Block MEMS Awarded Major Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Contract

Date Announced: 02 Mar 2012

Infrared analytical equipment is less than half the size and weight of current designs.

MARLBOROUGH, Mass., March 2, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Block MEMS has been awarded a major contract from Johns Hopkins University in support of the Department of Defense intelligence community to develop and supply miniaturized, handheld versions of its battery operated Portable Hazard Observation System (PORTHOS™).

PORTHOS is a man portable passive Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectrometer . Under this contract Block will develop and supply a next-generation PORTHOS system, which is at least 50% smaller and lighter than the existing PORTHOS and offers additional detection capabilities.

"This contract award is a strong validation of Block's FTIR-based technologies and products, which we have provided to our military and government customers for more than ten years," Petros Kotidis, Block MEMS' CEO, commented. "This new product is aimed at dramatically reducing the carrying load of our warfighters, while at the same time providing enhanced protection against chemical threats and other weapons of mass destruction."

PORTHOS is a small, rugged, lightweight, highly sensitive multiple chemical agent detector and identification system. PORTHOS incorporates Block's M90 FTIR along with custom recognition algorithms. It is programmed to detect all Military C-Agents (Nerve, Blood, and Blister) and a variety of toxic industrial chemicals. It also distinguishes these agents from common interferents.

PORTHOS functions day or night and is capable of either short or long term military or Homeland Security ground or air operations. Within seconds it detects and presents to the user the name of any chemical vapor of interest at distances of 0.1 to 5 km. It is available in both 0.5 and 1.5 degrees field of views.

Source: Block MEMS

Contact

E-mail: marcia.peisach@blockeng.com

Web Site: www.blockeng.com