WASHINGTON /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- ICx Technologies, a provider of advanced technology solutions for homeland and military security, announced that Professor Timothy Swager, the John D. MacArthur Professor and Head of the Department of Chemistry at MIT and member of the ICx Science & Technology Advisory Board, has received the $500,000 Lemelson-MIT Prize, the "most-prestigious cash prize for invention in the United States."
Professor Swager was awarded the $500,000 Lemelson-MIT Prize for his body of inventive work, including an amplified chemical sensor that uses molecular wires to detect the presence of vapors from explosives, which can also be used in healthcare and environmental applications.
"We congratulate Professor Swager on receiving this well-deserved and highly prestigious award from the Lemelson-MIT Program," said Hans Kobler, ICx Technologies CEO. "Professor Swager is a true pioneer in developing chemical-sensing technologies that make the world a much safer place. From protecting troops on the battlefield to securing public events, the impact of his work is immeasurable and will continue to benefit how we live in the future."
The $500,000 Lemelson-MIT Prize is a high honor bestowed on outstanding mid-career inventors who have developed a patented product or process that provides significant value to society. It is designed to spur inventive careers and provide role models for future generations of inventors.
In 2001, the polymer technology developed by Professor Swager was licensed by MIT to ICx Nomadics, a business unit of ICx Technologies, for use in the company's Fido Explosives Detector.
Inspired by the ability of bomb-sniffing dogs to detect explosives, the Fido Explosives Detector has the advantage of being both ultra-sensitive and capable of quickly screening packages, facilities, people, and vehicles for traces of explosives. The breakthrough sensing technology behind the Fido detector supports both particle and vapor detection and allows operators the versatility and portability necessary for diverse detection and screening scenarios.
About ICx Technologies
ICx develops advanced technologies for effective security solutions. ICx sensors detect and identify chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive materials. ICx surveillance products discern people and objects invisible to human senses and conventional cameras. ICx software and systems connect, command, and control these security devices, while its intelligence and special-operations experts provide the unique insight that drives the company's innovation. ICx has manufacturing and research facilities in the U.S., Canada and Europe.