Argon Electronics is proud to have launched a training simulator for the SVG2 RadiacMeter made by Thermo Fisher Scientific. Thanks to the close partnership between the two companies, the look, feel, and response of the SVG-2 SIM simulation training system, which includes the SVG-2 SIM survey meter simulator and the simulation Alpha, Beta, Gamma probe, is remarkably similar to the actual detector.

This training system provides a comprehensive training capability that enables students to experience every operational feature of the real Thermo Fischer Scientific SVG-2 without the need to use an ionizing gamma or beta radiation source.

The SVG-2 SIM responds to safe electronic sources that simulate ionising radiation; this removes regulatory, environmental, and health and safety concerns during training exercises. The simulation sources can be used anywhere, including within public buildings. SVG-2 SIM is fully compatible with the Argon PlumeSIM system for wide-area tactical field and nuclear emergency response exercises, which ensures everyone understands the correct procedure in the event of an emergency. Compatible Dosimeter and spectrometer simulators are also available.

SVG-2 SIM simulates:

• Internal and external (Alpha / Beta / Gamma) detection
• Analogue and digital backlit display
• Numeric display to show either the dose rate or the dose
• The status of the meter and alarm threshold settings

SVG-2 SIM facilitates high-quality survey meter training, developing skills in:

• Survey and location of radioactive sources
• Isodoserate mapping
• Shielding
• Safe demarcation
• Inverse Square Law response (1/r2)
• Dose and Doserate management
• Effects of different types of shielding such as brick, wood, and glass

SVG-2 SIM permits radiological instructors to safely teach critical search, reconnaissance, survey, and location skills as well as a practical understanding of inverse square law, isodose rate mapping, shielding, and safe demarcation. The SVG-2 SIM receives encoded signals representing specific beta/gamma radionuclides from deployed electronic simulation sources or PlumeSIM. Additionally, with the simulated external Alpha, Beta, Gamma probe survey, contamination monitoring, and decontamination exercises can be carried out.

To learn more about the SVG-2 SIM, download the Product Sheet or contact us today. 

Metrohm is excited to announce the opening of a new office in New Jersey. The new facility will house development, Metrohm is excited to announce the opening of a new office in New Jersey. The new facility will house development, production and manufacturing space for Metrohm Group companies Innovative Photonic Solutions and B&W Tek. It is located in the heart of the U.S. pharmaceutical market and will also serve as a field office for Metrohm USA.

Metrohm has been growing its footprint in the spectroscopy market in recent years and is proudto announce its latest investment in a new facility in Plainsboro, New Jersey. This 45,000 square foot facility brings B&W Tek, Innovative Photonic Solutions (IPS) and a new Metrohm USA applications lab and field office under one roof. IPS is the largest producer of Raman spectroscopy diode-based light components inthe world. B&W Tek is an industry-leading provider of mobile Raman spectroscopy solutions and modular spectrometers. Bothcompanies were acquired by Metrohm in 2018.

In the last five years, Metrohm USA has invested heavily in its mission to bring its market-leading technologies closer to customers, opening new offices in California and Texas in 2017 and building a brand new, state-of-the-art headquarters facility in Tampa in 2018.

The newest location in New Jersey, in the heart of the U.S. pharmaceutical market, continues to build on Metrohm USA’s mission, while combining manufacturing facilities of two of its sister companies. It will be officially inaugurated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on November 19.

“The Northeast has a large number of our customers in close proximity and we are excited that these customers now have a place to see our instruments, learn about our solutions and experience what Metrohm has to offer first hand,”says Ed Colihan, President and CEO of Metrohm USA.

IPS and B&W Tek have independent manufacturing sales, application and service support infrastructures in the building. “Housing the companies under one roof brings our complementary technologies together. We will be able to leverage a suite of products for OEM solutions,“ says Dr. Jack Zhou, CEO of B&W Tek.

