New Bottle Screening system could enable water onto planes as early as 2013

Tweet Cobalt Light Systems has received European approval for its revolutionary INSIGHT100 bottle scanner, which enables aircraft passengers to carry liquid items larger than 100ml once more. Airports could now allow passengers to take items such as water, cosmetics, perfumes and duty free through airport security channels from as early as 2013. The current ban on items over 100ml in hand baggage can only be lifted when airports are able to effectively screen quickly and without opening the containers. INSIGHT100 screens individual bottles in less than 5 seconds to determine whether there is a security threat.

The INSIGHT100 system uses a proprietary technology called Spatially Offset Raman Spectroscopy (SORS), which was pioneered at the Central laser Facility of the Science & Technology Facilities Council’s (STFC) Rutherford Appleton Laboratories in Oxfordshire, and led to the creation of Cobalt Light Systems as a spin out of STFC.

The system is highly flexible and accepts a range of containers from small handheld items (such as toothpaste and cosmetics) up to 35cm (14 inches) high containers such as wine, champagne and standard 3 litre drinks bottles. Opaque and coloured plastic containers are no problem as well as clear plastic. Glass bottles are screened whether they are clear or made of coloured glass.

Spatially Offset Raman Spectroscopy, is a novel method for accurate and robust chemical analysis of objects where the contents are obscured by an opaque layer or container.

Spatially Offset Raman Spectroscopy Applications include:

* Screening containers for explosives detection in security checks
* Biomedical screening and tissue analysis
* Counterfeit detection of pharmaceutical products


If you liked this article, please give it a quick review on ycombinator or StumbleUpon. Thanks