Can you really rely on animal behavior when human lives are at stake?
The olfactory skills of the biosensors trained by BioExplorers are as good as or better than canines', which are presently considered the 'gold standard' of explosives and narcotics detection. Their revolutionary, patented training method was developed by specialists in biology, zoology and animal behavior, and includes an extremely strict and thorough quality assurance process. The use of multiple biosensors (4-8, depending on the application) in unison provides results that are much more reliable than when using one canine. In independent tests, they have detected minute levels (ppt – parts per trillion) of concealed target substances in vapor – which advanced technological systems have failed to detect.
How resilient are the rodents to environmental distractions?
The biosensors are housed in cartridges arranged in an enclosure that insulates them from most of the environmental distractions. Climate control ensures the internal conditions are suitable for the biosensors – both in terms of their wellbeing, and their ability to perform at their customary high level of detection. Rigorous testing has shown that background odors, dust and soot do not interfere with the accuracy and reliability of the results.
How many odors can the system detect?
The biosensors can be trained to detect dozens of different odors, and differentiate them from thousands of other odors. Each of the 4-8 biosensors in each cartridge will be trained to detect all the odors relevant to each client and application.
How long is the biosensors' training period?
The initial training of the biosensors, including the detection of the first target odor, is about 10 days. Training to detect each additional odor takes several days per odor.
What is the lifespan of the biosensors?
The biosensors live 2-3 years; however, to ensure they are at their prime, we limit their working period to approximately 18 months.
Are the biosensors visible to the public?
No, they are not visible, and do not come into any contact whatsoever at any time with screened individuals or other individuals in the system's vicinity. Even the air that flows away from the cartridges housing the biosensors is first filtered through charcoal and HEPA filters.
Is there any risk of disease transfer to humans?
No. The biosensors are bred and raised in clean laboratory conditions (SPF - specific pathogen free) and their health is monitored periodically by a veterinarian. They do not come into any contact whatsoever with screened individuals or other individuals in the system's vicinity, and the air always flows from the screened individual to them; never in the opposite direction. Furthermore, the air that flows away from the cartridges housing the biosensors is first filtered through charcoal and HEPA filters.
How frequently do the biosensors require training in order to maintain their high level of performance?
One of the main advantages of BioExplorers' proprietary training method is that additional training is very rarely required. However, to ensure consistently high accuracy and reliability of detection, the biosensors undergo a thorough performance level assessment each time the cartridges are replaced (twice a month), and when necessary – refresher training.
How often do the biosensors require maintenance?
We are developing an automatic maintenance system that will minimize manual handling. We expect to attain a standard of automatic daily calibration, bi-weekly cartridge replacement of food, water and bedding, and a quality control check, to be followed by refresher training, if required.