Smiths Detection Announces University of Maryland, Baltimore County Successfully Deploys BioFlash for Airborne Detection of SARS-CoV-2
13.4.2021 14:00:00 EEST | Business Wire | Press release
Smiths Detection, a global leader in threat detection and security screening technologies, today announces that its BioFlash® Biological Identifier has been successfully used by the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) to identify airborne SARS-CoV-2 inside their campus in real-time at the point of testing.
As part of their mitigation strategy for COVID-19, UMBC’s Environmental Safety and Health (ESH) team have been using BioFlash across the campus. In one instance, the airborne detector was deployed to help the campus community safely re-enter a research facility after a person working there tested positive. After multiple tests performed on the BioFlash ruled-out the presence of airborne SARS-CoV-2, the ESH team deemed the facility contamination-free, allowing staff and students to safely return and research to continue without significant pause.
In a separate instance, in a collaborative effort with the UMBC Sports Medicine Department, a test conducted in a team locker room resulted in a positive environmental detection on the BioFlash. This detection ultimately led UMBC to test all people present for COVID-19, identifying three infected individuals. This helped prevent further spread of the virus.
“We are delighted to see what we believe is a world-first for our technology. BioFlash, with its real-time results capability, has been used by UMBC in a real-world setting to successfully confirm the presence or absence of COVID-19 in the air and inform health and safety protocols,” said Smiths Detection President Roland Carter. “We have been working incredibly hard to provide a tool that will support the ongoing fight against COVID-19, and these applications demonstrate the role BioFlash can play in virus mitigation strategies.”
“The BioFlash system has helped us to prevent the spread of the virus in our on-campus community. We are also pleased that this tool to protect the health and safety of people on our campus is easy to use and environmentally friendly,” said Lynne Schaefer, UMBC Vice President for Administration and Finance. “We will be using this solution as part of a larger mitigation strategy, alongside other important tools like sanitation, masks, regular testing, physical distancing, and symptom monitoring.”
BioFlash works by collecting and analysing air samples using sensitive, selective and rapid detection technology to identify the presence of dangerous pathogens onsite without the need to involve a laboratory. Following successful internal testing, Smiths Detection has been engaged in various external studies to further verify the SARS-CoV-2 detection capability, including working with the USAMRIID, which verified that BioFlash could identify SARS-CoV-2 in a laboratory setting.
The BioFlash Biological Identifier is available now.
ENDS
About BioFlash Biological Identifier
The BioFlash® Biological Identifier is a bio-aerosol collection and identification system that provides rapid, sensitive and specific identification of various pathogens including viruses, toxins and bacteria. The BioFlash has been commercially available for over 10 years and is currently used by US government and commercial clients for a number of applications.
About Smiths Detection
Smiths Detection, part of Smiths Group, is a global leader in threat detection and screening technologies for aviation, ports and borders, defence and urban security markets. Our experience and history across more than 40 years at the frontline enables us to deliver the solutions needed to protect society from the threat and illegal passage of explosives, prohibited weapons, contraband, toxic chemicals and narcotics.
