Army Chemical Review

SUMMER 2013

Army Chemical Review presents professional information about Chemical Corps functions related to chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, smoke, flame, and civil support operations.

Issue link: https://chemical.epubxp.com/i/141522

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 16 of 67

By Mr. Don Kennedy P artnerships in the research, technology, and engineering felds of the science industry often develop from a shared desire to discover novel solutions to complex problems. That's why the U.S. Army Edgewood Chemical Biological Center (ECBC), Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland—an organization with the mission of integrating lifecycle science, engineering, and operations solutions to counter chemical and biological threats—is working closely with universities throughout the Nation to advance initiatives that better protect the United States and U.S. forces. reliability of testing with the ability to communicate the results to a larger facility or organization." As a component of the U.S. Army Research, Development, and Engineering Command, ECBC has cultivated core capabilities and technical competencies for 95 years to ensure that the Nation is well prepared for chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and high-yield explosives (CBRNE) threats. A strong partnership with university programs, personnel, and facilities enables the full life cycle development of projects that can be used by the warfghter and proven in-theater. As a premier resource for CBRNE solutions, ECBC also supports feld operations for university-driven research efforts, providing monitoring and on-site laboratory sample analysis for customers around the world. Partnership With UCLA It seems that smartphones can do just about anything these days. But the latest technology under development by ECBC and the University of California, Los Angeles, (UCLA) is surpassing modern convenience; it is actually saving lives. The next generation of smartphone technology makes use of the wide-feld fuorescent imaging of microbeads to collect, sample, and analyze various pathogens. Using new apps, sample locations can be geotagged on Google Maps™ and sample results can be sent to a laboratory for further review—all from the same smartphone used to play video games or to digitally deposit checks. According to an ECBC research biologist, this is ideal for Soldiers who are stationed in remote areas with no nearby cellular towers. "[Soldiers] can still capture the data and store it until it can be sent back to the command post," she said. "[The technology] can also be valuable for clinics or hospitals in underdeveloped areas that may not have sophisticated testing equipment. [Clinics and hospitals] are more likely to be able to afford a device like this, which combines the ease and Summer 2013 An ECBC research biologist holds up a prototype of the next generation of smartphone technology. The next generation of technology is an upgrade to the ECBC prototype of a plastic, clip-on microscope adapted for Android™ phones that are used by the Army. The UCLA team is developing the software and the hardware, which is clipped directly over the camera of a smartphone and operates like a microscope. The user collects a sample, slides it into the device, and snaps a picture using the smartphone camera. The software application, which is downloaded on the smartphone, then reads the sample, analyzes the results, and generates a clear positive or negative test agent detection result. The detection and diagnostic equipment is typically linked to a computer for further analysis. 15

Articles in this issue

Archives of this issue

view archives of Army Chemical Review - SUMMER 2013