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Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin have devised a way to detect dangerous chemicals using, in part, a simple platform consisting of a smartphone and a box in Lego bricks, which could help first responders and scientists identify deadly and hard-to-detect neurotoxic agents such as VX and sarin. The new methodology described in an article published Wednesday in the open access journal ACS Central Science combines a chemical sensor with photography to detect and identify different nerve agents – odorless and tasteless chemical weapons that can cause disease serious.
Eric Anslyn, Professor of Chemistry at UT Austin, has been studying nerve agents for nearly 20 years, using safe chemical compounds that behave the same way as nerve agents and can mimic them tests. Previously, he developed chemical compounds that neutralize nerve agents while creating a glow that is bright enough to be visible to the naked eye.
"Chemical weapons are dangerous threats to humanity," Anslyn said. "Detection and neutralization are essential to save lives."
The new device utilizes affordable and accessible materials to make Anslyn's earlier compound more useful in real-world scenarios. Chemical sensors, developed by Xiaolong Sun in the Anslyn laboratory, generate fluorescence, which is the key to badysis. Different colors and brightness can tell first responders what neurotoxic agents are present and how much. Because different categories of neurotoxic agents require different decontamination procedures and different treatments for the victims – and because the weapons act quickly, making the time essential – these variations are essential.
"Unfortunately, it can be difficult the level of fluorescence to the naked eye in the field and the instruments used in the laboratory to measure fluorescence are not portable and cost $ 30,000," Sun said. "This camera basically takes pictures of the glow."
The camera on a smartphone is sensitive enough to detect the differences in color and brightness in the incandescent response. The team used an iPhone in the laboratory. The software, developed by graduate student Alexander Bulgakov and freely available on GitHub, badyzes the color and brightness to identify the type and concentration of the neurotoxic agent. The software can be adapted for several smartphone systems.
But the researchers also needed a light-tight space to have a good reading of the camera. They viewed 3D printing as a box, but realized that 3D printers and materials used in these printers may be inaccessible, uneven, or expensive in some parts of the world. It was then that Pedro Metola, an badistant clinical professor at UT, thought of using Legos
"The legos are the same everywhere you go," says Metola.
The only other pieces of equipment needed are ultraviolet light. -well test plate. The solution is inexpensive, portable and adjustable on the fly.
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