Water Purity Detection In Real Time

http://www.technovelgy.com/ct/Science-Fiction-News.asp?NewsNum=2317

A water purity detection device has been created by the lab of Prof. Abraham Katzir of Tel Aviv University’s School of Physics and Astronomy. It can detect poisons and contaminants invisible to the naked eye immediately, rather than through sampling and testing.

Modifying special fibers developed in his Tel Aviv University lab, Prof. Katzir can detect “colors” in the infrared spectrum which distinguish between pure and contaminated water. Not visible to the naked eye, this spectrum is normally only seen by certain animals, like snakes or vampire bats, to track down prey. Connected to a commercial infrared spectrometer, the fibers serve as sensors that can detect and notify authorities immediately if a contaminant has entered a water reservoir, system, building or pipeline.

In the lab, the fiberoptic system detected poisons such as pesticides in amounts well below the World Health Organization safety threshold. Preliminary field experiments have already been done at several European sites, and the results were reported recently in the Journal of Applied Spectroscopy.

This will remind Dune fans of the poison snooper used by all noble-born persons on a regular basis. Pictured below is a hand-held version from a 1984 movie version; the quote below is from Frank Herbert’s 1965 novel.

Poison snoopers were installed over banquet tables for the sake of the guest’s piece of mind:

The Duke said: “Paul, I’m doing a hateful thing, but I must.” He stood beside the portable poison snooper that had been brought into the conference room for their breakfast. The thing’s sensor arms hung limply over the table, reminding Paul of some weird insect newly dead.
(Read more about the poison snooper from Dune)

From Science Daily; thanks to an anonymous reader for contributing the tip and the reference.

Scroll down for more stories in the same category. (Story submitted 5/22/2009)

http://www.technovelgy.com/ct/Science-Fiction-News.asp?NewsNum=2317

Fibers can defend against water terrorism (FROM MONEY TIMES)

 

Tel Aviv — Israeli scientists say they have developed a technology that can monitor the safety of a building’s or community’s water supplies to detect chemoterrorism.Tel Aviv University physics Professor Abraham Katzir says most Americans take the safety of their drinking water for granted, but he said ordinary tap water could become deadly within minutes.

To defend against contamination, as well as pollution caused by industrial spillage, natural disaster or sabotage, Katzir and his team created special fibers that can detect “colors” in the infrared spectrum that distinguish between pure and contaminated water.

The researchers said their fiber optic system could become one of the first real-time water monitors in the United States to provide protection from chemoterrorism attacks.

“It’s unlikely that someone will poison the water supply in Afghanistan,” Katzir said, “but America is in grave danger and needs to arm itself against chemical threats to its drinking water.”

Preliminary field experiments have been conducted at several European sites, and the results were reported recently in the Journal of Applied Spectroscopy.

Copyright 2009 by United Press International

TAU physicist’s ‘infrared fibers’ can defend water supplies from chemoterrorism (FROM JERUSALEM POST)

A Tel Aviv University physicist has developed a system to monitor the safety of a building’s or community’s water supply in real time, which could combat the threat of contamination due to industrial spillage, natural disaster or sabotage.

Although most people take the safety of their drinking water for granted, ordinary tap water could become deadly within minutes, says Prof. Abraham Katzir of Tel Aviv University’s School of Physics and Astronomy.

Modifying special fibers developed in his lab, Katzir can detect “colors” in the infrared spectrum that distinguish between pure and contaminated water. Connected to a commercial infrared spectrometer, the fibers serve as sensors that can detect and notify authorities immediately if a contaminant has entered a water reservoir, system, building or pipeline.

In the lab, the fiberoptic system detected poisons, such as pesticides, in amounts well below the World Health Organization safety threshold. Preliminary field experiments have already been done at several European sites, and the results were reported recently in the Journal of Applied Spectroscopy.

Once in use, the sensor system would be one of the first real-time water monitors to provide protection from chemoterrorism attacks – a threat to which water supplies in places like the US are particularly susceptible.