The New Jersey office offers laboratory space for live demonstrations of instrumentation and hands-on instrument training for up to 70 customers. The facility has ample meeting space equipped with the newest audiovisual solutions that can accommodate in person, hybrid or virtual events with customers.

According to recent reports, frozen vials labelled Smallpox have been found in a facility in Pensylvannia. Various news sources are reporting that 15 vials were "incidentally discovered" by a lab worker a Merck facility, 5 are labelled smallpox and the rest labelled vaccinia. The lab worker was wearing PPE, the contents of the vials are frozen and appear to be intact. 

The CDC has now launched an investigation, in conjunction with the FBI, into how and why these samples came to be there. There are only 2 sites designated by the World Health Organization where stocks of variola virus are stored and used for research, the CDC facility in Atlanta and a center in Russia. 

This is of course not the first time we have seen this exact incident, in July 2014, a government scientist cleaning out an old storage room at an NIH facility found six decades-old glass vials containing freeze-dried smallpox samples packed away and forgotten in a cardboard box. Officials called it the first discovery of unaccounted-for smallpox in the country.

We will keep our eyes on this story and post more when it becomes available. 

The world's first EW system to detect and disrupt multiple threats simultaneously

Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) is excited to unveil the Scorpius family of Electronic Warfare (EW) systems. Scorpius is the first electronic warfare (EW) system in the world capable of simultaneously targeting multiple threats, across frequencies and in different directions.

Scorpius is based on the Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) technology, which provides a breakthrough in EW performance – enabling a new generation of electronic warfare capabilities.

With AESA's multi-beam capability, Scorpius can simultaneously scan the entire surrounding region for targets, and deploy narrowly focused beams to interfere with multiple threats across the electromagnetic spectrum. The system is able to target a range of threats, including: UAVs, ships, missiles, communication links, low probability of interception (LPOI) radars, and more. Scorpius effectively disrupts the operation of their electromagnetic systems, including radar and electronic sensors, navigation, and data communications.

Scorpius' technological breakthrough is characterized by unprecedented receiver sensitivity and transmission power (ERP), far exceeding those of legacy EW systems. This allows Scorpius to detect multiple threats, of different kinds, simultaneously, from dramatically increased distances, and to address each threat with a customized response.

Scorpius is available across multiple domains:

Ground: Scorpius G (ground) is a ground-based EW system designed to detect and disrupt ground- and airborne threats. Scorpius-G is a mobile system, and can be quickly deployed by vehicle. Scorpius G represents a new category of air defense systems: "Soft-kill" air defense, which creates an electronic dome of protection above a wide geographic sector to neutralize a broad range of modern threats.

Naval: Scorpius N (naval) is an EW system dedicated to defending ships against advanced threats in the marine arena, including: Over-the-Horizon Anti-Ship Cruise Missiles, Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles (UCAV) and airborne imaging radars. Scorpius' extremely high range provides early detection and targeting of threats, which is essential for effective protection in the naval domain.

Air: Scorpius SP – a self-protection pod for combat aircraft, and the Scorpius SJ, a standoff jammer that disrupts enemy aerial and ground-based electromagnetic operations across a vast sector.

Training: Scorpius T (training), unveiled last month, provides EW training for pilots. Scorpius-T can emulate a variety of modern air-defense systems, simultaneously, from a single platform. Its advanced emulation capabilities support training for fifth-generation aircraft. Scorpius T made its debut during the international air force exercise Blue Flag 2021.

Adi Dulberg, General Manager, Intelligence Division, IAI: “The modern battlefield depends on the electromagnetic domain for sensing, communications, and navigation. Protecting the use of the electromagnetic domain for our forces, while denying its use by the enemy, have become mission-critical for success in combat and for ensuring the superiority of our forces in the field. The new technology, developed by IAI’s talented engineers, tips the scale of electronic warfare, providing world-first breakthrough capabilities for electronic defense and disrupting enemy systems".

