19-11-24

Empowering National Security with the Next-Generation Scentinel II ETD System

Mass Spec Analytical Unveils Scentinel™ II Explosives Trace Detection System After Successful Eight-Month Operational Deployment Revolutionising Security and Forensic Operations with Unmatched Detection Accuracy and Versatility

Bristol, 19 November 2024 – Mass Spec Analytical Limited (MSA) proudly announces the successful operational deployment of its Scentinel™ II Explosives Trace Detection (ETD) system. After eight months of rigorous real-world use, the Scentinel II has proven its exceptional capability in critical homeland security applications, passing into routine deployment and marking a significant milestone in the evolution of threat detection technology.

Designed to meet the highest standards of national security, the Scentinel II ETD system has been deployed in high-stakes environments where security is paramount. These deployments have focused on defensive search missions during high-profile events with credible security threats, where the stakes of a delay or false alarm are immense. The system has delivered unparalleled accuracy and reliability, ensuring the safety and confidence of security teams operating under intense pressure.

Commenting on the milestone, Lance Hiley, Managing Director of Mass Spec Analytical said: "At Mass Spec Analytical, we are proud to introduce the Scentinel™ II ETD system, a groundbreaking advancement in threat detection technology. This system’s unique capabilities, from its near-zero false alarm rate to its rapid, versatile deployment, represent a level of precision and reliability that is unmatched in the industry. Scentinel II is not just a tool; it is a game-changer in ensuring national security, empowering our partners to meet the most demanding security challenges with confidence and accuracy."

Unmatched Detection Capabilities

The Scentinel II is a second-generation ETD system that sets a new benchmark for specificity and efficiency. With the ability to analyse up to 50 target compounds in a single run, the system offers near-zero false alarm rates, a critical advantage in scenarios where operational precision is non-negotiable. This cutting-edge capability has been validated through a comprehensive testing program, which confirmed the system's robustness across diverse environmental conditions and its effectiveness in real-world security operations.

Key Features of Scentinel II:

Unparalleled Specificity: Achieves near-zero false alarm rates, providing operators with the highest level of confidence during critical missions.

Rapid Deployment: If used as a mobile lab, it can be fully operational within 30 minutes, allowing for swift threat identification and response.

Versatile Application: Adaptable as a mobile laboratory or standalone unit, the Scentinel II can be deployed wherever needed, offering flexibility in dynamic environments.

User-Friendly Interface: The system's intuitive software and automated workflows minimise the need for extensive training, enabling non-technical personnel to perform laboratory-grade analyses efficiently. The software is multi-tiered making it easier to control access to sensitive information or operating parameters.

Broad Application Spectrum

The advanced capabilities of Scentinel II make it an indispensable asset across various security applications:

Ensuring the safety of high-profile events where the impact of false indications could be catastrophic.

Conducting high-assurance searches in environments where precision is critical.

Supporting mobile forensic labs with rapid identification of explosive threats.

Detecting a broad range of substances, including military-grade explosives, commercial and homemade explosives, illicit drugs, and chemical warfare agents.

Investing in the Future of Security

Scentinel II is more than just a detection system; it is a leap forward in securing the future. As MSA continues to innovate, the system's capabilities will expand, including enhancements in vapour testing and the extension of its detection range. These advancements will further empower security teams to protect the public and ensure mission success, even in the most challenging circumstances.

View the News Release here

08-07-20

Mass Spec Analytical Receives Additional Innovate UK Funding for Plasma Ion Source Research

UK Government Covid-19 Continuity Grant will sustain development momentum during pandemic

Mass Spec Analytical, the Bristol-based Mass Spectrometry Ion-Source Developer announced today that it has received additional funding from Innovate UK to pursue its Plasma Ion Source Development work. Mass Spec Analytical (MSA) received the award through the Analysis for Innovators Competition where the aim is to help companies overcome intractable product, manufacturing or process performance problems through advanced measurement and analytical technologies. MSA was awarded a further grant under the COVID-19: Continuity Grants initiative to provide additional support to the project, ensuring that the challenges presented by the current pandemic and lock down of key facilities would have as little impact as possible.

MSA has developed a new type of low-temperature, direct analysis, ion source for mass spectrometry that relies on a Dielectric Barrier Discharge plasma to ionise the target substances directly from the surface being analysed. The initial work has demonstrated successful results for analytical research, security, and forensic market applications. MSA is an innovator in the design and manufacture of thermal ion sources the DBD plasma source is a next-generation development on the work already achieved.

“The Analysis for Innovators (A4I) programme has provided our business with access to experts and equipment in laboratories recognised worldwide for analysis and measurement” said Lance Hiley, MSA Managing Director. “That is invaluable to a company like ours developing innovative products. Our project had just got underway when the Covid-19 Lockdown was announced, and our plans delayed. The Covid-19 Continuity Grant has provided us with additional funds to develop workarounds with our Innovate measurement partner and implement alternative approaches to the workplan. The structure of the grant also ensures that the additional funds will pay for a legacy in our business in the years to come.”

Analysing trace substances using mass spectrometry is the most reliable, future-proof method for a wide range of analytical chemistry research and development applications as well as finding direct application in the field of forensic investigations and public safety. The detection of drugs of abuse and explosives has been successfully demonstrated with earlier prototypes of this plasma ion source.

