SMITHS-DETECTION
13.4.2021 13:02:12 CEST | Business Wire | Press release
Smiths Detection, a global leader in threat detection and security screening technologies, today announces that its BioFlash® Biological Identifier has been successfully used by the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) to identify airborne SARS-CoV-2 inside their campus in real-time at the point of testing.
As part of their mitigation strategy for COVID-19, UMBC’s Environmental Safety and Health (ESH) team have been using BioFlash across the campus. In one instance, the airborne detector was deployed to help the campus community safely re-enter a research facility after a person working there tested positive. After multiple tests performed on the BioFlash ruled-out the presence of airborne SARS-CoV-2, the ESH team deemed the facility contamination-free, allowing staff and students to safely return and research to continue without significant pause.
In a separate instance, in a collaborative effort with the UMBC Sports Medicine Department, a test conducted in a team locker room resulted in a positive environmental detection on the BioFlash. This detection ultimately led UMBC to test all people present for COVID-19, identifying three infected individuals. This helped prevent further spread of the virus.
“We are delighted to see what we believe is a world-first for our technology. BioFlash, with its real-time results capability, has been used by UMBC in a real-world setting to successfully confirm the presence or absence of COVID-19 in the air and inform health and safety protocols,” said Smiths Detection President Roland Carter. “We have been working incredibly hard to provide a tool that will support the ongoing fight against COVID-19, and these applications demonstrate the role BioFlash can play in virus mitigation strategies.”
“The BioFlash system has helped us to prevent the spread of the virus in our on-campus community. We are also pleased that this tool to protect the health and safety of people on our campus is easy to use and environmentally friendly,” said Lynne Schaefer, UMBC Vice President for Administration and Finance . “We will be using this solution as part of a larger mitigation strategy, alongside other important tools like sanitation, masks, regular testing, physical distancing, and symptom monitoring.”
BioFlash works by collecting and analysing air samples using sensitive, selective and rapid detection technology to identify the presence of dangerous pathogens onsite without the need to involve a laboratory. Following successful internal testing, Smiths Detection has been engaged in various external studies to further verify the SARS-CoV-2 detection capability, including working with the USAMRIID, which verified that BioFlash could identify SARS-CoV-2 in a laboratory setting.
The BioFlash Biological Identifier is available now.
ENDS
About BioFlash Biological Identifier
The BioFlash ® Biological Identifier is a bio-aerosol collection and identification system that provides rapid, sensitive and specific identification of various pathogens including viruses, toxins and bacteria. The BioFlash has been commercially available for over 10 years and is currently used by US government and commercial clients for a number of applications.
About Smiths Detection
Smiths Detection, part of Smiths Group, is a global leader in threat detection and screening technologies for aviation, ports and borders, defence and urban security markets. Our experience and history across more than 40 years at the frontline enables us to deliver the solutions needed to protect society from the threat and illegal passage of explosives, prohibited weapons, contraband, toxic chemicals and narcotics.
For more information visit http://www.smithsdetection.com/
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210413005091/en/
About Business Wire
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
Agenus Announces Oversubscribed Private Placement of Up to $340 Million to Advance Registrational ROBBIN Trial of Neoadjuvant BOT+BAL in MSS Colon Cancer13.7.2026 12:00:00 CEST | Press release
$85M upfront financing, along with up to $255 million upon exercise of purchase warrants, is expected to fund ROBBIN1, Agenus' registrational Phase 3 trial of neoadjuvant botensilimab and balstilimab (BOT+BAL) in microsatellite-stable (MSS) colon cancer Transaction is structured to fund Agenus through key value-inflection points, including interim topline pathologic response data and interim and final event-free survival (EFS) analyses, with proceeds to fund Agenus operations through year-end 2031, assuming full warrant exercise ROBBIN target population in MSS colon cancer represents a >$7 billion addressable annual sales opportunity in the US for which no new therapies have been approved in over 20 years2,3 To focus resources on the neoadjuvant opportunity, Agenus is discontinuing financial support for the ongoing BATTMAN Phase 3 study in late-line metastatic MSS colorectal cancer Company to host conference call and webcast today at 8:30 a.m. ET Agenus Inc. (Nasdaq: AGEN), a leader in
Zayed Sustainability Prize Closes 2027 Submissions with Strong Global Participation13.7.2026 11:48:00 CEST | Press release
Over 10,000 entries from 177 countries mark the highest participation in the Prize’s historySubmissions increased 32% year-on-year, reflecting sustained local led momentum for scalable global impactThrough 139 winners, the Prize has positively impacted more than 411 million lives worldwide The Zayed Sustainability Prize, the UAE’s pioneering award for innovative solutions to global challenges, has officially closed submissions for its 2027 awards cycle, receiving an unprecedented 10,233 entries from 177 countries across its six categories of Health, Food, Energy, Water, Climate Action and Global High Schools. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260713519403/en/ Zayed Sustainability Prize Closes 2027 Submissions with Strong Global Participation (Photo: AETOSWire) Now in its 18th year, the Prize continues to attract a diverse and growing pool of small and medium-sized enterprises, nonprofit organisations and high sc
Ant Group Open-Sources SingGuard-NSFA to Establish New Security Paradigms for Autonomous AI Agents13.7.2026 11:01:00 CEST | Press release
Ant Group’s AI Security Lab today announced the open-source release of SingGuard-NSFA, a specialized security guardrail framework designed specifically for autonomous AI agents. The framework secures agentic AI systems against operational threats like prompt injection, addressing critical vulnerabilities as AI transitions from passive content generation to active, autonomous execution. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260712722454/en/ As AI agents rapidly move from research labs to business scenarios, the security landscape has fundamentally shifted. The explosive global adoption of open-source agent frameworks like OpenClaw, celebrated for their "one-click deployment" and "full-stack autonomy", has simultaneously exposed significant operational risks, including permission escalation and prompt injection. Industry frameworks, including the OWASP (Open Web Application Security Project) Top 10 for Agentic Applica
Incyte Presents Phase 1/2 Multidose Data for VGA039 (Latarcibart) at ISTH 2026, Showing Substantial Bleed Reductions in Patients with all Von Willebrand Disease Types13.7.2026 10:00:00 CEST | Press release
- Treatment with latarcibart led to an 81% median reduction in annualized bleeding rate (ABR) across all bleeding categories and patient types with von Willebrand disease (VWD) - Latarcibart, administered via a once monthly subcutaneous dosing regimen, was shown to be safe and well tolerated over multiple doses in this study - Pivotal Phase 3 VIVID-6 trial evaluating latarcibart’s potential to be the first targeted therapy for VWD is currently enrolling Incyte (Nasdaq: INCY) today announced complete safety and efficacy data from all patients (n=16) enrolled in the Phase 1/2 multidose study of VGA039 (latarcibart), a novel, Protein S-targeting, investigational monoclonal antibody for patients with von Willebrand disease (VWD). The data are being shared in an oral presentation today at the 34th Congress of the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis (ISTH 2026 Congress) in Paris. Latarcibart modulates Protein S to improve hemostasis, potentially enhancing the body’s ability t
Europe’s Demand for Tech Services Accelerates in Q2, As Spending on AI and Managed Services Rises: ISG Index™13.7.2026 10:00:00 CEST | Press release
Combined market up 46%, led by 64% growth in cloud servicesManaged services up 21%, as companies seek cost savings to fund AI Demand for technology services in Europe continued to accelerate in the second quarter, as the region increasingly turns to managed services to reduce costs and cloud services to meet AI objectives, according to the latest state-of-the-industry report from Information Services Group (ISG) (Nasdaq: III), a global AI-centered technology research and advisory firm. The EMEA ISG Index™, which measures commercial outsourcing contracts with annual contract value (ACV) of US $5 million or more, shows second-quarter ACV for the combined market (both managed services and cloud-based as-a-service) soared 46 percent—its largest growth in eight years—to US $13.0 billion. The latest quarter adds to a string of three straight quarters in which growth has averaged 33 percent. “Europe has become the fastest-growing region for technology services, fueled not only by an increasin
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom