SCI & TECH: CD-ROM Based Laser Spectroscopy
Dr Cameron Jones of Swinburne University is working on an amazing new technology. A normal PC and CD-ROM drive can be turned into a laser spectrometer! It's goal at present is to provide a cheap, fast, easily available method of detecting Anthrax or other bio-terrorism substances.
From what I gather it works as follows: A CD-R is burnt with a specific pattern of information. A drop of water is placed on that part of the disc, the substance is placed on the water. The CDR is baked in an oven for 15 minutes at 75ºC. A protective plastic sleeve is placed on the CD-R then inserted in the CD-ROM drive. The software then analyses the way that the pattern of information is scattered, the scattering information is compared to how known substances scatter. A match is found, and there ya go, you know what the substance is! How awesome!
That means with a bit of software, we could all have laser spectrometers in our home!
-gleep
From what I gather it works as follows: A CD-R is burnt with a specific pattern of information. A drop of water is placed on that part of the disc, the substance is placed on the water. The CDR is baked in an oven for 15 minutes at 75ºC. A protective plastic sleeve is placed on the CD-R then inserted in the CD-ROM drive. The software then analyses the way that the pattern of information is scattered, the scattering information is compared to how known substances scatter. A match is found, and there ya go, you know what the substance is! How awesome!
That means with a bit of software, we could all have laser spectrometers in our home!
-gleep