This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2008, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Posted: 9:53 AM- PROVO - The next time law enforcement officers look for potentially hazardous materials, they could be using technology developed in Utah.
Brigham Young University chemistry professor Milton Lee has developed a device for detecting chemicals in the air and different substances. Modeled after an instrument called the tricorder from "Star Trek," Milton's machine is smaller than traditional systems. It weighs 28 pounds, while others can be as big as a table.
A company called Torion has been formed to sell the product. It has already sold several units to the Defense Department.
Lee was inspired after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks to develop a device to detect biological and chemical weapons.
