Team members at National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) improves their innovative technology equipped with laser. THE New free -form spectroscopy of free formA new method to measure gases can help in several ways, such as detection of toxic gases on the battlefield and prevent gas leaks from becoming more serious, but researchers recognize that technology is not perfect.
The first improvement of team members seeks to do is linked to the size of the system. Scientists have built the tool inside as a laboratory system; Therefore, it is massive and extremely difficult to break down and move anywhere. For this reason, it is difficult for team members to move it outside and use it at its full potential, according to Esther Baumann, researcher in NIST. Baumann wants to work to make technology smaller to work in more than in the laboratory.
“The narrowing is always something we have to drive, so that we can get it out and make measurements on the ground,” said Baumann. “Measures on the more detailed field where we say:“ OK, we really want to get into this specific request; We want to make this measurement or anything. »»
Then, the members of the crew work to add more applications that will allow the double -sided spectroscopy of form to make even more measurements. Additional applications could help the tool to perform more “diagram” measures, according to Baumann.
In addition, team officials want to see how the laser works at longer wavelengths. The tool worked very well in its Infrarougea wavelength test spot. In the next steps, the NIST staff will move the tool further and in the “median infrared” area, according to Dr. Ian Coddington, group leader for the group of sources and applications of NIST fibers. The fulfillment will expose the tool to a higher sensitivity to different traces of species in the atmosphere.
Another advantage of adding this feature is that the tool would have the ability to recognize large molecules in addition to the thinner small molecules that it can detect now. For example, methane is easily detectable with spectroscopy with a double CAM of free form, but the tool is unable to identify the chemicals associated with weapons of mass destruction, according to Coddington. To remedy this, team members want to make technology more versatile and useful in military operations.
“You would really like to see the chemical product at a concentration that will give you a chance to warn people it happens before it is deadly; You want very high sensitivity, ”said Coddington. “Then you want to take advantage of this technique which (team members) proposed where you only exchange; You only look for where there is a lot of information. »»
“You get a lot of sensitivity improvements from there, but you get an improvement in additional sensitivity if you were to go through these longer wavelengths, and the application of these two hammers may put you in A much more interesting place, “added Coddington.
Finally, Baumann and his colleagues try to apply this laser technology to the medical field. She says she wants to use lasers to facilitate muscle tests for doctors. Currently, doctors must cut the skin and take a sample of a muscle to analyze it, but Baumann plans that doctors could use this new laser technique to examine the muscles and use coloring to see which parts are healthy and which are unhealthy. Similar to an x -ray, these lasers could give you an in -depth overview of what is happening in someone’s body without making any incision, according to Baumann.