The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) awarded Dynavax Technologies Corporation with an agreement worth approximately $22 million over two and a half years, to execute a clinical trial combining the DOD’s recombinant plague (rF1V) vaccine with its own CpG 1018® adjuvant. Under the agreement, Dynavax will conduct a Phase II clinical trial in 2022. 

Plague is a potentially deadly infectious disease caused by bacteria found in fleas and rodents, or by handling a plague-infected animal. It is possible that pneumonic plague bacteria could be released intentionally in a biological attack to sicken people. Pneumonic plague is the most serious form and is the only one that spreads from person to person.

Dynavax’s planned Phase II randomized, placebo-controlled, observer-blind, multicenter clinical trial will evaluate the immunogenicity, safety, and tolerability of the U.S. government’s rF1V vaccine antigens, combined with Dynavax’s CpG 1018® adjuvant, in adults 18 to 55 years of age. 

The clinical trial is funded by the DOD’s Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense’s (JPEO-CBRND) Joint Project Manager for Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Medical (JPM CBRN Medical). Any future clinical research or commercial supply agreements would be subject to a separate agreement between Dynavax and the U.S government.

“Enhancing the DOD’s rF1V vaccine is crucial for protecting service members across the globe, hopefully through fewer doses administered over a shorter time period,” said Dr. Jason Roos, Joint Program Executive Officer for the JPEO-CBRND. “In an environment of constantly evolving chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear threats, our goal is to provide the means needed to expeditiously fight and win against future threats, so the warfighter can continue to carry out their mission.”

About the JPM CBRN Medical: The Joint Project Manager for Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Medical (JPM CBRN Medical), a component of the U.S. Department of Defense’s Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense, aims to provide U.S. military forces and the nation with safe, effective, and innovative medical solutions to counter chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear threats. The JPM CBRN Medical facilitates the advanced development and acquisition of medical countermeasures and systems to enhance the nation’s biodefense response capability. To learn more about the JPM CBRN Medical, visit https://www.jpeocbrnd.osd.mil/coronavirus or follow JPEO-CBRND on social media at @JPEOCBRND.  

About the JPEO-CBRND: The Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense (JPEO-CBRND) protects the Joint Force by providing medical countermeasures and defense equipment against chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) threats. JPEO-CBRND’s goal is to enable the Joint Force to fight and win unencumbered by a CBRN environment. JPEO-CBRND facilitates the rapid response, advanced development, manufacturing and acquisition of medical solutions, such as vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics, to combat CBRN and emerging threats such as COVID-19. To learn more about JPEO-CBRND’s COVID-19 response, visit https://www.jpeocbrnd.osd.mil/coronavirus or follow JPEO-CBRND on social media at @JPEOCBRND.

Originally published in News Wise by Iowa State University.

A multidisciplinary team of researchers is working to improve the design, function and safety of personal protective equipment, or PPE, for health care workers.

The team, led by Guowen Song, a professor and the Noma Scott Lloyd Chair in Textiles and Clothing at Iowa State University, received a $1.8 million grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to support the work. Song says the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed weaknesses in current PPE systems, which is why the team will focus on developing biological self-decontaminating fabrics to protect against live pathogens.

“We’re looking to the future of PPE and how to provide better protection,” Song said. “Since the pandemic, we made this a high priority as the data demonstrate the deficiencies that exist. More and more health care workers were infected during the pandemic because of the overload of work and the high-frequency contact with patients, so there is an urgency.”

The emphasis on self-decontaminating materials is critical, Song said, as pathogens such as COVID-19, Ebola and SARS can live on PPE and be transmitted through the air and on surfaces. The Iowa State team, along with researchers from the universities of California, Davis; Cincinnati; and Iowa, will also work to improve the function, fit and comfort of existing PPE. The research has the potential to benefit other industries as well as consumers.

“We see a lot of potential to extend this project to other occupations,” said Rui Li, a research assistant professor in apparel, events and hospitality management. “The technology we’re working to develop for health care workers could transfer to other occupations, especially during a pandemic when all occupations need certain levels of protection.”

