Explosive trace detector gets French approval

WILMINGTON, Mass., Oct. 2 (UPI) -- A U.S.-made desktop explosives trace detector has been approved for use by France, opening the door for marketing opportunities throughout Europe.

Certification of Implant Sciences Corporation's QS-B220 was given by Service Technique de l'Aviation Civile (STAC) and follows its approval this year by the U.S. Transportation Security Agency for air cargo screening.

"This is a very significant achievement and milestone for Implant Sciences," said company President and Chief Executive Officer Glenn Bolduc. "STAC is a highly respected certification organization, and becoming certified opens the large French aviation market to us.

"A number of other governments, including French territories, several European Union member nations, and a select number of countries around the world look to STAC certification in their purchasing decisions."

The QS-B220 uses ion mobility spectrometry to detect and identify trace amounts of explosives.

It features a radioactive material-free design, push-button maintenance and diagnostics, and a patented in internal automatic calibration system.

"As a STAC-certified explosive trace detector (ETD) with a non-radioactive source, the QS-B220 proves again that Implant Sciences is the new standard in trace detection," said Darryl Jones, Implant Sciences' vice president of sales and marketing. "Regulations on equipment containing radioactive materials are much stricter in France and other European nations than in the U.S., and we believe that there is a significant market opportunity for us with airports and other security customers that may have been reluctant to purchase competing ETD devices with a radioactive ion source."