“It’s unlikely that someone will poison the water supply in Afghanistan,” says Katzir, “but America is in grave danger and needs to arm itself against chemical threats to its drinking water.

With our naked eyes we can’t distinguish between pure water and water that contains a small amount of alcohol or acetone. They’re all clear. We can’t do it even with a spectrophotometer, which measures visible colors,” explains Katzir.

“But we can clearly distinguish between liquids using an infrared spectrometer which can distinguish between ‘colors’ in the invisible infrared spectrum.”

The special fiber sensors make it possible to monitor the quality of water in a remote location, such as a lake, a river, or a pipeline, and detect trace amounts of contaminants in real time, adds Katzir.

Water management executives in Florida’s Everglades and officials in Germany are among those who have expressed an interest in using the technology.

“Toxic materials are readily available as pesticides or herbicides in the agriculture industry, and can be harmful if consumed even in concentrations as low as few parts per million,” says Katzir.

Cities like New York are especially susceptible to a chemoterrorist threat. With many skyscrapers holding water reserves on the top of the building, a terrorist only needs to introduce poison into a tank to wreak havoc.

“A terrorist wouldn’t have to kill tens of thousands of people. Only 50 deaths – as horrible as that would be – would cause nationwide panic,” Katzir says.

Currently, water authorities in America test water reservoirs usually once every day or two, with no system in place to detect chemical threats instantaneously.

“This new system can cut millions of dollars from the cost of testing water manually,” he says,

The fiber sensors developed by Katzir are made of insoluble, non-toxic, and biocompatible materials.

“You can eat them and nothing will happen to you,” he notes.

Katzir’s determination to fight terrorism through science has a personal side as well. His father, world-renowned scientist Prof. Aharon Katzir, was assassinated by the Japanese Red Army in a terror attack in 1972.

“I am trying to walk in his footsteps by doing applied research that can be a practical tool in an important battle,” he says. “This system can be ready for use in less than a year.”

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1242212416749&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

Monitoring water through a snake’s eyes ( From EURUKALERT.ORG)

Although most Americans take the safety of their drinking water for granted, that ordinary tap water could become deadly within minutes, says Prof. Abraham Katzir of Tel Aviv University’s School of Physics and Astronomy.

To combat the threat of contamination due to industrial spillage, natural disaster or sabotage, the physicist has developed a new system to monitor the safety of a building or community’s water supply in real time.

Modifying special fibers developed in his Tel Aviv University lab, Prof. Katzir can detect “colors” in the infrared spectrum which distinguish between pure and contaminated water. Not visible to the naked eye, this spectrum is normally only seen by certain animals, like snakes or vampire bats, to track down prey. Connected to a commercial infrared spectrometer, the fibers serve as sensors that can detect and notify authorities immediately if a contaminant has entered a water reservoir, system, building or pipeline.

In the lab, the fiberoptic system detected poisons such as pesticides in amounts well below the World Health Organization safety threshold. Preliminary field experiments have already been done at several European sites, and the results were reported recently in the Journal of Applied Spectroscopy.
Although most Americans take the safety of their drinking water for granted, that ordinary tap water could become deadly within minutes, says Prof. Abraham Katzir of Tel Aviv University’s School of Physics and Astronomy.

To combat the threat of contamination due to industrial spillage, natural disaster or sabotage, the physicist has developed a new system to monitor the safety of a building or community’s water supply in real time.

Modifying special fibers developed in his Tel Aviv University lab, Prof. Katzir can detect “colors” in the infrared spectrum which distinguish between pure and contaminated water. Not visible to the naked eye, this spectrum is normally only seen by certain animals, like snakes or vampire bats, to track down prey. Connected to a commercial infrared spectrometer, the fibers serve as sensors that can detect and notify authorities immediately if a contaminant has entered a water reservoir, system, building or pipeline.

