Block MEMS Garners SBIR Contract

Block MEMS LLC has received a US Army Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II enhancement contract for its LaserScan analyzer. The award will allow it to enhance the LaserScan’s capabilities through the development of chemical recognition algorithms. The algorithms will enable the system to detect liquid and solid chemical warfare agents and other emerging chemical threats from a standoff distance on a variety of substances, said Petros Kotidis, CEO of Block MEMS. LaserScan is a next-generation spectrometer that incorporates widely tunable mid-IR quantum cascade lasers. Applications include the detection of explosive materials, chemical and biological agents, and toxic industrial chemicals.