A low-cost, portable and easy-operated salivary urea sensor for point-of-care application.

Salivary urea was reported to be a useful biomarker to reflect the blood urea nitrogen in chronic kidney disease patients. However, as a new biomarker, enormous clinical trials are required to define the intended-use and to verify the specification. In this report, we demonstrated a low-cost easy-operated real-time sensing system (optical fiber-urea-sensing, OFUS, system) to detect salivary urea. We aim to make the system easily reproduced by the community to stimulate abundant clinical tests worldwide. The OFUS system is composed of a simple three-dimensional printed tank to link with two optical fibers, one connecting with a commercial light-emitting diode to deliver the input light signal, the other connecting with a commercial cadmium sulfide photo-conductive cell to detect the sensing signal. To allow on-site detection without any sample pretreatment, only 1 µl saliva is needed to be mixed with 10 µl urease solution and 90 µl pH indicator solution in the reaction tank and the detection time is only 20 s. A stable and reproducible calibration curve can be easily built with a detection range as 24-300 mg/dL. The OFUS system successfully detected saliva with added synthetic urea and samples from chronic kidney disease patients. A good agreement between the OFUS system and the commercial kit was obtained. A good correlation between salivary urea and the blood urea nitrogen was also confirmed.

Optical fiber amplifier for quantitative and sensitive point-of-care testing of myoglobin and miRNA-141.

A simple, sensitive, quantitative point-of-care testing (POCT) was developed integrating enzyme-linked DNA supersandwich amplification with optical fiber amplifier. The point-of-care (POC) assay can work in both "Turn-off" mode and "Turn-on" mode. Using myoglobin (Myo) and miRNA-141 as the model biomarker, as low as 0.5 nM Myo and 10 pM miRNA-141 could be detected. More importantly, the optical fiber amplifier, which was used as signal readout, exhibited low-cost, small size, rapid response, and easy operation. Although it did not need large equipment and professional technical personnel, the assay was successfully applied to detect Myo and miRNA-141 in 40% human serum. Since the entire process of the strategy could be done directly in the centrifugal tube, requiring a few easy steps, it showed great potential application for early diagnosis in the world, especially in developing countries or remote regions. This work provided a new avenue for developing the portable and sensitive biosensor.

Single-Use Flexible Ureteroscopes: How Do They Compare with Reusable Ureteroscopes?

Flexible ureteroscopy has become an important tool in the urologist's armamentarium. Until recently, reusable ureteroscopes were the only tools available to perform ureteroscopy. However, in recent years, single-use flexible and semirigid ureteroscopes have been developed as an alternative to reusable ureteroscopes. These disposable ureteroscopes were designed to mitigate problems associated with the use of reusable ureteroscopes, including the high costs related to ureteroscope acquisition, maintenance, processing, sterilization, and repairs. In this review, we provide an overview of currently available single-use flexible ureteroscopes, which include LithoVue, Uscope, NeoFlex, and Shaogang, as well as the Neoscope semirigid ureteroscope. The functional capabilities (deflection, irrigation, and optical properties) of each ureteroscope are also discussed.

Fiberoptic versus Digital: A Comparison of Durability and Cost Effectiveness of the Two Flexible Ureteroscopes.

AIMS: We aimed to evaluate the durability and cost effectiveness of the latest digital flexible ureterescope by comparing it with the conventional fiberoptic one. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data of patients who underwent retrograde intrarenal surgery between January 2013 and December 2014 were collected. Fiberoptic Flex-X2 or digital Cobra vision flexible ureteroscopes were used for the procedures. The comparison of both ureteroscopes was performed in terms of patient and stone characteristics, operative outcomes, durability, and cost effectiveness. RESULTS: A total of 105 patients were evaluated for the study. The patient and stone characteristics and operative outcomes were similar between the groups. Overall, 54 and 51 procedures were performed using Flex-X2 and Cobra vision, respectively, before they were sent for renovation. The purchase prices were USD 29,500 for Flex-X2 and USD 58,000 for Cobra vision. Costs of per case were determined as USD 549.29 for Flex-X2 and as USD 1,137.25 for Cobra vision. Per minute working time costs were USD 772.04 and 1,471.33 for Flex-X2 and Cobra vision respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The digital Cobra vision has high costs without any difference in durability as compared to Flex-X2. Moreover, it has no benefit over Flex-X2 in terms of surgical outcomes.

