April 2020 - Physical Sciences Inc.

Press Release

Physical Sciences Inc. (PSI) has been awarded a research program from the U.S. Army to develop a standardized firefighter field decontamination kit that includes a customized detergent.

There is currently no universal methodology for decontaminating post-incident firefighter gear, and available washing procedures are both time consuming and have yet to be proven effective. PSI is developing a detergent that is specifically formulated to eliminate polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), heavy metals, and volatile organic hydrocarbons (VOCs). The detergent will specifically target and remove the compounds known to be the most hazardous and carcinogenic. The key innovation is the combination of three components, each individually selected to target a different contaminant class (PAHs, heavy metals and VOCs).

Application of the PSI kit and detergent will remove the majority of contaminants present in smoke, reducing the need for cumbersome machine washing. PSI’s decontamination kit will be used to treat equipment on the scene, prior to tracking of contaminants to other environments. The kit itself is simple, inexpensive, requires no additional implements, does not affect response time, and is compliant with NFPA 1851 protocols.

For more information, contact:

Dr. Dorin Preda
Group Leader, Material Technologies
dpreda@psicorp.com
Physical Sciences Inc.
Telephone: (978) 689-0003

Press Release

Physical Sciences Inc. (PSI) has been awarded a research program from the U.S. Air Force Research lab to develop a 5” gimbal payload equipped with broadband thermal imaging (TI) and a compact interferometric based long wave infrared (LWIR) hyperspectral imaging (HSI) sensor for deployment on a common Launch Tube-deployed Small Unmanned Aircraft System (SUAS).

The sensor will enable staring-mode operation and flexible revisits without the need for cooperative motion of the SUAS. The innovative approach is spectrally agile, enabling the acquisition of predefined wavelengths that have been intelligently selected to match the spectral content for targets of interest. The spectral resolution of the interferometric solution is independent of the size of the sensor and provides an opportunity to achieve high spectral resolution in a compact size

Anticipated benefits include improved hyperspectral imaging optimized for target detection and tracking in the LWIR, with dramatically reduced system size, weight, and power over grating based HSIs. Benefits of the architecture include compact optical elements, fine spectral resolution, and excellent sensitivity across the LWIR spectrum. Applications include small-unmanned aircraft system-based target detection and tracking for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance for battlefield situational awareness, weapons crew targeting, and climate monitoring.

For more information, contact:

Dr. Julia Dupuis
Vice President, Tactical Systems
jdupuis@psicorp.com
Physical Sciences Inc.
Telephone: (978) 689-0003