Are we getting closer to Star trek? Well, Purdue University researchers have developed a handheld sensing system, which they liken to Star Trek’s “tricorder,” to be used to study the chemical compounds of alien worlds.
Boasting an ultraportable weight of 20 lbs, the handy miniature mass spectrometer combines mass spectrometry with DESI (desorption electrospray ionization) thereby allowing chemical composition to be resolved outside of a vacuum chamber. Purdue Professor R. Graham Cooks said:
We like to compare it to the tricorder because it is truly a handheld instrument that yields information about the precise chemical composition of samples in a matter of minutes without harming the samples. Researchers have already employed the device to check for cocaine on a $50 bill in less than 1 second.
NASA should be keyed up since this little box could be used to analyze the atmospheric conditions of Mars. But, it has other down-to-earth applications too as it could be used to test foods for dangerous bacterial contaminants including salmonella.
Via: NeoSeeker