Single-use disposable digital flexible ureteroscopes: an ex vivo assessment and cost analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To assess and measure the capability of a single-use disposable digital flexible ureteroscope, the LithoVue™ (Boston Scientific, Marlborough, MA, USA), and to assess if there is a benefit to switching to single-use scopes. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The LithoVue was compared to two commonly used reusable flexible ureteroscopes (Olympus URF-V [Olympus, Tokyo, Japan] and Karl Storz Flex-Xc [Karl Storz & Co. KG, Tuttlingen, Germany]) ex vivo. An analysis of reusable ureteroscope usage was performed to evaluate damage, durability, and maintenance costs. This was then compared to the projected costs of using single-use disposable scopes. RESULTS: Flexion, deflection and irrigation flow of the LithoVue was equivalent, if not better than the reusable flexible ureteroscopes. An analysis of 234 procedures with seven new Olympus URF-V scopes, revealed 15 scope damages. Staghorn stones and lower pole/mid-zone stones were significant risk factors for damage (P = 0.014). Once damage occurred it was likely to occur again. Total repair costs were $162 628 (Australian dollars) (£92 411 in Great British pounds), the mean cost per case was $695 (£395). Factoring in the purchase cost, cleaning and repair costs, the cumulative cost of 28 reusable flexible ureteroscopy procedures was ~$50 000 (£28 412). If the LithoVue was priced at $1 200 (£682), switching to a single-use scope would cost ~$35 000 (£19 888). CONCLUSION: The LithoVue is analogous to reusable flexible ureteroscopes in regard to standard technical metrics. Depending on its purchase cost it may also represent a cost saving for hospitals when compared to the cumulative costs of maintaining reusable scopes. Additionally, urologist may consider using the scope in cases in which reusable scope damage is anticipated.

Micro-Costing Analysis Demonstrates Comparable Costs for LithoVue Compared to Reusable Flexible Fiberoptic Ureteroscopes.

INTRODUCTION: Reusable ureteroscope durability and need for repair are significant sources of expense and inefficiency for patients and urologists. Utilization of LithoVue™, a disposable flexible digital ureteroscope, may address some of these concerns. To identify its economic impact on clinical care, we performed a micro-cost comparison between flexible reusable fiberoptic ureteroscopes (URF-P6™) and LithoVue. PATIENTS AND METHODS: For this prospective, single-center micro-costing study, all consecutive ureteroscopies performed during 1 week each in July and August 2016 utilized either URF-P6 or LithoVue ureteroscopes respectively. Workflow data were collected, including intraoperative events, postoperative reprocessing cycle timing, consumables usage, and ureteroscope cost data. RESULTS: Intraoperative data analysis showed mean total operating room time for URF-P6 and LithoVue cases were 93.4 ± 32.3 and 73.6 ± 17.4 minutes, respectively (p = 0.093). Mean cost of operating room usage per case was calculated at $1618.72 ± 441.39 for URF-P6 and $1348.64 ± 237.40 for LithoVue based on institutional cost rates exclusive of disposables. Postoperative data analysis revealed costs of $107.27 for labor and consumables during reprocessing for URF-P6 cases. The costs of ureteroscope repair and capital acquisition for each URF-P6 case were $957.71 and $116.02, respectively. The total ureteroscope cost per case for URF-P6 and LithoVue were $2799.72 and $2852.29, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Micro-cost analysis revealed that the cost of LithoVue acquisition is higher per case compared to reusable fiberoptic ureteroscopes, but savings are realized in labor, consumables, and repair. When accounting for these factors, the total cost per case utilizing these two ureteroscopes were comparable.

[A comparative cost analysis of single-use versus reusable fiberoptic bronchoscopes: Is single-use fiberscope worth it?] / Analyse comparative de coût entre les fibroscopes bronchiques à usage unique et réutilisables : le fibroscope à usage unique, est-ce que ça vaut le coût ?

