Millidyne (Finland)

Among the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, significant efforts have been undertaken to develop antimicrobial/antiviral surfaces by exploiting coating solutions. In this article, we review the actions undertaken by the EU project MIRIA, the main one being the reduction of pathogen transmission on high-traffic surfaces in public and healthcare environments. The project implements several synergies from key antimicrobial/antiviral element selection to the grafting of complex-shaped surfaces. The focus is given to one of the project’s key strategies: the adoption of sol-gel technology, known for its efficiency in creating versatile, cost-effective coatings suitable for a wide range of substrates. The project rigorously tests the coatings in simulated environments, such as operating theatres, ensuring their effectiveness and safety. This includes comprehensive durability testing against environmental, chemical, and mechanical stresses, guaranteeing the coatings’ long-term functionality. MIRIA’s validation process encompasses antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral testing in line with international standards, confirming their broad-spectrum pathogen resistance. Along with this overview, the impact of the initiative is elucidated, extending beyond healthcare, enhancing public health, creating safer living, and working environments, and reducing economic losses due to illness. To this, the MIRIA project is expected to significantly contribute to the European research and innovation in antimicrobial coatings, addressing challenges like scalability and efficacy against various pathogens. The emphasis on sustainable synthesis, including bio-based materials which align with ecological goals, positions MIRIA as a pivotal initiative in enhancing health safety standards and resilience across Europe.

In this paper we given an overview of the design and predicted performance of a passive video-rate THz camera intended for stand-off and walk-by concealed weapons and explosives detection. The system is based on previously reported work, and it utilizes a linear array of superconducting antenna-coupled microbolometers. Our present efforts have focussed on improving the performance, stability, set-up time and cost of production of the camera. The system is designed to acquire near video frame rate (~10 Hz) passive THz imagery of objects at ~5 meters from the system, with a field-of-view of 2 m x 1 m and a spatial resolution of 1 cm. The system will be readily integrated to other security systems as it provides encrypted stream of THz imagery over conventional LAN interface that also allows for remote operation.

Passive imaging of concealed objects at stand-off distances in excess of a few meters requires both excellent spatial, thermal and temporal resolution from the terahertz imaging system. The combination of these requirements while keeping the overall system cost at a reasonable level has been the motivation for this joint work. The THz imaging system under development is capable of sub-Kelvin NETD at video frame rates. In this paper we report the first imaging results from a 16-pixel array of superconducting antenna-coupled NbN vacuum-bridge microbolometers, operated within a cryogen-free, turn-key refrigerator. In addition to the system overview, we shall also address the uniformity of the detectors and present passive indoors raster-scanned imagery.