The TRACER 1000 Narcotic and Explosives Trace Detector is a rugged mass-spectrometer capable of rapid detection of trace levels of narcotic or explosive compounds in seconds.

AUSTIN, Texas, April  02, 2024  (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Astrotech Corporation (NASDAQ: ASTC) ("Astrotech" or the "Company") and its wholly owned subsidiary, 1st Detect Corporation, announces that it will be showcasing its TRACER 1000 Narcotics Trace Detector ("NTD") and Explosives Trace Detector ("ETD") at the International Security Conference and Exposition, also known as ISC West, in Las Vegas, Nevada, from April 9-12, 2024, in booth number 2067.

The TRACER 1000 is a high-performance laboratory instrument that is powered by the Astrotech Mass Spectrometer Technology ("AMS Technology"). Our mass spectrometer is capable of rapid detection of trace levels of narcotic or explosive compounds in seconds. The TRACER 1000 provides a ruggedized platform that can be applied across various markets including airports, border security, checkpoint, cargo, infrastructure security, correctional facilities, military, and law enforcement.

Currently, the Company's Tracer 1000 ETD is now found in multiple locations in 14 countries throughout the world. The Tracer 1000 NTD library is capable of detecting many narcotics including fentanyl and cocaine.

"We are extremely excited to share our user-friendly mass spectrometer the TRACER 1000, which is powered by our AMS Technology, with leading industry experts and security industry professionals at the ISC West conference. This allows us a platform to reach those in the industry across various markets, such as security, checkpoint, military, and law enforcement that strive for quality instrumentation, that requires a minimum amount of maintenance, and want accurate but rapid detection," said Thomas B. Pickens, III, Astrotech's Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, and Chief Technology Officer.

ISC West is the one of the leading comprehensive security trade events in the U.S. and will have some of the country's leading security and public safety professionals in attendance. The conference enables exhibitors to present the latest products, industry innovations and market trends while also serving as a marketplace for new business opportunities in a rapidly evolving security sector. Lastly, ISC West hosts engaging discussions of current challenges, opportunities and an outlook into the future of this evolving market. The TRACER 1000 is a rugged, fast, size of a desktop printer, and easy-to-use mass spectrometer with near-zero false alarms. The TRACER 1000 is the first mass spectrometry-based ETD to have received European Civil Aviation Conference ("ECAC") certification for both checkpoint and cargo security.

Using the same successful AMS Technology, the TRACER 1000 maintains the accuracy of much larger mass spectrometers even though it is compact. While mass spectrometry has historically been too costly, bulky, and cumbersome to be used outside of the laboratory, the simple-to-use interface and auto-calibration process of the TRACER 1000 make it easy to use for rank-and-file checkpoint or other security personnel, at a fraction of the cost of traditional mass spectrometers.