Frequently Asked Questions
  1. How many grams is each Imprint Aid? How many grams are the Evaluation Aids?

  2. If all of the Evaluation Aids are placed collectively together, will the whole have the same odor picture as the Imprint Aid?

  3. What is the estimated set time for the aids?

  4. Are there any special ways to store the Aids?

  5. Are there any special transportation requirements for the Aids?

  6. Is set time affected by temperature?

  7. Does the product need to acclimate to ambient temperature prior to use if stored by refrigeration?

  8. Is the odor (Evaluation aid or Imprint Aid) transferable to objects, i.e., leaving trace residuals?

  9. How is usable life of the aid calculated?

  10. How are any of the aids affected by moisture, if at all?

  11. Will the imprint aids or the evaluation aids cross contaminate if they contact each other or if they are placed within close proximity of each other?

  12. What else can we anticipate from your company in the near future?

  13. Do these products require any ATF or DEA permit(s)?

  14. Explain the different types of available ScentLogix™ K9 products?

  15. Is the surrogate scent a pseudoscent?

  16. Why do you sell each explosive type separately and not have all the scents in the same kit?

  17. What is so special about ScentLogix K9 products, if any?

 

Q.   How many grams is each Imprint Aid? How many grams are the Evaluation Aids?

A.   Each imprint sample weights about 20 gm and each evaluation aid weights about 12 grams.

Q.   If all of the Evaluation Aids are placed collectively together, will the whole have the same odor picture as the Imprint Aid?

A.   Each respective Evaluation Aid represents a fragmented component of the broadband scent signature of the explosive, as can be deduced using factors such as volatility and scent quality, and as comprised within the Imprint Aid. However, their combination does not represent the whole odor picture. The picture will be accurate but not precise, and this is a difference that matters to the olfaction process.

Q.   What is the estimated set time for the aids?

A. The set time is depended on the circumstances within which an Evaluation or Imprint Aid is being used. Set times will be less for enclosed spaces and higher for open spaces. The set time for enclosed spaces will be proportional to the volume of the space within which scent should be dispersed. We recommend a set time of 6 - 10 minutes for an aid within a 1Ft3 box, at normal room temperature, pressure and humidity. For instances where one might want a K9 to alert on some large spaces or objects such as ship-cargo containers, there is a need to replicate a substantial odor presence within the whole container and it is advisable to evenly space multiple bags of the same aid at regular intervals. The recommended set time for outdoor use is also be depended on wind speed, temperature and humidity and the dynamics of where and how the aid is concealed i.e., is it placed in a dustbin within a park or it is placed under twigs on a flat open field. We hope that ScentLogix™ users will employ the ScentLogix™ interactive blog to share their experiences about the set times used within their training locales worldwide.

Q.   Are there any special ways to store the Aids

A.   It is recommended that the aids are stored in a cool dark place, preferably under refrigeration.

Q.   Are there any special transportation requirements for the Aids?

A.   These aids are essentially "fragrances of explosives and narcotics", and not "explosives and narcotics," thus they do not have the chemical or physiological capacity for which the parent material is hazardous nor do they need to be transported, handled or stored in matters accorded parent materials. In fact, they can be handled as a normal article, but keep in mind that, in this article itself is precious, as the integrity of the scent of the article is its most important aspect. This, means that you really do not want to it around as this will release more scent and you do not want to leave it exposed when not in use.

Q.   Is set time affected by temperature?

A.   Yes it is! To generate the same intensity of odor, the set time should be inversely proportional to operational temperature. The calculation of temperature itself might be multiphase as there are 2 different types of temperature-based factors to consider. The first pertains to the macrosystem: room (inside) or atmospheric (outside) temperature; while the second pertains to the microsystem: temperature of the microenvironment of the aids, for example, the temperature of objects or surfaces in contact with the aids. Alongside temperature, set time is also affected by the humidity of the environment and the atmospheric pressure. Sometimes it is also affected by the direction and strength of wind currents, and the presence of strong background odors.

Q.   Does the product need to acclimate to ambient temperature prior to use if stored by refrigeration?

A.   No, due to the fabrication process, there is no need for acclimatization if the product was stored in the fridge. If stored in the freezer, you might want allow a 90 second acclimation time before use. We anticipate that this and any other time needed for acclimation will have been achieved while setting the odors up for the training process and waiting for the teams to commence training.

Q.   Is the odor (Evaluation aid or Imprint Aid) transferable to objects, i.e., leaving trace residuals?

A.   Although the nanotechnology-based methods and ScentLoc® process used in the manufacture will ensure that the Aids never smear objects they are placed upon, the vapor generated by these Aids can permeate through porous materials. However, since this transfer occurs only through the process of diffusion, the continuous exposure of this object to air will aid in the quick dissipation of the scent back into the atmosphere, leaving no trace residue whatsoever on the object. One of the main determinants of the impact of odor transfer to K9 detection is if the odor is transferred is enough to be exuded at a rate that is within the olfactory threshold of the K9, by the transferred material. This will be difficult to achieve if the odor transfer is simply by touching two materials together for brief amounts of time. Even if achieved, it will not be long-lasting at all.

Q.   How is usable life of the aid calculated?

A.   Its usage time is determined using the standard accepted Law Enforcement/Military/SWGDOG training requirement of 16 hours/ month (4 hrs./week). After the recommended usable time, it is advisable to discard the aid as it will start to loose some of the principal components of its broadband odor signature – just like a real explosive - and leaving breaks in the continuity of the spectrum of overlapping scents pertinent for, for example, the multiscent detection capability needed by K9's for the detection of large amounts of explosives.