OBJECTIVE: To present a minimization-cost analysis to compare reusable and single-use fiberscopes in a French health institution. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The amortization cost assessment has been achieved over a period of five years, and took into account the acquisition and maintenance costs, as well as the costs related to disinfection of reusable fiberscopes. The cost of single-use fiberscopes was calculated according to its acquisition and elimination costs. Finally, we compared the costs of single-use vs. reusable use during nights, weekends and days off to estimate the additional cost of the referencing of single-use fiberscopes for theses specific periods. RESULTS: The total cost of reusable fiberscopes was 62,511 € including VAT over 5 years whereas the cost of single-use fiberscope was 79,200 € including VAT over 5 years. The total cost of single-use fiberscopes if utilized during nights, weekends and days off was estimated to 19,800 € including VAT over 5 years, with an estimated activity at 15 intubations per year. Conversely, the cost of the utilization of reusable fiberscopes during nights, weekends and days off was estimate to 13,075 € including VAT over 5 years. CONCLUSION: This study shows that the utilization costs of single use and reusable fiberscopes are very close. But because of the benefits of single-use fiberscopes and according to current recommendations, we consider to acquire single-use fiberscope especially for emergencies such as difficult tracheal intubation and for restrictive periods (nights, weekends and day off).

High-resolution microendoscopy: a point-of-care diagnostic for cervical dysplasia in low-resource settings.

Cervical cancer is the third leading cause of cancer-related death among women in low-to-middle income countries. Pap testing and pathological services are difficult to implement under these settings. Alternative techniques for the diagnosis of cervical precancer in these settings are needed to reduce the burden of the disease. The objective of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of a low-cost, high-resolution microendoscope imaging system in identifying precancerous lesions of the cervix in vivo. A retrospective study of 59 patients undergoing colposcopy for an abnormal Pap test was performed at Hospital de Câncer de Barretos in Brazil. All patients underwent colposcopy as per standard of care, and acetowhite lesions were recorded. High-resolution microendoscopy (HRME) images were obtained from one colposcopically normal region and from all lesions observed on colposcopy. Biopsies of abnormal areas were obtained and reviewed by three independent, blinded pathologists and compared with HRME findings. The mean nuclear area and the median nuclear eccentricity were calculated from HRME images acquired from each site. A diagnostic algorithm to distinguish histopathologically diagnosed cervical intraepithelial neoplasias of grade 2 or more severe lesions (high grade) from less severe lesions (low grade) was developed using these parameters. A test of trend was used to analyze the relationship between HRME positivity and severity of histopathogical diagnosis. Fisher's exact test was used to analyze differences in HRME positivity between high-grade and low-grade lesions. Evaluable images were obtained from 108 of 143 discrete sites. Of these, 71 sites were colposcopically normal or low grade according to histopathology and 37 were diagnosed as high grade on the basis of histopathology. Using the mean nuclear area and the median nuclear eccentricity, HRME images from 59 colposcopically abnormal sites were classified as high grade or low grade with 92% sensitivity and 77% specificity compared with histopathological findings. Increasing HRME positivity showed a significant trend with increasing severity of diagnosis (Ptrend<0.001). We found a strong association (P<0.001) between HRME positivity and a histopathological diagnosis of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia of grade 2 or higher. HRME demonstrated an accurate in-situ diagnosis of high-grade dysplasia. In low-resource settings in which colposcopy and histopathology services are severely limited or unavailable, HRME may provide a low-cost, accurate method for diagnosis of cervical precancer without the need for biopsy, allowing for a single 'screen-and-treat' approach.

Cost Analysis of Flexible Ureteroscope Repairs: Evaluation of 655 Procedures in a Community-Based Practice.

INTRODUCTION: The frequency of flexible ureteroscopy has increased with the introduction of improved instrumentation. Ureteroscopes allow increased endoscopic access to the ureter and kidney. However, maintenance and repair of scopes may increase the total procedure expense. METHODS: In 3 years (8/2011-7/2014), 655 flexible ureteroscopies were performed at a single-specialty, urology, ambulatory surgery center. Procedures were performed by 26 board-certified urologists using four Olympus URF P5 flexible ureteroscopes. The instruments were handled by a single team and sterilized through the STERIS System E1. Repairs were performed by the manufacturer on an as needed basis. Patient records were reviewed to determine the preoperative diagnosis, operative time, location and size of the stone, and use of laser or ureteral sheath. The occurrence, nature of flexible ureteroscope damage, and cost of repairs were evaluated. RESULTS: Of the ureteroscopies performed, 78% was for the treatment of calculi (50.1% in the kidney). Mean stone size was 8.5 ± 0.2 mm, with larger stones (11 mm) located in the kidney. The flexible ureteroscope was advanced over a guidewire (88% of cases); a laser fiber was introduced in 70%, and a ureteral sheath was used in 13.4%. Mean procedure time was 40 minutes. The most common reasons for ureteroscope repair were cloudy lens (16 repairs) and broken optic fibers (9 repairs). There were 31 repairs during the study period (average 21 cases per repair). Flexible ureteroscopes were out of service for an average of 11 days per repair (range 3-20). The total cost of repairs was $233,150 or ∼$7521 per repair. The average repair cost per flexible ureteroscopy performed was $355. CONCLUSIONS: Expenses associated with instrument repair can significantly impact a procedure's net revenue, thus efforts should be made to minimize instrument breakage. The expense of repairing a flexible ureteroscope per procedure can be significant and needs to be considered when pricing this procedure.

