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rapid screening and identification of illegal Drugs by IR Absorption spectroscopy and gas Chromatography

Objective

The goal of this project is to develop an advanced sensor system, that combines miniaturized Gas Chromatography (GC) as its key chemical separation tool, and Hollow-Fiber-based Infra Red Absorption Spectroscopy (HF-IRAS) as its key analytical tool to recognize and detect illicit drugs, key precursors and potential derivatives. The DIRAC sensor will be developed to: 1) be used on the field primarily by customs officers for controls at the EU external frontiers and by law enforcement personnel for intra-Community checks as a rugged and hand-portable unit; 2) perform rapid detection of key chemicals; 3) reject interferents with minimal false positive alarm rate; 4) perform advanced data analyses such as similarity evaluation between the chemical structure of the unknown sample with that of controlled/illicit substances. Currently, GC-IRAS (through FTIR implementation) is, together with GC-MS (Mass Spectrometry), the most powerful technique for the identification and quantification of amphetamines. However, so far GC-IRAS has been implemented only as bench-top instrumentation for forensic applications and bulk analysis down to milli- and micro-gram quantities. In DIRAC, the use of silicon-micromachined GC columns, solid state lasers, and hollow fibres IR, will allow to develop a GC-IRAS sensor that features hand-portability and prompt response –for field operation– and is capable to perform both bulk analysis and trace analysis with nano-gram sensitivity. The DIRAC sensor will further feature a) an advanced sampling device, that separates the analyte from larger amounts of interfering materials (dust, skin particles) by electrostatic charging; and, b), an advanced silicon micro-machined pre-concentration device, capable to treat sequentially both volatile ATS substances and non volatile ammonium salts of the amphetamines. The main output of the DIRAC project will be a fully functional sensor prototype from sampling to read out.

Call for proposal

FP7-SEC-2009-1
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Coordinator

CONSORZIO CREO-CENTRO RICERCHE ELETTRO OTTICHE
Address
Ss 17 Localita Boschetto
67100 L Aquila
Italy

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Activity type
Research Organisations
Administrative Contact
Sandro Mengali (Dr.)
EU contribution
€ 647 832

Participants (11)

FRAUNHOFER GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FORDERUNG DER ANGEWANDTEN FORSCHUNG EV
Germany
EU contribution
€ 472 875
Address
Hansastrasse 27c
80686 Munchen

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Activity type
Research Organisations
Administrative Contact
Maximilian Steiert
CONSIGLIO NAZIONALE DELLE RICERCHE
Italy
EU contribution
€ 389 100
Address
Piazzale Aldo Moro 7
00185 Roma

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Activity type
Research Organisations
Administrative Contact
Nicoletta Randi (Ms.)
AIRBUS DEFENCE AND SPACE GMBH
Germany
EU contribution
€ 349 500
Address
Willy-messerschmitt-strasse 1
82024 Taufkirchen

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Activity type
Private for-profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education Establishments)
Administrative Contact
Peter Lilischkis (Mr.)
SELEX ES SPA
Italy
EU contribution
€ 220 200
Address
Piazza Monte Grappa 4
00195 Roma

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Activity type
Private for-profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education Establishments)
Administrative Contact
Giuseppe Scamarcio (Dr.)
UNIVERSITE DE LAUSANNE
Switzerland
EU contribution
€ 324 000
Address
Quartier Unil-centre Bâtiment Unicentre
1015 Lausanne

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Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Administrative Contact
Pierre Esseiva (Prof.)
UNIVERSITATEA DUNAREA DE JOS DIN GALATI
Romania
EU contribution
€ 272 700
Address
Strada Domneasca Nr. 47
800008 Galati

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Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Administrative Contact
Mirela Praisler (Prof.)
DE FEDERALE OVERHEIDSDIENST JUSTITIE - LE SERVICE PUBLIC FEDERAL JUSTICE
Belgium
EU contribution
€ 77 580
Address
Waterloolaan 115
1000 Brussels

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Activity type
Public bodies (excluding Research Organisations and Secondary or Higher Education Establishments)
Administrative Contact
Crista Van Haeren (Dr.)
NATIONAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
Finland
EU contribution
€ 55 719,92
Address
Jokiniemenkuja 4
01370 Vantaa

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Activity type
Public bodies (excluding Research Organisations and Secondary or Higher Education Establishments)
Administrative Contact
Laura Aalberg (Dr.)
CONSORZIO INTERUNIVERSITARIO NAZIONALE PER LA SCIENZA E TECNOLOGIA DEI MATERIALI
Italy
EU contribution
€ 176 000,80
Address
Via Giusti 9
50121 Firenze

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Activity type
Research Organisations
Administrative Contact
Daniele Consigli (Mr.)
SELEX SISTEMI INTEGRATI SPA
Italy
Address
Via Tiburtina 1231
00131 Roma

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Activity type
Private for-profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education Establishments)
Administrative Contact
Curzio Batini (Dr.)
ELSAG DATAMAT S.P.A.
Italy
Address
Via Puccini Giacomo 2
16154 Genova

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Activity type
Private for-profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education Establishments)
Administrative Contact
Stefano Pasquariello (Dr.)