Israeli startup Biological Alarm Systems Ltd. has developed a system to detect biological hazards in public places, according to an interview published this week on the Israel21c website. The new device, called the BAS101, addresses an issue which has become increasingly important as the threat of biological warfare looms ahead – how to protect the average citizen in day-to-day life.
International leaders are taking the threat seriously. In May 2006, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Anan called upon the international community to establish a forum to address the issue, albeit a bit late; international terror organization Al-Qaeda had already prepared a step-by-step manual on how to develop biological and other weapons five years before.
The manual, discovered by Western intelligence agents, contained specific instructions on how to create biological weapons, including “exact formulas for the production of deadly toxins botulinum and ricin...” Such substances could then easily be introduced into ventilation systems of major population centers such as subway systems, airports, hospitals, shopping malls and other high-traffic areas.
It is precisely this type of scenario that the BAS101 was designed to prevent, according to BAS founder and chief scientist Alex Keinan, who immigrated to Israel from the former Soviet Union in 1974. The device monitors airborne particles, collecting them in a receptacle and then transferring them to a biological unit which then traps any dangerous bacteria.
“Not only can the BAS alert you to airborne biological threats on the spot, but within minutes it gives a definitive answer of whether it’s anthrax or another biological hazard. Therefore action can be taken immediately without the need to wait for the results from the lab,” Keinan said.
The system works like an early-warning smoke detector, but instead is used in public areas where terrorists could target a large number of people with biological warfare. It is a small unit – weighing just 10 lbs. (4.5 kilograms) – but has a rapid response time and, according to Keinan, requires little maintenance, increasing its cost effectiveness. Most important to decision-makers in homeland security arenas, Keinan says it works.
“Sensitivity and selectivity are the two important issues, he says. “You only need a very small amount of a biological agent to cause great damage, so the monitor has to be extremely sensitive.” However, he adds, it is equally important that the device be able to screen out the tiny amount of hazardous biological material naturally found in the air in order to avoid false alarms. Keinan says the BAS101 can do it.
To view the entire article on the Israel21c website, click here.
International leaders are taking the threat seriously. In May 2006, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Anan called upon the international community to establish a forum to address the issue, albeit a bit late; international terror organization Al-Qaeda had already prepared a step-by-step manual on how to develop biological and other weapons five years before.
The manual, discovered by Western intelligence agents, contained specific instructions on how to create biological weapons, including “exact formulas for the production of deadly toxins botulinum and ricin...” Such substances could then easily be introduced into ventilation systems of major population centers such as subway systems, airports, hospitals, shopping malls and other high-traffic areas.
It is precisely this type of scenario that the BAS101 was designed to prevent, according to BAS founder and chief scientist Alex Keinan, who immigrated to Israel from the former Soviet Union in 1974. The device monitors airborne particles, collecting them in a receptacle and then transferring them to a biological unit which then traps any dangerous bacteria.
“Not only can the BAS alert you to airborne biological threats on the spot, but within minutes it gives a definitive answer of whether it’s anthrax or another biological hazard. Therefore action can be taken immediately without the need to wait for the results from the lab,” Keinan said.
The system works like an early-warning smoke detector, but instead is used in public areas where terrorists could target a large number of people with biological warfare. It is a small unit – weighing just 10 lbs. (4.5 kilograms) – but has a rapid response time and, according to Keinan, requires little maintenance, increasing its cost effectiveness. Most important to decision-makers in homeland security arenas, Keinan says it works.
“Sensitivity and selectivity are the two important issues, he says. “You only need a very small amount of a biological agent to cause great damage, so the monitor has to be extremely sensitive.” However, he adds, it is equally important that the device be able to screen out the tiny amount of hazardous biological material naturally found in the air in order to avoid false alarms. Keinan says the BAS101 can do it.
To view the entire article on the Israel21c website, click here.