The research will build upon existing work by Iowa State researchers in apparel design, materials science and engineering, and kinesiology. In 2016, Iowa State joined Advanced Functional Fabrics of America, a public-private partnership funded by the Department of Defense that aims to develop new textiles and fabrics to improve protective gear for defense and consumer needs. Work by ISU researchers has focused on engineering a glove for firefighters that provides heat protection without hindering function. The team also recently received a Presidential Interdisciplinary Research Initiative (PIRI) award to develop an integrated team to perform a convergent approach for PPE innovation.  

Other members of the ISU research team include James Lang, an assistant professor of kinesiology; and Li-Shan Chou, department chair of kinesiology.

Originally published in Homeland Preparedness News

In collaboration with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD), the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s (DARPA) SIGMA+ program announced Friday it had recently concluded a three-month-long pilot study of sensors intended to support early detection of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) threats.

The pilot involved integrating the highly sensitive chemical, biological, radiological/nuclear, and explosive sensors in several IMPD vehicles and using them to gather real-world environmental data over a large part of the Indianapolis metropolitan region.

“The Indianapolis pilot study and field testing marked the first time we were able to demonstrate the integration of cutting-edge SIGMA+ sensor technology across the entire CBRNE threat space into a law-enforcement (LE) vehicle,” said Mark Wrobel, SIGMA+ program manager in DARPA’s Defense Sciences Office. “This included air sampling, power, and the user interface that provides the vehicle operator real-time analysis of potential threats via a tablet. The ultimate goal is to outfit a citywide fleet of LE or other public service vehicles to enable a continuously refreshed mobile network that can detect WMD threats with low false-alarm rates across a city or region.”

The study consisted of two week-long exercises that supplemented a previous August 2020 event. Environmental data collected during the study is being used to map the naturally occurring chemical and biological backgrounds of Indianapolis’ urban areas that result from business, industries, and environmental patterns. That data will support the development of both sensors and algorithms to minimize false positives and maximize detection of anomalies associated with threat activities. During the study, nuisance alarms were suppressed by 75 percent.

DARPA said it also worked with IMPD to understand how SIGMA+ sensor systems could support broader law enforcement needs by holding workshops to address current sensor and analytics capabilities and how those capabilities could address areas like detecting narcotics manufacturing.

Superintendent Dave Minty of Wiltshire Police picked up the Queen’s Police Medal at Windsor Castle in recognition of his work in the aftermath of the Salisbry Novichok incident.

Supt Minty, chaired a tactical coordinating group after the attack, said that to be recognised for his work is “a real honour”, adding that he was “one of many people” who were involved. Reflecting on what stands out most from that time, he said: “I guess just the strangeness of it. I live and work in Salisbury in Wiltshire. Those sorts of things don’t generally happen in Salisbury in Wiltshire.

“They happen in London. So I guess that was the strangeness of it and then just how everyone, genuinely everyone, worked together to make sure that the community were as safe as possible. I’ve come away with some really strong friendships with people I probably wouldn’t have met if it hadn’t been for the incident.”

Talking about a return to more typical duties, Supt Minty said: “I think it’s nice to be back doing what we normally do. Unfortunately obviously Dawn lost her life so it was a tragic incident, but it was different and it was a challenge for us. But, yeah, to not be facing that sort of pressure on a daily basis, it’s been quite nice to get back to my normal day job.”

Supt Minty, 46, received his gong from the Princess Royal on Wednesday afternoon.

Sword GRC, a global specialist in risk, compliance and governance software and services, today unveiled its latest product innovation for occupational health and safety risk management.   

Sword GRC’s latest solution, Sword Verify, digitalizes the health and safety risk management process to reduce an organization’s liability and the likelihood of workplace hazards. Combined with ARM, it offers a single source of truth to provide risk managers with the right information to protect their workforce and reduce business disruptions.

