Smiths Group plc - Smiths Group acquisition expands Detection technology base March 10, 2004 - London - Smiths Detection, one of the four operating divisions of Smiths Group plc, has extended the range of its detection technologies through the acquisition of Cyrano Sciences, Inc. for a consideration of $15 million plus an earn-out. Cyrano is an early stage technology company that has developed miniature sensors to detect and identify chemical vapours. The products will be used principally in the defence sector and in counter terrorism. "Having built Smiths Detection into a world-leading business in a growth market, it is important that we maintain the momentum by broadening the technology base," commented Keith Butler-Wheelhouse, chief executive of Smiths Group. "Cyrano has developed a widely admired technology and will benefit from Smiths Detection's strong position with government, military and industrial customers worldwide." Cyrano has successfully developed miniature sensors using conductive polymer films deposited on a ceramic substrate. This next generation technology complements Smiths Detection's ion mobility spectrometry, the core technology currently employed in its range of trace detection products. Cyrano has already been awarded a substantial contract with the US Department of Defense and has recently been notified of allocations of a minimum $4.5 million from the US federal budget for further development activity. Cyrano Sciences, Inc. was founded in 1997 by a team from the California Institute of Technology, backed by venture capital. It is based in Pasadena, California and has 23 employees. The business has been re-named Smiths Detection - Pasadena, Inc. About Smiths Detection: Smiths Detection is one of four operating divisions of Smiths Group plc. Smiths Detection offers technologically advanced security solutions to detect and identify explosives, chemical & biological agents, weapons and contraband. Employing trace detection technology together with Smiths Heimann X-ray imaging, Smiths Detection provides screening solutions for customers in civil and military markets worldwide. For more information visit: www.smithsdetection.com.

NanoTechwire - CombiMatrix and Cyrano Sciences Collaborate on the Development of Nanotechnology Based Chemical Sensors January 12, 2004 - Acacia Research Corporation announced today that its CombiMatrix Group and Cyrano Sciences will collaborate on the development of chemical sensors which merge CombiMatrix's microarray technology with Cyrano's electronic nose technology.

IBM Website - Cyrano sniffs out chemicals with wireless infrastructure from IBM July 23, 2003 - "According to a prominent U.S. intelligence chief, terrorist use of chemical weapons is the most serious threat facing the United States at the dawn of the 21st century.1 With the passage of the Homeland Security Act of 2002, there is a keen interest in identifying new technologies to protect the nation against all types of terrorist attack, including chemical warfare. Pasadena, California-based Cyrano Sciences, Inc. (Cyrano) is poised to capture new business through its chemical sensors and software solutions. Targeting the defense, homeland security, industrial and commercial markets, the 25-employee company's products allow customers to protect people and facilities with an end-to-end "train of awareness." Cyrano has combined chemical agent detection and data interpretation in a proprietary chip technology, the Cyrano NoseChip(tm), which detects vapors in the air and assigns a unique signature to them. With this technology in hand, the company wanted to create a low-cost chemical sensor system. This solution would capture and interpret data, and provide realtime notification with suggested actions--wherever and whenever the information is needed." Please click on the article title to read the entire story.

Cyrano Sciences News - GSA Number Issued May 30, 2003 - Cyrano Sciences has been issued GSA contract number GS-07F-0582N.

Yahoo! News - 'Electronic Nose' Sniffs Out Lung Cancer: Study May 19, 2003 - By Charlene Laino SEATTLE (Reuters Health) - A novel "electronic nose" shows promise for sniffing out lung cancer, a new study suggests. If the biosensor pans out in future trials, it could offer a fast, non-invasive way of detecting the number-one cancer killer in the United States, researchers said. Known as the Cyranose, the device picks up the scent of certain compounds exhaled in the breath of lung cancer patients, according to the team led by Dr. Roberto F. Machado, a fellow at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. In a study of 59 people, the electronic nose was able to distinguish between those who had lung cancer and those who did not, Machado reported here at the American Thoracic Society International Conference.

Los Angeles Times - Medicine; The scent of an illness; A device that identifies chemical 'signatures' is being used to diagnose diseases. May 19, 2003 - By Jane Allen "Consisting of arrays of chemical sensors, these high-tech noses distinguish the breath, urine and blood of the sick from those of the healthy. Most devices are still in the experimental stages, with some being tested on patients with suspected pneumonia and other lung diseases, sinus infections, diabetes and cancer. The technology could screen and diagnose diseases and monitor any recurrence right in ..." Search the LA Times archives for the complete article.

Science Daily - Beating Pneumonia By A Nose: Electronic Nose Detects Pneumonia In Critically Ill Patients November 6, 2002 - "Philadelphia, PA -- According to a team of researchers from University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, an electronic nose - a relatively new version of a sensor previously used in the food, wine and perfume industries - can quickly and accurately diagnose pneumonia in critically ill, mechanically ventilated patients. The results will be presented at the CHEST 2002 Annual Meeting Tuesday, November 5th in San Diego." Please click on the article title above to read the complete article.

Company Press Release - Cyrano Sciences, Inc. Awarded Contract for Sensor Development October 10, 2002 - PASADENA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)----Cyrano Sciences, Inc. today announced the receipt of a 12-month contract with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) for the development of detectors for use in personal protective equipment for toxic chemicals. This contract comes on the heels of a separate contract award for the Chemical and Biological Incident Response Force (CBIRF) under which Cyrano Sciences will develop a multi-toxic chemical badge detector to be used to ensure the protection of personnel. "We are very excited to be working with NIOSH and to be able to apply our technology to improve the safety of homeland defenders, the military and industrial workers," said CEO Steven Sunshine. "Our low-cost, low-power chemical sensors are ideally suited for integration into personal and collective protection systems." The resulting product will join Cyrano's flagship product, the Cyranose(TM) 320. The Cyranose(TM) 320 is a low-cost, hand-held chemical detector that enables customers to detect and identify chemical vapors. Unlike existing sensory testing equipment found in the lab, the Cyranose(TM) is portable, low-power, easy-to-use, and delivers testing results in seconds rather than days. Cyrano Sciences also provides customers with "Nose-Chips(TM)," processors that are embedded into other devices in order to provide low-cost, low-power chemical information at the point of need. The company's Sensigent(TM) product, currently at a prototype stage, is an integrated system that allows for early detection and notification of dispersed, facility-wide events (e.g. chemical and biological releases) in or around facilities or installations.

Scientific American - Technology Against Terror October 1, 2002 - Written by Rocco Casagrande This article reviews technology that is currently being used to detect a bioterrorist attack as well as technology that can be developed to improve current detection abilities. Emerging technologies discussed include a DNA-based biochip, antibody-based chips and the electronic nose. The full article can be found in the October 2002 issue or ordered online directly from Scientific American.

LA Weekly - In the Room at the Bottom: Living large in the nano world September 27, 2002 - Written by Gendy Alimurung "At the Pasadena headquarters of Cyrano Sciences, housed in a pre-fab industrial complex on Vinedo Street, Steven Sunshine, Cyrano's youthful CEO, is showing me an electronic nose called the Cyranose 320. It looks like a walkie-talkie. He jabs its needle tip into a small glass vial containing a mystery substance. The instrument whirs softly and an answer appears on its tiny LCD screen: ISOPROPYL ALCOHOL." Click on the article title to read the entire article.

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