The Colors of Danger
Once in use, the sensor system would be one of the first real-time water monitors in the United States to provide protection from chemoterrorism attacks ― a threat to which U.S. water supplies are particularly susceptible. “It’s unlikely that someone will poison the water supply in Afghanistan,” says Prof. Katzir, “but America is in grave danger and needs to arm itself against chemical threats to its drinking water.

“With our naked eyes we can’t distinguish between pure water and water that contains a small amount of alcohol or acetone. They’re all clear. We can’t do it even with a spectrophotometer, which measures visible colors,” explains Prof. Katzir. “But we can clearly distinguish between liquids using an infrared spectrometer which can distinguish between ‘colors’ in the invisible infrared spectrum.”

Such an instrument can be used to detect hazardous chemicals, pollutants and threats in the water, “seeing” water in the same way as a snake does. The special fiber sensors make it possible to monitor the quality of water in a remote location, such as a lake, a river, or a pipeline, and detect trace amounts of contaminants in real time, adds Prof. Katzir. Water management executives in Florida’s Everglades and officials in Germany are among those who have expressed an interest in using the technology.

Skyscrapers in New York City a Likely Point of Attack

“Toxic materials are readily available as pesticides or herbicides in the agriculture industry, and can be harmful if consumed even in concentrations as low as few parts per million,” says Prof. Katzir.

Cities like New York are especially susceptible to a chemoterrorist threat. With many skyscrapers holding water reserves on the top of the building, a terrorist only needs to introduce poison into a tank to wreak havoc. “A terrorist wouldn’t have to kill tens of thousands of people. Only 50 deaths ― as horrible as that would be ― would cause nationwide panic.”

Currently, water authorities in America test water reservoirs usually once every day or two, with no system in place to detect chemical threats instantaneously. “This new system can cut millions of dollars from the cost of testing water manually.” The fiber sensors developed by Prof. Katzir are made of insoluble, non-toxic, and biocompatible materials. “You can eat them and nothing will happen to you,” he notes.

Prof. Katzir’s determination to fight terrorism through science has a personal side as well. His father, world-renowned scientist Prof. Aharon Katzir, was assassinated by the Japanese Red Army in a terror attack in 1972. “I am trying to walk in his footsteps by doing applied research that can be a practical tool in an important battle. This system can be ready for use in less than a year.”

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-05/afot-mwt051209.php

Monitoring Water Through A Snake’s Eyes

ScienceDaily (May 18, 2009) — Although most Americans take the safety of their drinking water for granted, ordinary tap water can become contaminated within minutes, says Prof. Abraham Katzir of Tel Aviv University’s School of Physics and Astronomy.

To combat the threat of contamination due to industrial spillage, natural disaster or sabotage, the physicist has developed a new system to monitor the safety of a building or community’s water supply in real time.

Modifying special fibers developed in his Tel Aviv University lab, Prof. Katzir can detect “colors” in the infrared spectrum which distinguish between pure and contaminated water. Not visible to the naked eye, this spectrum is normally only seen by certain animals, like snakes or vampire bats, to track down prey. Connected to a commercial infrared spectrometer, the fibers serve as sensors that can detect and notify authorities immediately if a contaminant has entered a water reservoir, system, building or pipeline.

In the lab, the fiberoptic system detected poisons such as pesticides in amounts well below the World Health Organization safety threshold. Preliminary field experiments have already been done at several European sites, and the results were reported recently in the Journal of Applied Spectroscopy.

The Colors of Danger

Once in use, the sensor system would be one of the first real-time water monitors in the United States to provide protection from chemoterrorism attacks — a threat to which U.S. water supplies are particularly susceptible. “It’s unlikely that someone will poison the water supply in Afghanistan,” says Prof. Katzir, “but America is in grave danger and needs to arm itself against chemical threats to its drinking water.

“With our naked eyes we can’t distinguish between pure water and water that contains a small amount of alcohol or acetone. They’re all clear. We can’t do it even with a spectrophotometer, which measures visible colors,” explains Prof. Katzir. “But we can clearly distinguish between liquids using an infrared spectrometer which can distinguish between ‘colors’ in the invisible infrared spectrum.”