“ARM is the only fully integrated solution that meets the needs of all stakeholders within Projects, Enterprise, Supply Chain and OHS risk management,” said Keith Ricketts, Sword GRC, Vice President of Marketing. “Confident that effective controls are in place, being followed and that operator safety is ensured, organizations can meet their regulatory requirements and safeguard their business reputation.”  

Nick Scully, Sword GRC Chief Executive Officer said: “We are proud to strengthen the depth and breadth of our world-class risk management and GRC portfolio, with the release of our occupational health and safety risk management solution. Through digitalization we are equipping organizations, particularly those within high-risk sectors such as mining, energy, and aerospace & defense,with practical solutions to manage the efficacy of their controls, thereby mitigating risk, as well as providing evidence of best practice that is so important in today’s business environment.  

“The release of Sword Verify is the first in a series of strategic product launches and is part of Sword GRC’s $multi million investment, which aims to leverage the latest innovations in technology in order to deliver best fit risk management solutions designed entirely on customer feedback related to their business needs.”   

For more information please visit: Sword GRC  

Smiths Detection, a global leader in threat detection and security screening technologies, today announces that it has been awarded a contract by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office (CWMD) to provide 110 radiation portal monitors (RPM). Partnering with Radiation Solutions, Inc., the RPM’s will be deployed across land border crossings throughout the US.

The RPM is a passive checkpoint which can detect potentially dangerous radiation emitting material which passes through its detection zone. The portal is capable of scanning trucks, vehicles, containers, packages and people.

Shan Hood, President of Smiths Detection Inc., said, “We are delighted to announce our new contract with the DHS Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office, continuing our relationship after the initial contract award for test unit RPM’s in January 2019. Smiths Detection is dedicated to making the world a safer place and the deployment of 110 RPM’s across land border crossings in the US is testament to this. The RPM’s will deliver 24/7 screening, 365 days a year, offering industry-leading efficiency and effectiveness. Our extensive experience with radiation detection and checkpoint solutions, supplemented by our investment in data solutions, makes cutting-edge screening technology a reality, today.”

Smiths Detection announced its initial contract with DHS Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction in January 2019.

The RPM’s will be deployed between December 2021 and May 2023.

Czech premium accessories brand Är has launched a reusable FFP2 certified mask treated with Polygiene ViralOff^TM technology, to protect and self-clean the textile in regard to microbes. The mask also comes with an anti-fog system.

FFP2 level respirators offer a higher, two-way protection level compared with surgical masks, as they filter both inflow and outflow of air. They are designed to protect the wearer as well as those around them. The new respirator from Är is expected to be in high demand due to its FFP2 certification, as several countries have strict rules on the type of face masks which can be worn in public spaces.

Most medical respirators, such as those certified FFP2, are disposable, with many thrown away after just one use, concerns are growing about the environmental impact of the use of this type of masks. Wearers of the new FFP2 certified respirator from Är can rest easy, though, as the product is reusable due to the addition of Polygiene ViralOff technology.

Polygiene ViralOff is a treatment of textiles and other products that reduces micro-organisms by over 99% on the material*. The technology was introduced last year in response to the growing demand for antimicrobial solutions sparked by Covid-19. To develop the treatment, Polygiene returned to its roots – the company started in the healthcare sector in 2006 during the battle against SARS.

The addition of Polygiene ViralOff technology brings extra protection to the Är FFP2 level respirator, and means it can be worn time after time, without throwing it away. Är had already successfully introduced a line of face masks and gloves featuring Polygiene ViralOff. Its designer FFP2 respirator is the newest addition to its product range with this technology.

The company says it opted to use Polygiene technology as it helps the brand stand out among other respirator and face mask producers. “We chose Polygiene because we want to work with the best partners and technologies from the EU,” states Petr Liesner, founder of Är. “Polygiene ViralOff gives our product the final touch to be different from our competitors.”

