In the Media
Browse the latest news articles and videos featuring 908 Devices products.
Posted October 15, 2025
Trends in Hazardous Materials Instrumentation and Equipment
Firefighters need an array of equipment on their trucks when responding to a hazmat incident, including chemical detection devices for identifying unknown solids, liquids, and gases. Read more about how VipIR, XplorIR and ProtectIR enable rapid and safe identification of hazardous chemicals and materials.
Posted October 2, 2025
Product Feature: Precision Under Pressure
This feature in Police Chief magazine covers the various tools officers need when confronting an explosive threat. Key tools include our handheld MX908 mass spec device for detecting trace-level explosives. Also, our handheld VipIR device that integrates Raman and FTIR into a single device, enhanced by Smart Spectral Processing, that expands the range of detectable explosives and speeds analysis.
Posted September 9, 2025
Geauga County Taps Opioid Settlement Funds for Prevention Programs, Drug-testing Tech
Geauga County commissioners are planning to use opioid settlement funds for community grants and new technology, including the purchase of a MX908 handheld device for the sheriff’s office, which can identify suspected drugs within minutes. Sheriff Scott Hildenbrand noted the device will help cut down waits for state crime lab results, and enable officers to get suspected dealers off the streets sooner, and users into treatment sooner.
Posted September 3, 2025
Tony Kingham Speaks to Kevin Knopp, CEO and Co-founder of 908 Devices About the Launch of their VipIR, a 3-in-1 Handheld Chemical Analyzer
Kevin highlights our latest device, VipIR, and why it’s ideal for customs & border personnel to have access to smart, fast, field-ready technology as threats continue to evolve. VipIR combines FTIR, Raman, and Smart Spectral Processing for rapid chemical identification of bulk solids, powders, and liquids from a single sample.
Posted July 16, 2025
Managing Environmental Hazards Amid the Opioid Crisis
Demand for faster and smarter response tools has grown as the complexity and frequency of threats, such as the opioid crisis and airborne chemical hazards from wildfires, has also grown. In-field chemical analysis enables first responders to make critical decisions in real time.
Posted June 24, 2025
A UNC Chemist and Savvy Startup Spark a High-Tech Assault on National Drug Trafficking
The MX908, a handheld mass spectrometer developed by 908 Devices, enables rapid, precise detection of illicit drugs and emerging threats, offering law enforcement a powerful tool in the fight against drug trafficking.
Posted June 19, 2025
Handheld Mass Spec Aids Post-War Environmental Testing
In this interview with The Analytical Scientist, CEO Kevin J. Knopp highlights the MX908’s selectivity and sensitivity to detect chemical substances at very low levels, including aerosolized solids and liquids, enabling first responders to understand and navigate environmental hazards in the field.
Posted May 9, 2025
Czech Fire Rescue Service Laboratories Receive Unique Equipment for Detecting and Identifying Hazardous Substances
The Fire Rescue Service of the Czech Republic purchased several ThreatID and XplorIR devices through the rescEU project, which establishes and maintains a stockpile of equipment for the detection and identification of CBRN hazardous substances. ThreatID identifies bulk solids, liquids and gases, while XplorIR identifies and quantifies gases and vapors.
Posted February 14, 2025
Police Departments Using Mobile Scanning Machines for Drug Investigations
The Washington County District Attorney’s office purchased several handheld drug identification devices that can be quickly dispatched to help police officers identify dangerous substances and get immediate results, reducing exposure and risk to potentially harmful substances.
Posted February 12, 2025
Local Police Begin Using New Groundbreaking Technology to Test for Drugs
Local police departments in Pennsylvania are adopting the MX908, a cutting-edge handheld device that quickly identifies dangerous drugs like fentanyl and xylazine, helping officers stay safe and combat the region’s drug crisis more effectively.
Posted October 21, 2024
2025 Williams-Wright Award Recipient – Dr. David W. Schiering
Every year, the Coblentz Society recognizes an industrial spectroscopist who has made significant contributions to the field of vibrational spectroscopy while working in industry. Dr. Dave Schiering, 908 Devices Fellow, is a recipient of the society’s 2025 Williams-Wright Award for his 40-year career in making FTIR more accessible, affordable and versatile.
Posted October 7, 2024
Asylon Robotics Deploys Gas-Sniffing Security Robots at the Indy 500
Our InterceptIR device was deployed at the Indy 500 for real-time hazardous gas detection, integrated with Asylon’s DroneDog-2, enhancing safety for over 300,000 attendees.
Posted September 9, 2024
From Lab to Field: The Impact of Portable FTIR in Forensics
908 Devices is transforming forensic science with portable FTIR, enabling rapid on-site substance identification, and supporting quicker, more confident decisions for first responders.
