AUSTIN, Texas, Aug. 8, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- 1st Detect Corporation, a subsidiary of Astrotech Corporation (Nasdaq:ASTC), announced today that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has issued a key patent for the company's unique method to drive a mass spectrometer ion trap used for chemical detection and identification.
"We are extremely pleased that the USPTO has issued this highly significant patent covering our unique ion trap technology," said John Porter, Chief Executive Officer for the Company. "We continue to make considerable progress in our development of the 1st Detect Miniature Chemical Detector (MCD) and this patent is an important component of our intellectual property portfolio."
The patent, entitled "Driving a Mass Spectrometer Ion Trap or Mass Filter," represents a key technological advantage for 1st Detect to constantly monitor the ion trap and dynamically adjust to changing parameters for optimized performance.
"The technology protected by this patent supports our objective to offer the most affordable, high performance mass spectrometer for both laboratory and field applications," added David Rafferty, the inventor of the Patent (US 7,973,277) and President of the Company.
1st Detect Corporation has developed the Miniature Chemical Detector, a product that revolutionizes the chemical detection market by delivering lab performance mass spectrometry in a small, easily portable package. The broad capabilities of the instrument makes the 1st Detect MCD an ideal detection tool for a variety of applications, including security, industrial and healthcare markets. The 1st Detect Miniature Chemical Detector is capable of detecting residues and vapors from explosives, chemical warfare agents, toxic chemicals, food and beverage contamination, illicit drugs and pollution. The 1st Detect MCD's superior sensitivity and accuracy and its fast response time provides orders of magnitude better than competing products.
About 1st Detect Corporation
1st Detect Corporation was formed by Astrotech Corporation (Nasdaq:ASTC) to develop and commercialize miniature-mass spectrometer technology first developed for the International Space Station (ISS). 1st Detect offers the Miniature Chemical Detector, a breakthrough device in mass spectrometry that fills a niche by being highly accurate, lightweight, battery-powered, durable and cost-effective. For more information on 1st Detect Corporation, please visit www.1stDetect.com.
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About Astrotech Corporation
Astrotech is one of the first commercial space companies and remains a strong entrepreneurial force in the aerospace industry. We are leaders in identifying, developing and marketing space applied technologies for commercial use. Our Astrotech Space Operations (ASO) business unit serves our government and commercial satellite and spacecraft customers with pre-launch services on the eastern and western range of Cape Canaveral and Vandenberg Air Force Base. The Company's 1st Detect Corporation subsidiary has developed a breakthrough miniature chemical detector, and the Astrogenetix, Inc. subsidiary is a biotechnology company that uses the unique environment of space to discover valuable biomarkers used in vaccine development.
This press release contains forward-looking statements that are made pursuant to the Safe Harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks, trends, and uncertainties that could cause actual results to be materially different from the forward-looking statement. These factors include, but are not limited to, continued government support and funding for key space programs, the ability to expand ASO, the availability of capital for reinvestment in growth initiatives, product performance and market acceptance of products and services, as well as other risk factors and business considerations described in the Company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings including the annual report on Form 10-K. Any forward-looking statements in this document should be evaluated in light of these important risk factors. The Company assumes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements.