New device enables invisible gases to be seen
Scientists in Scotland have developed an innovative laser device that will significantly speed up the detection of invisible gas leaks by allowing operators to see the gaseous cloud. The prototype gas detector has been developed by a team from the photonics innovation centre at the University of St Andrews, with financial support from Scottish Enterprise. The instrument represents one of the first opportunities for scientists to see real time images of a wide range of invisible gases, and importantly, at a relatively low cost. As Dr David Stothard explains, the challenge of minimising the cost of the device was central to the project's success: 'Having developed some really clever laser technology it looked like the project might stall because of the extremely high cost of infrared video cameras. Then I had the idea of using a mechanical scanning technique and optics similar to those used in a photocopier; it worked really well and the project is back on course.' The team's work has already generated interest from within Europe's energy and gas distribution industries, thanks to its potential to safeguard lives, save money and protect the environment. Another member of the team, Dr Cameron Rae, predicts that the technology underpinning the instrument will have even wider applications: 'It is envisaged that the tuneable laser technology developed here will have more widespread use in, for example, medical diagnostic and therapeutic applications as well as telecommunications and defence.' Dr Rae and Dr Stothard are now working on establishing collaborations with industrial partners in order to develop a device suitable for field trials.
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