Portable optical aptasensor for rapid detection of mycotoxin with a reversible ligand-grafted biosensing surface.

As food safety is gaining prominence as a global issue, the demand for developing rapid, simple, on-site, accurate and low-cost biosensor technologies will continue to grow. This study demonstrates an evanescent wave optical aptasensor with a reversible ligand-grafted biosensing surface for rapid, sensitive and highly selective detection of ochratoxin A (OTA) in food. In this system, the OTA molecules were covalently immobilized onto the surface of an optical fiber using glutaraldehyde and ethylenediamine as space linkers. An integrated evanescent wave all-fiber (EWA) biosensing platform was developed for investigating the binding kinetics between the tethered ligand and free OTA-aptamer, the performance of the aptamer-based bioassay and the reversibility of biosensing surface. The affinity constant (Ka) of aptamer with tethered OTA was measured to be 2.2 × 10(8)M(-1) based on the EWA biosensing platform. With a competitive detection mode, the quantification of OTA over concentration ranges from 0.73 µg L(-1) to 12.50 µg L(-1) with a detection limit of 0.39 µg L(-1). The performance of the aptasensor with other interfering mycotoxins and spiked real wheat samples shows high specificity and selectivity, good recovery, precision, and accuracy, indicating that it can be applied for on-site, inexpensive and easy-to-use monitoring of OTA in real samples. Moreover, since the organic ligands are grafted onto the fiber surface, this strategy may avoid the potential disadvantages caused by immobilizing the nucleic acid biomolecules, such as weak restoration to the original DNA conformation after repeated uses.

Cost comparison of re-usable and single-use fibrescopes in a large English teaching hospital.

A number of studies in the U.S.A. and mainland Europe have described the costs of fibreoptic tracheal intubation. However, no such data from the UK appear available. We performed a cost assessment of fibreoptic intubation, using re-usable (various devices from Olympus, Acutronic and Karl Storz) and single-use (Ambu aScope) fibrescopes, at the Queens Medical Centre, Nottingham, U.K., between 1 January 2009 and 31 March 2014. The total annual cost of fibreoptic intubation with re-usable fibrescopes was £46,385. Based on 141 fibreoptic intubations per year, this equated to £329 per use, an average dominated by repair/maintenance costs (43%) and capital depreciation costs (42%). In comparison, the total annual cost of using single-use fibrescopes for the same work would have been around £200 per use. The analysis enabled us to develop a generic model, wherein we were able to describe the relationship between total cost of use vs number of uses for a fibrescope. An 'isopleth' was identified for this relationship: a line that joined all the points where the cost of re-usable vs single-use fibrescopes was equal. It appears cheaper to use single-use fibrescopes at up to 200 fibreoptic intubations per year (a range commensurate with normal practice) even when the repair rate for re-usable fibrescopes is low. Any centre, knowing its fibrescope use and repair rate, can plot its data similarly to help ascertain which of the re-usable or single-use fibrescope represents better value.

Surface plasmon resonance based fiber optic detection of chlorine utilizing polyvinylpyrolidone supported zinc oxide thin films.

