He then opens a small foil pouch containing an Anthrax BTA Test Strip. The responder is performing an anthrax screen in the field, so he ll have a very good idea in about 15 minutes. As a precaution, the potential victim is taken to the hospital, but she leaves the scene after being told that local authorities are now almost certain that the threatening substance was NOT anthrax. The solution is provided by Alexeter Technologies, of Wheeling, Illinois. Alexeter Technologies has introduced the Guardian BTA System, an integrated approach for the rapid collection, detection and identification of biological warfare agents.
More tests are on the way.
No other system can perform such reliable screenings in just 15 minutes. Quick results are especially critical if fast-acting toxins, such as Ricin, are involved. At the heart of the Guardian System are the BTA test strips from Tetracore, Incorporated, a Maryland-based company. Based on innovative, patented technology, the BTA test strip employs agent-specific antibodies to positively identify the potential threat. During the sample evaluation, the BTA strip also performs an internal quality control test to assure the validity of the test.