www.biral.com

BIRAL - BIOLOGICAL WARFARE AGENT DETECTION SYSTEMS

A technology company based in Bristol (UK), Biral designs and manufactures leading biodetection sensors for military and civil defence applications. The company has special expertise in aerosol science, optical technology, electronic, software and mechanical engineering.

Biral's unique ASAS (Aerosol Size and Shape) Technology is the platform for a family of sensor products, and has been used for nearly a decade by the British Armed Forces in battlefield detection systems. These sensors are now being adopted by the Japanese Defence Agency in military vehicle NBC systems via UK Prime Contractor Smiths Detection and are under evaluation by several European Governments. Biral devices have also been adopted in civil defence systems.

Biral’s latest product VeroTect, employs next-generation technology which analyses aerosols not only in terms of particle size, shape and concentration, but also fluorescence to provide real time generic detection. No other commercially available real-time biodetection sensor characterises as many independent physical parameters. As testament to its pedigree, VeroTect has been selected as the biosensor for the UK MOD’s Integrated Sensor Management System (ISMS).

Biral also designs and manufactures meteorological sensors based on optical technology. The HSS brand of visibility and present weather sensors are used in military applications along with the highway, maritime and aviation industries.

BATTLEFIELD DETECTION OF BIOLOGICAL WARFARE AGENTS

Summary of Biral Sensors Capability Click to enlarge

ASAS Technology has been deployed for a decade in the British Armed Forces' Prototype Biological Detection System (PBDS) as a non-specific, real-time sensor in an integrated system. Additionally, the new Integrated Biological Detection System (IBDS) and Integrated Sensor Management System (ISMS) will also use Biral sensors.

ASAS BIODETECTION TECHNOLOGY

Biral's unique ASAS Technology (Aerosol Size And Shape) was originally an invention from the University of Hertfordshire and Dstl Porton Down (UK MoD). Biral then commercialised the device into a robust and reliable product for use on the battlefield. Airborne particle populations are optically analysed in real-time using laser scattering. The ambient aerosol is physically characterised in terms of size, shape and concentration to generate its characteristic signature. Since biological agents normally have their own representative size and shape, they are distinct from general background particles. Neural network software monitors the aerosol background for certain systematic changes that would indicate an event.

ASAS Technology has been demonstrated to be very effective in field trials. Notably, the technology can discriminate agent simulants from fuel oils, such as diesel and aviation fuel - problematic interferent materials for fluorescence-only techniques.

VEROTECT NEXT GENERATION ASAS TECHNOLOGY WITH FLUORESCENCE

To date, four ASAS product lines have been manufactured by Biral - all successfully applied to either military or civil-defence biodetection. The latest product VeroTect represents the next generation of biodetectors. This innovative device is a true generic bioaerosol trigger and combines ASAS characterisation with fluorescence measurements. This new sensor operates in real time and offers a low cost alternative to time consuming wet chemistry techniques which require expensive consumables.

Spectral analysis of fluorescence is known to be a very powerful tool when distinguishing between biological aerosols and non-biological aerosols. However, existing 'fluorescence-only' detectors continue to have problems separating the target from common interfering aerosols with similar fluorescence profiles. The use of particle shape information has been demonstrated to alleviate these problems. Significantly, Biral's new technology combines in a single sensor all the advantages of particle characterisation by size, fluorescence and concentration. This concept is totally unique to the biodetection market.

The VeroTect technology increases the number of independent particle parameters measured giving additional information to distinguish interferent material from the threat. Consequently, false alarm rates are greatly reduced. Furthermore, the extra information strengthens the sensor's ability to identify bacteriological threats from other background bioaerosols.

VeroTect has been selected as the biosensor for the UK MoD Integrated Sensor Management System (ISMS) which will provide wide area network CBRN capability.

Biral
PO Box 2
Portishead
Bristol
BS20 7JB
United Kingdom

Tel: +44 1275 847 787
Fax: +44 1275 847 303
Email: enquiries@biral.com
URL: www.biral.com

 

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