Such an instrument can be used to detect hazardous chemicals, pollutants and threats in the water, “seeing” water in the same way as a snake does. The special fiber sensors make it possible to monitor the quality of water in a remote location, such as a lake, a river, or a pipeline, and detect trace amounts of contaminants in real time, adds Prof. Katzir. Water management executives in Florida’s Everglades and officials in Germany are among those who have expressed an interest in using the technology.

Skyscrapers in New York City a Likely Point of Attack

“Toxic materials are readily available as pesticides or herbicides in the agriculture industry, and can be harmful if consumed even in concentrations as low as few parts per million,” says Prof. Katzir.

Cities like New York are especially susceptible to a chemoterrorist threat. With many skyscrapers holding water reserves on the top of the building, a terrorist only needs to introduce poison into a tank to wreak havoc. “A terrorist wouldn’t have to kill tens of thousands of people. Only 50 deaths — as horrible as that would be — would cause nationwide panic.”

Currently, water authorities in America test water reservoirs usually once every day or two, with no system in place to detect chemical threats instantaneously. “This new system can cut millions of dollars from the cost of testing water manually.” The fiber sensors developed by Prof. Katzir are made of insoluble, non-toxic, and biocompatible materials. “You can eat them and nothing will happen to you,” he notes.

Prof. Katzir’s determination to fight terrorism through science has a personal side as well. His father, world-renowned scientist Prof. Aharon Katzir, was assassinated by the Japanese Red Army in a terror attack in 1972. “I am trying to walk in his footsteps by doing applied research that can be a practical tool in an important battle. This system can be ready for use in less than a year.”

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090512193241.htm

New system to monitor safety of building’s drinking water supply – Yahoo India

Wed, May 13 09:57 AM
New York, May 13 (IANS) Chemo-terrorists could turn drinking water into a deadly brew within minutes. To counter this, a researcher has developed a system to monitor the safety of the water supply to a building or a community.

The terrorist only needs to inject poison into a tank atop a skyscraper in cities like New York to wreak havoc, said Abraham Katzir, professor at Tel Aviv University (TAU) School of Physics and Astronomy.

‘A terrorist wouldn’t have to kill tens of thousands of people. Only 50 deaths – as horrible as that would be – would cause nationwide panic,’ he added.

Besides, ‘toxic materials, available as pesticides or herbicides, can be harmful if consumed even in concentrations as low as few parts per million’, said Katzir.

Concerned about these possibilities, Katzir developed a new system to monitor the safety of a building or community’s water supply in real time, which could be contaminated by industrial spillage, natural disaster or plain sabotage.

Currently, authorities in America test water reservoirs usually once every day or two, with no system in place to detect chemical threats instantaneously.

‘This new system can cut millions of dollars from the cost of testing water manually,’ said Katzir. His fibre sensors are made of insoluble, non-toxic, and biocompatible materials. ‘You can eat them and nothing will happen to you,’ he noted.

Modifying special fibres developed in his TAU lab, Katzir can detect ‘colours’ in the infrared spectrum which distinguish between pure and contaminated water.

Not visible to the naked eye, this spectrum is normally only seen by certain animals, like snakes or vampire bats, to track down prey.

Connected to a commercial infrared spectrometer, the fibres serve as sensors that can detect and notify authorities immediately if a contaminant has entered a water reservoir, system, building or pipeline.

In the lab, the fibre-optic system detected poisons such as pesticides in amounts well below the WHO safety threshold. Preliminary field experiments have already been done at several European sites, said a TAU release.

Once in use, the sensor system would be one of the first real-time water monitors in the United States to provide protection from chemo-terrorism attacks – a threat to which US water supplies are particularly susceptible.

‘It’s unlikely that someone will poison the water supply in Afghanistan,’ said Katzir, ‘but America is in grave danger and needs to arm itself against chemical threats to its drinking water.’

His paper was published in the Journal of Applied Spectroscopy recently.

