[Courtesy of the Agency for Defense Development]
SEOUL -- South Korea's state-run defense technology research body has utilized ultraviolet light-emitting diodes (LEDs) to develop a small fluorescence-based sensor that can miniaturize biological agent detectors. It is the second of its kind in the world after the United States.
UV LEDs, which are used in a wide array of household appliances and water treatment devices, are available for low-cost biological agent detectors. The Agency for Defense Development (ADD) said that its UV LED sensor emits ultraviolet rays with a short wavelength of 280 nanometers (nm) to induce fluorescence in biological particles and detect biological and general particles in real-time.
The UV-LED sensor can be effectively used to defend against the threat of biological weapons in various indoor and outdoor environments where vehicles cannot enter, the agency said, adding that the new sensor consumes less power, requires no air concentration for the existing laser-based method, and can reduce the weight of military devices in use by one-tenth.
ADD said it would transfer its technology to private companies in related fields while developing technologies that can identify types of biological weapons as well as detection and collection.
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