Posted August 29, 2024
Flagler County Sheriff’s Office Deploys Device to Safely Detect Drugs, Explosives
Flagler County is enhancing law enforcement and public safety with the MX908, providing rapid, on-site detection of drugs and explosives, and enabling immediate probable cause arrests.
Posted August 19, 2024
How a Stolen Postal Service Drug Detector Led Feds to an Alleged Drug Dealer in Portland
In a case in Portland, Oregon, a stolen handheld chemical detection device, ThreatID, ultimately assisted in tracking down an alleged drug dealer.
Posted July 17, 2024
MFD HAZMAT Team Keeps RNC Attendees Safe with Robotic Dog
The 908 Devices’ InterceptIR device was deployed at the Republican National Convention for real-time hazardous gas detection, aiding in hazmat response. Integrated with Asylon’s robotic dog ‘Spot’, this enabled the Milwaukee Fire Department to improve responder and public safety.
Posted May 16, 2024
Customs Inspectors Seize Ayahuasca at Santiago International Airport
Chilean customs utilized the MX908 for rapid detection and identification of 6.9 kilos of Ayahuasca at the Santiago International Airport, identifying DMT in suspicious liquids.
Posted April 29, 2024
Stark County Sheriff’s Office Gets New Device to Test Drugs Before Sending to a Lab for Testing
Stark County Sheriff’s Office is equipped with the MX908 handheld mass spectrometer, enabling rapid on-site drug identification and enhancing officer safety, while reducing lab testing delays from weeks to minutes.
Posted January 30, 2024
Belgian Prisons with Ten New Drug Detection Devices
Belgian prisons utilize MX908 handheld mass spectrometers, enabling rapid detection of over 150 drug types from trace samples, enhancing inmate monitoring and staff safety across 34 facilities.
Posted January 23, 2024
Akron Man with Warrant had Cocaine with Methamphetamine and Fentanyl, Sheriff Says
The MX908 drug detection device confirmed that a substance initially believed to be crack cocaine also contained methamphetamine and fentanyl—supporting more accurate drug identification during field arrests for the Portage County Sheriff’s Office.
Posted September 20, 2023
2 Xylazine Deaths Confirmed in Beaver County, Lozier Releases Statement
The MX908, a portable chemical identification device, was used to confirm the presence of the deadly synthetic drug Xylazine in recent overdose cases, enabling faster and more accurate drug identification and supporting public health and safety initiatives in Beaver County, Pennsylvania.
Posted August 11, 2023
Field-portable Detection of Fentanyl and its Analogs: A Review
MX908 is advancing field detection of fentanyl and its analogs, as highlighted in the Journal of Forensic Sciences, enabling first responders and non-scientist operators to rapidly and accurately identify dangerous synthetic opioids and protect communities from accidental exposure and overdose.
Posted July 25, 2023
New ‘Secret’ Weapon Against Drugs in Prisons
908 Devices supports European prisons with advanced drug detection technology as part of the Drugdetect project, enabling rapid identification of even trace amounts of drugs, including hard to detect synthetic cannabis on packages, clothing, and visitors, and helping correctional facilities in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Greece enhance security and reduce contraband.
Posted July 19, 2023
New Drug Testing Device Helps Officers Identify Samples of Any Substance
The MX908 portable mass spectrometer identifies trace amounts of chemical substances, invisible to the naked eye, helping law enforcement in South Bend, Indiana quickly determine the contents of suspicious powders, pills, or liquids and enhances safety for both officers and the community during drug investigations.
Posted July 11, 2023
New Technology Helping Police Statewide Analyze Guns and Drugs to Solve More Crimes
As part of the expansion, Ohio’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) recently purchased five additional MX908 devices. BCI’s crime laboratories have the devices connected to the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network, aiding police in solving crimes.
Posted June 22, 2023
Placer County Sheriff K9 Alerts to Multiple Areas of Drugs Found in the Auburn Jail
Less than a week after correctional officers completed illicit hazardous environment training, the Jail Hazardous Narcotics Team utilized the MX908 mass spectrometer detection device to test the areas identified by the K-9, detecting multiple illicit hazardous substances.
Posted May 10, 2023
Butler County Detectives Use New Tool to Speed Up Drug Cases
The MX908 device is helping Ohio law enforcement agencies speed up drug cases in court, allowing officers to test suspected drug samples within minutes (a process that used to take weeks). The technology is helping to reduce testing backlogs in laboratories.
Posted January 31, 2023
Rapid Drug Testing Pilot Program Continues to Expand
A pilot program using the MX908 portable mass spectrometer is enabling law enforcement officers in Ohio to test suspected drugs in the field in a matter of minutes. The pilot program continues to expand and is moving into its final stages. Each device is hosted by a single agency and is intended to be shared with neighboring agencies whose officers have been trained.
Subscribe to Our Communications
Signup to receive new product updates, technical tips and more.