destructive technique. It also requires a physical contact with the detected material, which is not always possible. On the other hand, this MIBS system is much simpler, smaller, and cheaper than any LIBS system, because it utilizes low-cost microwave components and could be realized as a portable tool. Yet, the microwave-drill-based MIBS technique is not considered as a substitute for the LIBS technology but more likely as a low-cost extension for specific field applications.The MIBS analyses and identification, demonstrated here by a simple algorithm, could be performed as well by various commercial programs with larger databases and more sophisticated algorithms available for LIBS systems. Such a program (e.g., AvaLIBS-Specline-A or similar) could be incorporated in the MIBS system to include additional elements.Besides technical improvements (like extension toward IR and UV spectral ranges, increasing the sampling rate, and improving optical resolution and sensitivity), the localized microwave-based AES could be incorporated with additional spectroscopic methods such as atomic absorption spectroscopy and atomic florescence spectroscopy in order to verify the identification of the elements in the detected bulk material. Similar microwave excitation concepts might be considered also for the detection of larger molecules and even chemical or biological agents.
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