'New York' Features New Technology

See Also: 'Point of No Return' Episode Guide

The protein analyser featured in the CSI: New York episode "Point of No Return" is a real piece of equipment developed by Scripps Florida.

The touch screen analyser was developed last fall by Scripps' assistant professor Jennifer Busby and software engineer Bruce Pascal. The device features a 50-inch flat panel television screen that displays 16 protein readouts side by side. The touch screen allows the readouts to be shifted back and forth, and they can be made bigger and smaller. CSI: NY executive producer Peter Lenkov knew Pascal growing up. When he read about the device, "I had to make sure it was in the show," Lenkov told the Palm Beach Post.

"Our show is such a visual experience," Lenkov explained, "so we're always on the lookout for new technology that will enhance the viewing experience. If the audience says 'That was so cool,' then we've done our job in the tech department." He added, "Of course, that means we're under pressure to deliver week-to-week. And so, we are continually doing our homework, looking for the latest and greatest."

Busby and Pascal flew to the New York set in January to get the analyser set up for filming. "They gave me a lot of brand new requirements," Pascal said. "I had three applications I would fire up that would look good, first one, then I'd fire up the next. They wanted to get them all in a contiguous shot. They didn't want to break scenes." In "Point of No Return", the device was used to determine that traces of heroin contained a human-specific protein, indicating that the drugs came from inside a human body.

The original news is from the Palm Beach Post.

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