1st Detect’s explosives trace detector (ETD), the TRACER 1000, is set to enter the European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC)’s Common Evaluation Process (CEP) for airport checkpoint screening of passengers.
1st Detect, which operates as a subsidiary of technology incubator Astrotech, said that the development is a significant milestone toward full European qualification of desktop explosives trace detectors.
The spectrometer-based detector, which can also screen cargo, features a swab-based thermal desorption sample inlet system. It can detect a range of explosive threats and common illegal narcotics.
With a near-zero false positive rate and rapid analysis time, this next-generation detector is capable of detecting threats such as peroxides, HMEs, stimulants and fentanyl.
1st Detect and Astrotech CEO Thomas Pickens III said: “We are pleased to be taking this major step toward European Qualification of our TRACER 1000, and are confident that our system will meet and exceed CEP performance standards.”
The ECAC certification will allow 1st Detect to move one step forward to sell the trace detector to airports and governments across the globe.
1st Detect and Astrotech chief operating officer Raj Mellacheruvu said: “In addition to achieving TSA certification for passenger and cargo screening, both of which are on track, we look forward to having another major endorsement that serves to validate our system’s superior detection and security capabilities.”
ECAC is the European regulator on aviation security, equivalent to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) in the US.
In March this year, 1st Detect’s ETD, the TRACER 1000, has been accepted into the TSA’s Air Cargo Screening Technology Qualification Test (ACSQT) programme.
