Workshop Overview:

The National Institute of Justice (NIJ), in conjunction with the National Forensic Science Technology Center (NFSTC), is sponsoring a series of workshops designed to help facilitate the transition of novel technologies into practice by operational forensic facilities. These Technology Transition Workshops, which highlight technologies developed under the NIJ’s forensic science research and development programs, are a critical component of NIJ’s research, development, testing and evaluation (RDT&E) efforts.

The purpose of this Technology Transition Workshop is to provide the student with an introduction to planar solid phase microextraction ion mobility spectrometry (PSPME-IMS) as a sampling and detection strategy for illicit drugs and explosives. Topics covered in this workshop will include: applications of the technology and sampling and detection protocols; an overview of the PSPME sampling and pre-concentration device and its maintenance; and use of the ion mobility spectrometer and differential ion mobility spectrometers (bench-top explosives trace detectors (ETD)), coupled with the PSPME device for detection and presumptive identification of threat agents relevant to first responders. Students will also receive basic instruction on IMS analysis and use of instrument software; drug and explosive odor signature detection, analysis and interpretation; sampling of a vehicle for suspected contraband; and future directions of PSPME-IMS technology.