Sionex Provides Trace Chemical Detection for DoD Program

BEDFORD, MA -- Sionex Corporation, a leading producer of commercialized chemical and biological sensors and sub-systems, announced that it will supply General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products with Differential Mobility Spectrometry (DMS) technology. This Sionex technology will support General Dynamics' recently announced contract with the U.S. Department of Defense under the first major phase of Increment 2 of the Joint Chemical Agent Detector (JCAD) Program.

The General Dynamics handheld chemical agent detector for the JCAD program, called the JUNO detector, incorporates the Sionex next-generation DMS technology, enabling improved detection, sensitivity and selectivity compared with that of traditional handheld chemical-agent detectors which are based on ion mobility spectrometry.

The goal of the JCAD program is to improve protection for the warfighter by making it possible for users to confidently, quickly and easily monitor exposure levels to multiple chemical warfare agents, toxic industrial chemicals and nontraditional agents simultaneously, and confirm decontamination effectiveness.

"The selection of Sionex technology for the General Dynamics JUNO detector confirms that our trace chemical sensor offers unparalleled sensitivity and selectivity in those high risk situations where detection at parts per billion or better is essential," said Wes Davis, CEO of Sionex. "That's true in protecting lives with the JUNO detector, as well as in other systems aimed at safeguarding the environment, diagnosing diseases and monitoring manufacturing processes."

The General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products JUNO detector features a simple, cell phone-style interface and is capable of detecting, identifying, quantifying and alerting individual warfighters to the presence of chemical agent vapors. In addition, as new chemical threats emerge, the JUNO detector's software can be upgraded and its detection library capacity can be expanded. It can be used in handheld, fixed-site, ground vehicle, shipboard and aircraft interior applications.

About Sionex Corporation
Sionex Corporation provides breakthrough chemical and biological sensor chips and sub-systems based on its proprietary microDMx detection technology. Sionex maintains its worldwide headquarters and laboratories in Bedford, Mass. The company is privately held and was founded in 2001 with patented technology licensed exclusively from The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory.