Implant Sciences to develop new explosives detection systems for US DHS

The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has selected a proposal from Implant Sciences to build next-generation explosives trace detection (ETD) screening systems.

Currently awaiting successful negotiations, the current project would fetch about $2m to the firm.

Implant Sciences president and CEO Glenn Bolduc said: "Implant Sciences will work closely with the department to accelerate the development of ETD systems engineered by our team.

"We believe the next-generation of ETDs can significantly further increase passenger safety, reduce false positives, and create a better travel experience with respect to security screening."

The latest funding results from a proposal submitted by the company following the US DHS’ Science and Technology Directorate’s Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) 13-03, seeking proposals from private industry and universities.

Through the latest BAA, the US DHS is seeking next-generation ETD technologies integrated with extensively expanded capabilities that can further advance passenger safety and homeland security.

Implant Sciences currently offers two types of explosives trace detection (ETD) systems including QS-H150 and QS-B220.

The company’s QS-H150 is capable of detecting trace amounts of a range of military, commercial, and homemade explosives, while QS-B220 is a desktop explosive and narcotics trace detector that offers audio and visual alarm indications, including substance identification.