The Cobalt Light Systems team, from left to right: Pavel Matousek, Chief Scientific Officer; Guy Maskall, Data Scientist; Stuart Bonthron, VP Product Development; Craig Tombling, Chief Operating Officer; Paul Loeffen, Chief Executive Officer.(Credit: Cobalt Light Systems)
Analyst Editorial Board Member Professor Pavel Matousek at the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) Central Laser Facility explains, “The technology works using the technique of Raman spectroscopy. When combined with advanced algorithms to distinguish between the container and its contents, the technology is able to identify the chemical composition in seconds, and with greater reliability than any other existing system.”
The equipment developed by the Cobalt Light Systems team characterises the contents inside non-metallic containers, protecting travellers by screening for liquid explosives and has been shortlisted to win the UK’s premier engineering prize, the MacRobert Award.
To read more about this story and the MacRobert Award 2014 head over to the Science & Technology Facilities Council website.
nt surveys from Allergy UK have shown that the rates of allergy are increasing throughout the world, affecting up to 30-35 % of people at some point during their lives, in some cases with fatal consequences. In vitro testing of specific Immunoglobin E (IgE) reactivities is thought to be able to significantly improve diagnostic accuracy and management in primary care. IgE plays a significant role in allergic conditions. Current methods for the sensitive and accurate detection of specific IgE reactivities are expensive; require significant sample preparation and investment in equipment. There is a need to provide a cheap, rapid, sensitive and specific test for IgE reactivities.