09-09-19

Waters Instruments and MSA Present a Targeted Method for Explosives Detection on a Prototype Thermal Desorption-QDa Instrument

In collaboration with Mass Spec Analytical (MSA) and initially with the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (dstl), and Surrey University, Waters investigated the possibility of using the Waters QDa single quadrupole mass spectrometer as a base for a specific explosives residue detector in conjunction with an MSA Thermal Ion Source.

Tests for explosive residues at transport locations (airports etc) are predominantly conducted using ion mobility instrumentation which can be limited for some compounds of interest. In collaboration with Mass Spec Analytical (MSA) and initially with the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (dstl), and Surrey University, Waters investigated the possibility of using the Waters QDa single quadrupole mass spectrometer as a base for a specific explosives residue detector in conjunction with an MSA Thermal Ion Source.

Presented as a poster at the 2019 British Mass Spectrometry Society annual meeting, Waters discussed the use of a prototype thermal desorption APCI source attached to a small single quadrupole mass spectrometer to investigate the response of a range of explosives. The poster reviews the challenges including:

An appropriate volatilisation process for the current sampling method
Determining a generic ionisation process
Sensitivity for all analytes at 1-10ng
Increased specificity through an appropriate method
Real-time acquisition/identification software

All the Ion Mobility instruments that currently dominate this market use a swabbing technique to sample luggage surfaces (or people’s hands) prior to the swab being heated in a thermal desorption unit to volatilise all compounds on the swab. The Waters-MSA prototype was tested against a range of target explosives including TNT, DNT, RDX, PETN, HMX, TATP and HMTD.

There are a significant number of potential variables that can affect the spectral information and sensitivity of the instrument. The data acquired on a prototype/proof of principle system has shown the possibility of a small mass spectrometer capable of the detection of explosive residues in the 1-10ng level. A new version 2 prototype is currently being produced (by Mass Spec Analytical) to increase sensitivity and reduce size. A single TD temperature also needs determining, as currently different analytes volatilised optimally at different temperatures.

www.Waters.com

The poster can be downloaded here

30-08-19

Mass Spec® and SCIEX® Share Fast Forensic Solutions

‘Ultra-Fast,’ ‘Rapid’ and ‘High-Throughput’ are some of the descriptions used to describe the latest forensic methods from the two companies.

In the world of Forensics, speed is not often a focal point. However, in many instances, forensic scientists are looking for rapid identification of substances requiring high sensitivity and specificity and quantitation falls to the background as a priority.

It is these sort of forensic applications that are highlighted in the latest tech notes from a recent collaboration between Mass Spec® and SCIEX® where the two companies looked at how the Mass Spec Analytical Thermal Extraction Ion Source (MSA TEIS) mated to a SCIEX 4500 triple quad QTRAP® System can be used for Direct Sample Analysis.

The work resulted in descriptions not normally seen in tech notes aimed at the forensic community:

Ultra-Fast Identification of Drugs of Abuse describes a rapid and robust analytical method to detect a variety of analytes associated with illicit drugs. The method exhibits the sensitivity and selectivity expected from a MS-based screening technology providing both MS and MS/MS information; an ideal tool for high confidence identification.

Switching to a security-threat focus, High-Throughput Screening of Explosive Residues looks at how confident identification explosive residues cannot be achieved solely by measuring collisional cross section. In this technical note, an MSA TEIS, coupled with a SCIEX QTRAP 4500 System is shown to accurately identify explosive residues without the need for chromatography. The combined system is shown to produce rapid and confident compound identification suitable for rapid security screening.

A separate tech note, Direct Sample Analysis Using a Thermal Extraction Ionization Source (TEIS) Combined with Mass Spectrometry, discusses the technical details of how the MSA TEIS works with the SCIEX 4500 Instrument.

These three new tech notes compliment the previous note that examined how the MSA TEIS can be used for quantitation.

30-01-19

Rapid Analysis of Acrylamide in Foodstuffs without Chromatography Revealed at BMSS Meeting

Mass Spec Analytical demonstrates Acrylamide Quantification in Foodstuffs in Minutes Using a Thermal Extraction Ionisation Source without Chromatography

Ambient Ionisation Mass Spectrometry (AI-MS) is an exciting field of mass spectrometry where direct analysis of samples in real time without sample preparation or long run times is possible. However, without chromatographic separation to minimise matrix effects, there is concern that quantitation is not reproducible using AI-MS alone.

At the recent British Mass Spectrometry Society Ambient Ionisation Special Interest Group meeting at Huddersfield university, Mass Spec Analytical presented a Thermal Extraction Ionisation Source (TEIS) coupled to a SCIEX triple quadrupole instrument for the identification and quantitation of acrylamide within seconds using a direct injection. Acrylamide is an organic compound and a naturally occurring by-product in carbohydrate-rich foods that are prepared at low moisture levels and at temperatures above 120C. The European Food Safety Authority has confirmed acrylamide to be a probable carcinogen, so it is important to be able to quantify levels are below commission regulation limits (EU) 2017/2158.

Our rapid quantitation method for acrylamide in foods was demonstrated using the Mass Spec TEIS with a high degree of reproducibility suggesting quantitation is possible using AI-MS. The sample preparation is simple and amenable to automation, suggesting that the TEIS method can significantly increase sample throughput without a concomitant loss in quantitation accuracy.

A poster was presented that provides more detail. An application note will be published shortly. Contact MSA for more information.