A highly sensitive chlorine sensor for an aqueous medium is fabricated using an optical fiber surface plasmon resonance (OFSPR) system. An OFSPR-based chlorine sensor is designed with a multilayer-type platform by zinc oxide (ZnO) and polyvinylpyrollidone (PVP) film morphology manipulations. Among all the methodologies of transduction reported in the field of solid state chemical and biochemical sensing, our attention is focused on the Kretschmann configuration optical fiber sensing technique using the mechanism of surface plasmon resonance. The optical fiber surface plasmon resonance (SPR) chlorine sensor is developed using a multimode optical fiber with the PVP-supported ZnO film deposited over a silver-coated unclad core of the fiber. A spectral interrogation mode of operation is used to characterize the sensor. In an Ag/ZnO/PVP multilayer system, the absorption of chlorine in the vicinity of the sensing region is performed by the PVP layer and the zinc oxide layer enhances the shift in resonance wavelength. It is, experimentally, demonstrated that the SPR wavelength shifts nonlinearly towards the red side of the visible region with an increase in the chlorine concentration in an aqueous medium while the sensitivity of the sensor decreases linearly with an increase in the chlorine concentration. As the proposed sensor utilizes an optical fiber, it possesses the additional advantages of fiber such as less signal degradation, less susceptibility to electromagnetic interference, possibility of remote sensing, probe miniaturization, probe re-usability, online monitoring, small size, light weight and low cost.

Mobile fiber-optic sensor for detection of oral and cervical cancer in the developing world.

Oral and cervical cancers are a growing global health problem that disproportionately impacts women and men living in the developing world. The high death rate in developing countries is largely due to the fact that these countries do not have the appropriate medical infrastructure and resources to support the organized screening and diagnostic programs that are available in the developed world. Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) with a fiber-optic probe can noninvasively quantify the optical properties of epithelial tissues and has shown the potential as a cost-effective, easy-to-use, and sensitive tool for diagnosis of early precancerous changes in the cervix and oral cavity. However, current fiber-optic DRS systems have not been designed to be robust and reliable for use in developing countries. They are subject to various sources of systematic or random errors, arising from the uncontrolled probe-tissue interface and lack of real-time calibration, use bulky and expensive optical components, and require extensive training. This chapter describes a portable DRS device that is specifically designed for detection of oral and cervical cancers in resource-poor settings. The device uses an innovative smart fiber-optic probe to eliminate operator bias, state-of-the-art photonics components to reduce size and power consumption, and automated software to reduce the need of operator training. The size and cost of the smart fiber-optic DRS system may be further reduced by incorporating a smartphone based spectrometer.

High-resolution microendoscope for the detection of cervical neoplasia.

Cervical cancer causes 275,000 deaths each year with 85 % of these deaths occurring in the developing world. One of the primary reasons for the concentration of deaths in developing countries is a lack of effective screening methods suited for the infrastructure of these countries. In order to address this need, we have developed a high-resolution microendoscope (HRME). The HRME is a fiber-based fluorescence microscope with subcellular resolution. Using the vital stain proflavine, we are able to image cell nuclei in vivo and evaluate metrics such as nuclear-to-cytoplasmic ratio, critical to identifying precancerous epithelial regions. In this chapter, we detail the materials and methods necessary to build this system from commercially available parts.

Design and deployment of low-cost plastic optical fiber sensors for gas monitoring.

This paper describes an approach to develop and deploy low-cost plastic optical fiber sensors suitable for measuring low concentrations of pollutants in the atmosphere. The sensors are designed by depositing onto the exposed core of a plastic fiber thin films of sensitive compounds via either plasma sputtering or via plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). The interaction between the deposited layer and the gas alters the fiber's capability to transmit the light, so that the sensor can simply be realized with a few centimeters of fiber, an LED and a photodiode. Sensors arranged in this way exhibit several advantages in comparison to electrochemical and optical conventional sensors; in particular, they have an extremely low cost and can be easily designed to have an integral, i.e., cumulative, response. The paper describes the sensor design, the preparation procedure and two examples of sensor prototypes that exploit a cumulative response. One sensor is designed for monitoring indoor atmospheres for cultural heritage applications and the other for detecting the presence of particular gas species inside the RPC (resistive plate chamber) muon detector of the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) experiment at CERN in Geneva.

[Cost analysis comparing single-use (Ambu® aScope™) and conventional reusable fiberoptic flexible scopes for difficult tracheal intubation]. / Analyse de coût comparant les fibroscopes à usage unique (Ambu®aScope™) et les fibroscopes réutilisables pour l'intubation difficile.