For more information visit http://www.smithsdetection.com/
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210413005091/en/
Contact information
FTI Consulting:
Tom Hufton/Georgina Reeves
sc.smithsdetection@fticonsulting.com
+44 (0)20 3727 1000
Smiths Detection:
Sophie Mills
Communications Manager
sophie.mills@smithsdetection.com
+ 44 (0)7384236474
About Business Wire
For more than 50 years, Business Wire has been the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
iQmetrix to Deliver 2026 Telecom Industry Address and Product Announcements, Unveiling the Next Wave of Intelligent Commerce14.9.2026 20:40:00 EEST | Press release
iQmetrix, the global provider of Intelligent Commerce Operating Systems for telecom, today opened registration for the 2026 Telecom Industry Address and Product Announcements, taking place Wednesday, October 28, 2026. For the first time in the event's history, iQmetrix will run two dedicated virtual sessions: one built specifically for European audiences, alongside its long-running North American event. Both are free to attend. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260914992633/en/ Now in its seventh year, the Industry Address has become the telecom channel's annual checkpoint: an unfiltered read on where the market is heading, delivered by a company that sits at the intersection of telcos, retailers, and the partners who serve them. The 2026 edition draws on a year of research and direct conversations across international markets. "We spend the year listening — to telcos, to retailers, to the partners building alon
The Estée Lauder Companies Announces Partnership with Profound to Expand AI Visibility Across Its Global Brand Portfolio14.9.2026 19:32:00 EEST | Press release
The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. (NYSE: EL) today announced a global strategic partnership with Profound, the category-defining AI marketing platform, advancing its ambition to be prestige beauty’s leader in AI-native discovery. The partnership will provide the company with visibility into how its full portfolio of brands is represented across leading generative AI platforms, as well as opportunities to optimize that representation. This partnership establishes the company as the first in prestige beauty to deploy Profound’s capabilities globally across the company’s full portfolio and operationalize Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) and AI marketing at scale. As consumers increasingly turn to ChatGPT, Gemini, and other AI assistants to discover products, compare recommendations, and seek personalized beauty advice before a purchase, The Estée Lauder Companies is partnering with Profound to define the next era of beauty discovery. This partnership will equip the company with a unifie
AMAALA Yacht Club Opens, Putting the Red Sea on the Global Yachting Map14.9.2026 19:00:00 EEST | Press release
Red Sea Global (RSG), the regenerative tourism developer, has announced that AMAALA Yacht Club has officially begun operations, marking a major milestone in establishing the Saudi Red Sea as a new global destination for luxury yachting, sailing and marine tourism. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260914160771/en/ AMAALA Yacht Club, the new luxury yachting destination on Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast. Nestled within AMAALA Marina Village, the AMAALA Yacht Club is now welcoming founding members and visiting yachts to moor and explore the destination. Located approximately 2,000 nautical miles from Monaco, the club provides a new winter destination for the world’s luxury sailing community, which traditionally migrates from the Mediterranean to the Caribbean or Indian Ocean from October. Positioned closer to the Mediterranean than the Caribbean, AMAALA offers an attractive winter cruising hub and a strategic gateway
Behind the Stage Lights: How Students Learned to Trust Their Voices with Doha Debates14.9.2026 16:40:00 EEST | Press release
During high school years in Model United Nations, Dahlia Al-Ansari learned to argue on behalf of a country she was assigned to represent. But when Doha Debates invited her to join a town hall debate in Toronto this July, she faced an unfamiliar challenge: sharing her own beliefs about a timely issue. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260914150232/en/ Students from Qatar, Canada and Mexico during their visit to the University of Toronto as part of the Doha Debates Town Hall experience in Canada. (Photo: AETOSWire) An 18-year-old biological sciences student at Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar, Al-Ansari hadn’t traveled to defend a predetermined position. Instead, she discovered that she was there to think critically, express her own viewpoint and remain open to diverse perspectives. This shift required her to navigate uncharted waters, but “I’m happy that it did,” she says. “It’s showing me the importance of sp
Matt Shafer Joins Golub Capital as Head of Golub Equity Continuation Partners14.9.2026 16:30:00 EEST | Press release
Golub Capital (“the Firm”) today announced the appointment of Matt Shafer as Managing Director and Head of the Firm’s GP-led private equity secondaries strategy, Golub Equity Continuation Partners (“GECP”). In this role, he will be responsible for leading the continued growth and development of the strategy and helping expand the Firm’s equity investment capabilities. Matt will work closely with Greg Cashman, Vice Chair and Co-Head of Golub Capital’s Sponsor Finance practice, to expand Golub Capital’s activity in this growing market. Shafer brings nearly three decades of global experience as an investor, financier and advisor working with private equity firms. He was most recently Head of Capital Solutions and U.S. Private Equity at Northleaf Capital Partners. In this role, Shafer helped lead the firm’s private equity investment activities, including secondaries, co‑investments and structured capital. Prior to Northleaf, he was Partner and Head of Americas Private Equity at Vision Capi
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom