Other Finalists

Feb 1, 2007 12:00 PM

Removing mail contaminants

BioDefense Corp., Lexington, Mass.

As illustrated by mailed anthrax attacks in the news, even the slightest quantity of the deadly substance (one letter) can compromise an entire organization, rendering a facility and its operation useless, potentially for a long period of time.

The MailDefender system uses a combination of heat microwaves and ultra-violet, high-intensity light to decontaminate mail of bio-pathogens.

A compact unit, the MailDefender system sanitizes up to 3 pounds of mail in just under 55 minutes. It decontaminates mail at the point of entry — protecting an organization's employees from harm and the facility from threats of an actual attack or a disruptive hoax. The unit is approximately the size of a dishwasher.

One of the most significant drawbacks to most of the technologies that have attempted to provide protection from biological attack through the mail system has been that these methods and technologies cause material harm (discoloration, burning, opening, harmful chemical destabilization, etc.) to the mail. BioDefense has proven that its technology kills anthrax in the mail and is safe for both the mail and individuals when used properly.

The product is designed for both corporate and government applications, and the company says it has installed the units at places such as the United Nations and the Department of Defense. It can be adapted to decontaminate other paper items, such as currency. It can also be used on food or medical waste.

Analyzing reams of data

RiverGlass Inc., Champaign, Ill.

Analysis of data from hundreds of sources can prove to be a wildly difficult task for a human. Streaming data analytic technology can automate the process, and reveal trends in an organization that would catch the attention of any CEO or security director.

The RiverGlass software uses analytics to mine data from hundreds — even thousands — of sources automatically. It gathers, organizes, merges and then analyzes the data — leading to some kind of action from the human user.

“It takes 80 percent of your time to collect and analyze data, leaving only 20 percent of your time to take action on it,” says Rick McNees, vice president of business development for RiverGlass. “The idea of this software is to reverse that ratio.”

In a security environment, the software can analyze the data from hundreds of access control readers and CCTV cameras spread across multiple facilities. It uses this data to create a report on anything it sees as a potential security threat. “If there is a potential threat at any one facility alone, it would be hard to see it, but when something is happening across multiple facilities, it becomes visible,” McNees explains. “The question is, how can all this data be used to identify undiscovered threats, and what can be done to mitigate them?”

The software can be programmed to “understand” the relevance of certain data to a particular user, McNees adds.

Sharing law enforcement data

Armada Group Inc., Westerville, Ohio

The Armada Group has developed computers designed for law enforcement applications. iLincs is a Web-based, in-cruiser or in-station application to enable users to create sharable information and view disparate data more effectively.

The computers give deputies instant access to a range of information, such as a person's criminal record and vehicle registration, which can be crucial. With iLincs, officers can develop field intelligence data, store and match fingerprint data, add and retreive photographs, retrieve criminal histories and share text with other agencies. Officers can run a license plate number without going through a dispatcher or get a photograph and information about outstanding warrants.

Another benefit of the system is its ability to link records from different agencies using different records management systems. “We have created the power of knowledge management,” says Keith Singleton, who founded Armada Group in 1999. “These systems are totally unaware that the other exists — except through our connection with them.”

Detecting bioterrorism agents

TIRF Technologies, Morrisville, N.C.

TIRF Technologies's line of biosensor instruments and accessories can detect bioterrorism agents. The technology allows highly sensitive and selective detection of molecular interactions to detect biomolecular threats like anthrax within minutes.

The technology can be used to develop vaccines for soldiers and to prevent bio-terrorist attacks. The technology is targeted at a broad market of researchers in academia, the pharmaceutical industry and government.

The sensitivity of TIRF-EC Biosensor TEC1001-01 is approximately 10,000 times better than that of the most sensitive SPR biosensors.

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© 2012 Penton Media Inc.

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