viewed in real-time
- The system or device is currently fully autonomous
- The system software is closed and not available for modification
- The system hardware is closed and not available for modification
DETECTION:
- Not possible for the system to achieve 510K clearance
- Not possible for the system to achieve FDA approval
- This system does not test liquids
- Superior specificity. System has a false alarm rate approaching zero (~0%)
- > 1x10-3 mg/m3
- System currently can identify aerosolized chemical agent
- Not possible to identify liquid chemical agent