FirstDefender is a handheld liquid and solid chemical identification instrument which uses a method of analysis called

Raman spectroscopy Raman spectroscopy () (named after Indian physicist C. V. Raman) is a spectroscopic technique typically used to determine vibrational modes of molecules, although rotational and other low-frequency modes of systems may also be observed. Raman sp ...

. It is designed for use by first responders, homeland security, law enforcers and forensic chemistry personnel for immediate identification of unknown solids, liquids, and

mixture In chemistry, a mixture is a material made up of two or more different chemical substances which are not chemically bonded. A mixture is the physical combination of two or more substances in which the identities are retained and are mixed in the ...

s. This includes

narcotics The term narcotic (, from ancient Greek ναρκῶ ''narkō'', "to make numb") originally referred medically to any psychoactive compound with numbing or paralyzing properties. In the United States, it has since become associated with opiates ...

explosives An explosive (or explosive material) is a reactive substance that contains a great amount of potential energy that can produce an explosion if released suddenly, usually accompanied by the production of light, heat, sound, and pressure. An expl ...

, white powders, chemical weapons, WMDs and toxic industrial chemicals. The detector identifies substances even through the walls of their containers. It is used by some airport officials in the United States to detect liquid explosives. It won the Bronze medal in the 2006 International Design Excellence Awards in the Medical & Scientific Products Category.

References

http://www.ahuracorp.com/first_defender.html Explosive detection {{law-enforcement-stub