Tools of the Trade and Evolving Technology in Semiconductor Fabrication
July 9th 2025Ruth Merrifield, PhD, discusses how continuous manufacturing can help control contamination as humans don’t have to touch the materials as often, or even at all. Katsu Kawabata also mentions how automation that supports continuous manufacturing can help reduce human exposure to chemicals that would otherwise be manually handled.
Drone-Mounted Infrared Camera Sees Invisible Methane Leaks in Real Time
July 9th 2025Researchers in Scotland have developed a drone-mounted infrared imaging system that can detect and map methane gas leaks in real time from up to 13.6 meters away. The innovative approach combines laser spectroscopy with infrared imaging, offering a safer and more efficient tool for monitoring pipeline leaks and greenhouse gas emissions.
Noncontact Detection of Narcotics and Illicit Substances
In the first part of a three-part interview, Robert Ewing discusses the core technology behind the VaporID system, explains how the system differs from current IMS systems, and describes the challenges the team faced in miniaturizing the VaporID device into a portable, microwave-sized system.
PNNL and BaySpec Launch Compact Mass Spectrometry System for Rapid Narcotics Detection
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory’s (PNNL) VaporID, which is a newly developed portable air sampling system incorporating a miniaturized mass spectrometer (MS), can detect trace levels of fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, and even explosives like TNT with great accuracy.