Date: Dec 22, 2004 Source: Company Data (
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Implant Sciences Corporation, a developer and manufacturer of products for national security, medicine and industry, today announced that the U.S. Patent Office issued a patent to the Company on Dec. 7 for its explosives detection system's cyclone air sampling technology (the "Cyclone Technology"). The Cyclone Technology is an integral part of the Company's present portable hand-held and bench-top Quantum Sniffer explosives detection devices.
The Cyclone Technology is the non-contact explosives "vapor" sampling mechanism that we believe differentiates our explosives detection devices from competitive devices currently used at airport security check points. The competitive devices at security checkpoints usually require contact sampling techniques with a small swatch of cloth used to collect minute "particles" of explosives. In contrast, Implant Sciences' proprietary QS technology is, to the best of management's knowledge, the only technology which detects pure "vapors" of explosives. In layman's terms, the QS technology is closest to replicating the "sniffing" ability of dogs.
According to Homeland Security Research Corporation ("HRSC"), existing technology for luggage and parcel screening make it impossible to deliver screening for more than a small fraction of luggage and parcels. Additionally, people screening systems deliver unacceptable performance due to factors such as high false alarm rates, slow throughput, operator dependence and high transaction costs. HRSC forecasts the luggage screening market to grow to $1.2 billion in 2006 and $3.5 billion by 2010. The total annual screening outlay is expected to grow to over 15 times its current size with forecasted sales of $3.5 billion in 2006 and to $9.9 billion in 2010.
The issuance of this patent provides the company important patent protection in what management believes to be a more effective and efficient mechanism for the sampling of explosives residues. As a result, the Company believes it will be able to develop next generation devices to address a growing Homeland Defense and Security marketplace that appears to be demanding the type of technology and products that the Company has already made available to the marketplace. The protection afforded by this patent should now enable the Company to move forward on the development of passenger portals and automated baggage screening devices with superior capabilities.
Dr. Anthony J. Armini, CEO of Implant Sciences Corporation, stated, "It has always been our belief that our Quantum Sniffer technology is unique and clearly differentiated from competitive technology in the methodology, sensitivity, and efficiency of explosives detection. The issuance of this patent strengthens the overall proprietary position of our explosives detection technology. We believe the Quantum Sniffer is a technological innovation that should improve the way explosives are detected thereby mitigating the current delays and inconveniences experienced at various security checkpoints."
Dr. Armini further stated, "It is clear that the Homeland Defense and Security marketplace is growing at a rapid rate. However, we believe the current technology has not met the demand for greater performance capabilities and improved throughput of people and articles evaluated for the potential of explosives materials. We believe that Implant has demonstrated the ability to bring to market explosives detection products that do meet these demands. And, we are confident that with continued innovative technology breakthroughs, such as our Cyclone Technology, we should bring additional new products to meet the continuing demand for improved technology and products to protect people and assets from continuing criminal and terrorist threats."