OBJECTIVE: Recommendations on difficult tracheal intubation constrain each surgical block to have a fiberscope available. Reusable fiberscope presents the problem of availability, the risk of non-conventional infections transmission and the cost. Single-use fiberscopes are presently available (Ambu® aScope™). This medico-economic study aims to assess the cost of using a reusable fiberscope as compared to the single use fiberscope. STUDY DESIGN: Cost minimization analysis. MATERIAL: Reusable fiberscope Pentax® FB 15P (Pentax France, Argenteuil) and single-use fiberscope Ambu® aScope™ (Ambu A/S, Ballerup, Denmark). METHOD: Minimization-cost analysis conducted between 2006 and 2012. The amortization cost per utilization for two reusable fiberscopes took into account the acquisition and maintenance costs, as well as the costs related to disinfection. The cost of the single use fiberscope was calculated according to its acquisition cost. RESULTS: The total cost of the reusable material was 55,874€ over 6years, corresponding to a unitary cost of 206€ per fiberscopy. During this period, 780 sterilizations were carried out for a total cost of 32,611€. Acquisition and maintenance costs were respectively 18,382€ and 4880€. The cost of the single use fiberscope is of 200€ per fiberscopy. CONCLUSION: This medico-economic evaluation shows that the utilization cost of single use and reusable fiberscopes are very close. This should be analyzed at the light of some benefits of using single use devices for the difficult tracheal intubation.

Surface plasmon resonance based fiber optic pH sensor utilizing Ag/ITO/Al/hydrogel layers.

The fabrication and characterization of a surface plasmon resonance based pH sensor using coatings of silver, ITO (In2O3:SnO2), aluminium and smart hydrogel layers over an unclad core of an optical fiber have been reported. The silver, aluminium and ITO layers were coated using a thermal evaporation technique, while the hydrogel layer was prepared using a dip-coating method. The sensor works on the principle of detecting changes in the refractive index of the hydrogel layer due to its swelling and shrinkage caused by changes in the pH of the fluid surrounding the hydrogel layer. The sensor utilizes a wavelength interrogation technique and operates in a particular window of low and high pH values. Increasing the pH value of the fluid causes swelling of the hydrogel layer, which decreases its refractive index and results in a shift of the resonance wavelength towards blue in the transmitted spectra. The thicknesses of the ITO and aluminium layers have been optimized to achieve the best performance of the sensor. The ITO layer increases the sensitivity while the aluminium layer increases the detection accuracy of the sensor. The proposed sensor possesses maximum sensitivity in comparison to the sensors reported in the literature. A negligible effect of ambient temperature in the range 25 °C to 45 °C on the performance of the sensor has been observed. The additional advantages of the sensor are short response time, low cost, probe miniaturization, probe re-usability and the capability of remote sensing.

Novel optical fiber design for low-cost optical interconnects in consumer applications.

We propose a novel fiber design optimized for short-reach interconnects in consumer applications. A detailed analysis of the optical and mechanical properties of this fiber design is presented. Results are presented demonstrating (i) low bend loss and enhanced mechanical reliability in bends as small as 3 mm diameter; (ii) high power budget margin to enable relaxed mechanical tolerances on transmitter, receiver, and expanded-beam connectors for low-cost connectivity; and (iii) high bandwidth capability and system testing results at 10 Gb/s.

Rapid, on-site identification of explosives in nanoliter droplets using a UV reflected fiber optic sensor.

A portable UV (190-400 nm) spectrophotometric based reflected fiber optic sensor system is presented for the on-site detection and identification of explosives. A reflected fiber optic sensor for explosives analysis was developed, with low sample consumption (20-100 nL) and a wide concentration quantification range (1.1-250 mg L(-1)). Seven common explosives [pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN), trinitrophenylmethylnitramine (CE), trinitrotoluene (TNT), dinitrotoluene (DNT), picric acid (PA), cyclotetramethylenetetranitramine (HMX), cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine (RDX)] and a PETN-RDX mixture (to simulate the Semtex used in many terrorist bombings) were quantitatively analyzed and identified by the proposed system in less than 3s per test, with limits of detection (LOD) of 0.3 mg L(-1). Due to chemical interference problems in the UV wavelengths range, a novel feature matching algorithm (FMA) was proposed for explosive identification, which was proved to have higher specificity and better anti-interference ability. Real post-blast debris samples were analyzed by the proposed method, and the results were validated against an LC/MS/MS method. The rapid, cost-effective detection with low sample consumption and wide applicability achieved by this system is highly suitable for homeland security on-site applications, such as rapid sample screening in post-blast debris.