Made from a light and comfortable textile and nano membrane, the Är FFP2 certified respirator features an anatomical shape and nose clip, ensuring a perfect and tight fit on the face and an anti-fog system. It also has adjustable straps on both ear-loops to easily adapt to the unique shape of the wearer.

Haymo Strubel, Polygiene VP Commercial Operations EMEA comments: “We are excited to continue and develop with our partner Är on the launch of their new and quite unique FFP2 level respirator and provide a more hygienic and multi-wear item. By keeping products in use longer, we continue our mission of minimizing single use items and keeping items from being thrown away prematurely and providing a more sustainable option in product design.”

The FFP2 certified designer respirator from Är is now available for purchase online. For more information go to arfacemask.com.

Blackline Safety Corp., a global leader of gas detection and connected safety solutions, has announced it has partnered with Houston-based Vlahi Systems, provider of cloud-hosted, sensor driven gas plume dispersion modelling software.

Optimizing chemical release monitoring and response through improved accuracy of modeling.

Through the partnership, Vlahi will integrate the real-time, location-enabled data from Blackline’s G7 EXO portable area gas monitors into their web- and smartphone-based CERES plume modelling software. The solution is ideal for managing scenarios related to chemical release and gas clouds that can harm personnel and surrounding communities, or trigger fires or explosions.

Using G7 EXO gas readings, CERES can automate and deliver the most accurate, up-to-date mapping of a gas plume, based on real-world conditions, to assist emergency personnel in their response.

“Our partnership with Vlahi is a great example of hw our connected safety solutions can help leading enterprises manage their risk and prepare to respond to the unexpected release of chemicals and gas,” said Cody Slater, CEO and Chair for Blackline Safety.

“With 100-day battery life, our G7 EXO area gas monitors continuously stream location-enabled gas readings and alerts to the Blackline Cloud — and now CERES — to provide the ultimate visibility into a worksite. This partnership will help our clients better manage their response to keep workers and communities safe.”
“Integrating Blackline sensors with CERES Sensor Driven Plume, bridges the gap of unknowns involved with plume modeling and makes it accessible to a wider range of emergency responders and situations,” said Cristian Stochina, Founder and Managing Partner of Vlahi Systems.

“Combining CERES with Blackline’s direct-to-cloud communication — with no configuration required — you get the first anytime, anywhere, any device system that can go beyond point-sensor values in current time and predict an integrated threat area and where that threat is headed.”

 Blackline has opened an early access program for Blackline clients and interested businesses adopters to get first-hand experience with CERES cloud software, powered with real-time environmental readings streamed from cloud-connected G7 EXO area gas monitors. Blackline will showcase CERES sensor driven plume dispersion software with G7 EXO real-time gas readings in booth 2311 at the NSC Congress & Expo in Orlando, from Oct 11–13, 2021.

About Vlahi Systems
Vlahi Systems LLC, is a Houston-based technology company with a mission to deliver the most cost effective and feature-rich emergency response solutions to planners, responders, chemical plants, government organizations and the transportation industry. With thousands of users distributed across more than 100 countries, CERES (Chemical Emergency Response E-Service) is a software-as-a-service application, accessible through web and smart-device apps. CERES delivers an industry-leading user experience for planning, responding to, and analyzing chemical, fire and explosion events — anytime, anywhere and on any device, before, during or after a chemical incident. For more information, visit www.vlahi.com.

About Blackline Safety 
Blackline Safety is a global connected safety leader that helps to ensure every worker gets their job done and returns home safely each day. Blackline provides wearable safety technology, personal and area gas monitoring, cloud-connected software and data analytics to meet demanding safety challenges and increase productivity of organizations with coverage in more than 100 countries. Blackline Safety wearables provide a lifeline to tens of thousands of people, having reported over 155 billion data-points and initiated over five million emergency responses. Armed with cellular and satellite connectivity, we ensure that help is never too far away. For more information, visit www.BlacklineSafety.com