An early intervention solution to help detect biohazardous mail has been designed by Lockheed Martin for mail processing operations. The company is offering the system, which is called BioMailSolutions, to agencies of the federal government that handle incoming or outgoing mail.

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According to Cynthia Sailar, vice president of Enterprise Mail for Lockheed Martin Distribution Technologies, the system is designed to filter, test and analyze micron-sized particles and thereby detect biohazardous airborne material that could be harmful to personnel in mailrooms.

The BioMailSolutions system is designed to provide testing and analysis at several mail processing points, including sortation and distribution. The design uses a HEPA-filtered ventilation system and is comprised of a suite of commercially available sampling devices, sensors and filters used in other types of air quality applications throughout the United States.

The Lockheed Martin solution is cost effective and easy to deploy. By integrating detection, filtration and analysis technology with existing letter sorting machines, the company is enabling its customers to update existing mail center operations easily and rapidly. "We're giving our customers a system to test for many potential biohazardous situations throughout the mail processing cycle," Sailar emphasized.

"If a problem is detected, intervention steps can be immediately initiated. By using a multiple-checkpoint system, our aim is to make mail processing environments safer," Sailar said. "While there are no guarantees that any one test or system will detect all potentially harmful pathogens, we believe our BioMailSolutions system significantly advances the current state of biodetection capabilities for scanning mail."

An end-to-end design, the Lockheed Martin system includes a mail transport and sortation subsystem; a ventilation and filtration subsystem; real-time detection and particulate analysis; lightweight personal sampling devices that are wearable or that can be easily mounted near equipment; and a ventilated workstation where mail that needs to be prescreened can be opened.

Modular in design, a BioMailSolutions system can operate as stand-alone equipment, or it can be integrated into the enterprise. In addition, an installed system will be easy to upgrade, as enhancements such as Web-based 24x7x365 enterprise monitoring, are made available.

Sailar concluded, "In keeping with Lockheed Martin's product rollout policies, we have conducted system testing and determined performance capabilities through independent testing at a U.S. research institute."

Lockheed Martin Distribution Technologies, Owego, N.Y., designs, produces and integrates mail automation, material handling, recognition and information processing systems for postal services, package delivery operations, corporate mail centers, and distribution, fulfillment and manufacturing centers worldwide. Distribution Technologies is a business unit of Lockheed Martin Systems Integration -- Owego, which is a business segment of Lockheed Martin Corporation, Bethesda, Md.

For information on Lockheed Martin Distribution Technologies, visit: http://www.lmdtech.com/

For additional information on Lockheed Martin Corporation, visit: http://www.lockheedmartin.com/

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SOURCE: Lockheed Martin