Syft Super Nose
Applications
The Voice100 at the German ANALYTICA technology show
(click to enlarge)
Due to its combination of extreme sensitivity, real time analysis and quantification, the range of potential applications for the Voice 100 system is huge. Areas where SIFT-MS is currently being used, investigated or trialled, include:
Anti-terrorism, Security and Border Control
Fast effective airport screening of passengers and luggage for explosives, drugs and other substances is vital. The Voice100 system can simultaneously detect many of these hazards, including liquid explosives, near instantly with an improved level of false positives compared to currently deployed technology.
Healthcare and Medical Diagnostics
A growing body of international research indicates that a number of medical conditions create a signature pattern of VOCs on a patient's breath. Rapid identification of these signatures, using the pattern matching software built into Syft instruments, promises non-invasive mass screening for diseases. Some of the most promising conditions for detection are certain forms of cancer, infections renal failure or function, and diabetes.
Oil and Gas Exploration
Linked to any valid oil, gas or coal reserve, natural fissures in the ground expose the sub-surface soil to light hydrocarbon traces (micro-seeps). Using soil samples taken below the biological activity layer (typically 1-2 metres) the Voice100 instrument can immediately detect trace amounts of hydrocarbons to lab-grade accuracy. Used as an adjunct to existing seismic surveys, the processing speed of the instrument allows a fast turnaround of processing samples, reducing survey costs and adding valuable data to geophysicist survey programmes.
Other applications include: real-time (production line) detection of contamination and spoiling; batch analysis for quality control purposes; real time monitoring of air pollution and tracing of possible pollution sources; the detection of fungi and insects in post-harvest crops; and the detection of building materials degradation due to microbial activity, such as occurs in leaking buildings.
The technology has won several awards and accolades for Syft including Most Innovative Product at the 2004 NZ Hi Tech awards and Regional Emerging Exporter of the Year 2005.