Indo Asian News Service

Monitoring Water Through A Snake’s Eyes ( FROM REDORBIT.COM)

RedOribt: Posted on: Wednesday, 13 May 2009, 10:54 CDT
http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/1688153/monitoring_water_through_a_snakes_eyes/index.html

TAU’s special infrared fibers can defend America’s water from chemoterrorism

Although most Americans take the safety of their drinking water for granted, that ordinary tap water could become deadly within minutes, says Prof. Abraham Katzir of Tel Aviv University’s School of Physics and Astronomy.

To combat the threat of contamination due to industrial spillage, natural disaster or sabotage, the physicist has developed a new system to monitor the safety of a building or community’s water supply in real time.

Modifying special fibers developed in his Tel Aviv University lab, Prof. Katzir can detect “colors” in the infrared spectrum which distinguish between pure and contaminated water. Not visible to the naked eye, this spectrum is normally only seen by certain animals, like snakes or vampire bats, to track down prey. Connected to a commercial infrared spectrometer, the fibers serve as sensors that can detect and notify authorities immediately if a contaminant has entered a water reservoir, system, building or pipeline.

In the lab, the fiberoptic system detected poisons such as pesticides in amounts well below the World Health Organization safety threshold. Preliminary field experiments have already been done at several European sites, and the results were reported recently in the Journal of Applied Spectroscopy.

The colors of danger.
Once in use, the sensor system would be one of the first real-time water monitors in the United States to provide protection from chemoterrorism attacks — a threat to which U.S. water supplies are particularly susceptible. “It’s unlikely that someone will poison the water supply in Afghanistan,” says Prof. Katzir, “but America is in grave danger and needs to arm itself against chemical threats to its drinking water.

“With our naked eyes we can’t distinguish between pure water and water that contains a small amount of alcohol or acetone. They’re all clear. We can’t do it even with a spectrophotometer, which measures visible colors,” explains Prof. Katzir. “But we can clearly distinguish between liquids using an infrared spectrometer which can distinguish between ‘colors’ in the invisible infrared spectrum.”

Such an instrument can be used to detect hazardous chemicals, pollutants and threats in the water, “seeing” water in the same way as a snake does. The special fiber sensors make it possible to monitor the quality of water in a remote location, such as a lake, a river, or a pipeline, and detect trace amounts of contaminants in real time, adds Prof. Katzir. Water management executives in Florida’s Everglades and officials in Germany are among those who have expressed an interest in using the technology.

Skyscrapers in New York City a Likely Point of Attack

“Toxic materials are readily available as pesticides or herbicides in the agriculture industry, and can be harmful if consumed even in concentrations as low as few parts per million,” says Prof. Katzir.

Cities like New York are especially susceptible to a chemoterrorist threat. With many skyscrapers holding water reserves on the top of the building, a terrorist only needs to introduce poison into a tank to wreak havoc. “A terrorist wouldn’t have to kill tens of thousands of people. Only 50 deaths — as horrible as that would be — would cause nationwide panic.”

Currently, water authorities in America test water reservoirs usually once every day or two, with no system in place to detect chemical threats instantaneously. “This new system can cut millions of dollars from the cost of testing water manually.” The fiber sensors developed by Prof. Katzir are made of insoluble, non-toxic, and biocompatible materials. “You can eat them and nothing will happen to you,” he notes.

Prof. Katzir’s determination to fight terrorism through science has a personal side as well. His father, world-renowned scientist Prof. Aharon Katzir, was assassinated by the Japanese Red Army in a terror attack in 1972. “I am trying to walk in his footsteps by doing applied research that can be a practical tool in an important battle. This system can be ready for use in less than a year.”

Reuters reports on Laser Welding

Sci-fi laser stiches wounds
(01:53) Rough Cut

Feb 10 – It could be a scene from a sci-fi movie — doctors instantly sealing a patient’s wounds using little more than a laser beam.

A group of scientists from Tel Aviv University have discovered that by meticulously controlling a laser’s heat they can use it to weld the skin shut.