Q.   How are any of the aids affected by moisture, if at all?

A.   The aids are not affected by moisture. Let moistened bags dry out naturally during the training process. Dispose of bags that are complete drenched in water, or call ScentLogix™ for technical advice. Do not attempt to dry aids by exposing to heat as this will only result in accelerated and/or complete loss of scent material. Do not puncture bag and release contents.

Q.   Will the imprint aids or the evaluation aids cross contaminate if they contact each other or if they are placed within close proximity of each other?

A.   No they will not. Please see question #7 for a further explanation as to why.

Q.   What else can we anticipate from your company in the near future?

A.   We are currently developing cocaine, heroin and PETN imprint and evaluation aids for K9 detection, and ScentLogix™ Inose versions to enhance the calibration and sensitivity of pre-existing detector instrumentation programmed to detect these hazards.

Q.   Do these products require any ATF or DEA permit(s)?

A.   No, they do not.

Q.   Explain the different types of available ScentLogix™ K9 products?

A.   ScentLogix™ K9 scent kits are developed to provide three different training and evaluation aid choices. These choices are as follows:

(i) a de-energized explosive scentkit with aids fabricated using our patent pending ScentCapture™ technique, which provides the full spectrum of odors of an explosive material that has been stripped of its energetic properties. This method of "de-energization" can be applied to all explosives; however, since we are more interested in the odoriferous properties of an explosive than its physical properties, this process is only deemed necessary for the fabrication of scentkits for low-vapor pressure, shock sensitive explosives, such as the entropy burst group of explosives and as represented by TATP. These scentkits are appropriate for both K9 and Machine (VDM) detection programs.

(ii) a composite odor scentkit that comprises aids that exude odor components of the headspace scent signature of an explosive material deemed necessary for its detection. Using our patent pending ScentCapture™ technique, these scentkits are appropriate for both K9 and Machine (VDM) detection programs, with the ScentLogix™ K9 scentkits providing those odors that are more tuned to biological detection and the ScentLogix™ VDM being more tuned towards machine detection.

(iii) a surrogate odor scentkit that comprises of aids that exude odors that are so odoriferously indistinguishable to the odors of the volatile components of an explosive material they cannot be differentiated by a K9. This inability to resolve such scents is due to limitations of the olfactory system of a canine (i.e., the resolution of the K9 nose), and not the fault of the canine. It can however be taken advantage of, and used to provide training scents of lethal vapors or extremely dangerous explosives such as TATP. Surrogate scentkits are also not appropriate for straight forward machine calibration and detection processes, but for advanced developmental programs involving these machines. They are also invaluable for use within R&D efforts at the interface of mammalian olfaction.

Q.   Is the surrogate scent a pseudoscent?

A.   "pseudoscent" is a word that is very much used in a qualitative way, and most products defined as pseudoscents are made as such. For example, in the perfume industry a lot of pseudoscents are classified solely by the use of a "human nose." Uses of such qualitative methods to define scents have also been applied to the production of training-aid scents for the K9 industry. However, these scents have proven to be so ineffective in K9 detention and training that most K9 trainers and handlers now shudder at the word "pseudo".

Unlike these qualitatively qualified scents, ScentLogix™ surrogate odor scents are the true odoriferous equivalents of the explosives that they represent. This equivalence has have been scientifically determined using our cutting edge advancements in the prediction of structure-odor relationships. Our scientific determinations embrace quantitative studies that take into consideration additive factors stemming from the olfactory mechanisms of a canine, its limitations, and the final perception of the scent by the canine itself, to provide a surrogate scent with an odor quality that is no different from that of the explosive that it mimics. Remember, we are more interested in the odoriferous properties of an explosive and not its physical properties. These surrogate scents are particularly useful in the formulation of safe training aids of those explosive scents whose parent odors are still explosive by nature, such as dynamite, and for researches in the sciences who desire scent simulants for their R&D pursuits in elucidating mechanisms that pertain to scent olfaction and perception.

Q.   Why do you sell each explosive type separately and not have all the scents in the same kit?

A.   We are aware that some vendors sell their K9 detection training aids all in the same box. But remember, The ScentLogix ScentKits are not just a suite of scents, but scientifically developed and purpose built to provide you with the best research-grade scents, scent logics, and procedural tools for your training programs. The significance of each explosive being independently addressed, in conjunction with the recommended evaluation program, cannot be underemphasized. Some of the reasons that prevented us from unifying all the explosives into one kit are as follows:

1. Individualizing the kit scents prevents such cross contamination of the product that may be caused by the leakage of vapors from different explosive types into the same enclosed headspace and their permeation of the whole kit headspace, causing subsequent vapor based reactions and the formation (and condensation) of new contaminating odors within the kit.

2. When different explosive types are contained withi a single kit, the probability of unintentional product and kit contamination due to handing errors becomes non-negligible. For example, a propensity for mistakes involving putting scents into the correct package or placing scents onto shared surfaces increases during nighttime use. Such an error will lead to the contaminatory loss of the whole kit. If only one kit is available, this leads to an interruption of the whole training program and, if the K9 trainer disregards the contamination, it leads to the production of inefficient K9's trained on contaminated aids. The consequence derived from the cross contamination of odors from the same explosive type is less of a that from the cross contamination of odors from different explosive types. Alas, how can there be cross contamination within the same explosive kit since all the scents really belong to a single scent signature? So, the issue of cross contamination, including its statistical probability, is negated within ScentLogix™ kits.

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