Customer:
Biosensor Applications
Border control detection systems
BIOSENS®900 – an updated detection system for drugs and explosive substances from the Swedish company Biosensor Applications – will be introduced during the spring. The instrument has been developed, tested and certified in close cooperation with Prevas.
Third generation portable instrument
The BIOSENS®900 is a portable instrument that is used to detect traces of drugs and explosives. The analysis is used to confirm suspicions and make it easier to continue searching for prohibited substances. The system is used by customers all over the world, above all for checking goods, containers and luggage at border controls and customs filters.
“The system is distinguished by high user-friendliness, low frequency of false alarms and exceptional sensitivity in real-world environments outside the laboratory,” says Magnus Nygren, Marketing Manager at Biosensor Applications. “The detection capacity can be adapted to the customer’s needs, and we are constantly working to enable the identification of new substances.”
The Biosens series has been on the market for more than 20 years, with the BIOSENS®900 representing the third generation of the instrument. Prevas has long supported Biosensor Applications with the management and further development of the system’s software platform, and they were also commissioned to assist with the development and launch of the new instrument model.
“Prevas possesses in-depth knowledge of our products and systems, so the start-up phase for the development project was short,” says Magnus Nygren. “They have been able to offer support in all the required areas of the project, including software, mechanics, electronics and EMC testing.”
A complete lab in miniature
The BIOSENS®900 has been updated in several areas. The system is now battery-powered and the handling of consumables has been simplified. Its size and weight have been reduced by more than 30 percent, and the instrument has gained an entirely new platform for electronics and mechanics. The software platform has also been adapted to support new features and future-proof production.
“The instrument is a complete lab in miniature, with fluids that have to be topped up and components that need to be checked regularly,” says Patrik Åkerlind, Consultant Manager for Software and Embedded Systems at Prevas. “From the very start of the development process, we have focused on making the instrument as user-friendly as possible, while at the same time striving to simplify manufacturing, service and support. A good example of this is the fact that the new instrument is filled with single-dose items instead of larger packages.”
An important part of the project has been the testing and certifications that are a prerequisite for being able to bring a new instrument to the market. The regulatory requirements for laboratory equipment have largely been verified in Prevas’ own pre-compliance EMC lab. The new battery operation also entailed a certain amount of work to meet directives in areas such as fire safety.
“Our joint efforts have resulted in a very robust and secure system,” says Patrik Åkerlind. “It has also been interesting and rewarding to work with a product that contributes to the authorities’ ability to combat the trade in drugs and explosives, which has become a global societal problem.”
Collaboration provides flexibility and cost control
Despite a highly successful product and a global market presence, Biosensor Applications is a small company, and they have made a strategic decision not to maintain a full-scale development department.
“Our development projects are concentrated, and our collaboration with Prevas delivers flexibility and cost control,” says Magnus Nygren. “For us, Prevas fulfills an important function by providing complete solutions for both new development and management of our existing products.”
The BIOSENS®900 will be launched to customers all over the world during the year, with the company’s largest distributor, which is responsible for customers in Asia and Australia, being the first in line. For Magnus Nygren and his colleagues at Biosensor Applications, the focus is now on the production and sale of the new instrument, as well as continued development activities in collaboration with Prevas to meet future needs.
Our expertise
Project management, Mechanics, Electronics, Software design & development, EMC, Certification
Contact us
Partik Åkerlind, Prevas AB, e-mail
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