This method of mending means the skin is less likely to tear and is more watertight than traditional needle and thread stitching of a wound.

Experiments on real patients in Israeli operating rooms have proven successful. Their wounds have healed faster and with less scarring.

The scientists hope to see their invention in operating rooms around the world in a few years time.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) AVRAHAM KATZIR, PHYSICS PROFESSOR TEL AVIV UNIVERSITY

Medical Design: Closing wounds with lasers

Feb 2, 2009 4:18 PM

Tel Aviv University physicist Abraham Katzir and colleagues have developed a laser-based wound-closure device with a feedback loop that prevents it from overheating tissues. Their early research hunted for the temperatures at which flesh will bond to itself and heat without damage. (It’s between 60 and 70C.) Then the group designed a pen-sized tool that combines optic fibers with channels for the laser and one for an infrared sensor to measure, monitor, and control the temperature. Surgeons need only move the pen’s tip along a cut, bonding with proteins in the tissue. Compared to traditional needle-and-thread sutures, laser bonding promotes faster healing, lower risk of infection, and less scarring.

The first human trials have been successfully completed. The method has a wide range of applications, from delicate surgeries on blood vessels to procedures, such as cornea transplants, in which sutures cause discomfort and inflammation.

http://medicaldesign.com/engineering-prototyping/closing_wounds_with_lasers_0109/

PSP: Scientists “Weld” Skin Using Laser Energy

by jfrentzen 12/3/2008 3:57:00 PM

A team of applied physicists at Tel Aviv University have developed an efficient and safe way of using laser energy to close incisions in the skin that they say could also be used on cuts inside the body. They also say skin and internal tissue to heal more quickly after operations and accidents.

The team was led by Prof. Abraham Katzir, who found a way to maintain laser temperature so that the incision is sealed to minimize the risk of infection and scars and speed healing.

Katzir says the development is “a groundbreaking medical technology” and could also be used quickly and easily by medics on the battlefield and at road accidents, as well as by plastic surgeons and other surgical specialists.

Katzir is the son of the late Prof. Aharon Katzir, the world-famous biophysicist who was murdered in the 1972 Japanese Red Army terror attack at Lod Airport; he is the nephew of Israel’s fourth president, 92-year-old Prof. Ephraim Katzir.

Israel’s Health Ministry, which studied the technology carefully, gave permission for the first clinical trials in 10 gall-bladder surgery patients a few months ago.

Among the news media, in-jokey references to TV’s Star Trek: The Next Generation, started almost immediately, best articulated by Bill Christensen, LiveScience’s health blogger, in his November 22, 2008 piece, Star Trek Now: Lasers Close Incisions:

Successful clinical trials have already been made on people undergoing gall bladder removal surgery. Following surgery, four cuts were left on the skin of the abdomen, two of which were sutured and two laser-bonded. The results of the trials suggest that the laser-bonded tissues heal faster, with less scarring.

“We think plastic surgeons will especially love this invention. Bonding tissues that heal well without scarring is a true art that few people possess,” says Prof. Katzir. This method, he says, will be much easier to master than suturing and will generate a watertight bond, preventing infections and accelerating healing. “It could also become a device for the battlefield, allowing soldiers to heal each other on contact with a laser wand,” says Prof. Katzir

If this sounds like space age medicine, you’re right. Fans of Star Trek: The Next Generation will no doubt find this idea familiar. Starting in the 2250’s, the laser scalpel was the surgical instrument of choice and was available in different wavelengths for varied cutting strength and depth of cut.

The New York Daily News this week published a fairly straightforward news report on this technology breakthrough.

The laser skin welding uses a special biological glue smeared on the two sides of the incision. Then, a laser warms it to the correct temperature to make the glue thicken and create a hard shell that protects the wound and allows it to heal while blocking germs.

http://www.plasticsurgerypractice.com/blog/post/2008/12/Scientists-Weld-Skin-Using-Laser-Energy.aspx