According to information made available by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), airport screeners will now be able to “quickly and non-invasively identify any potential threats” with the use of backscatter technology to produce radiograph images.
This technology which scans the body surface, displays a high- contrast scanned image on a monitor for scanner review. It was designed to supplement preexisting scanning techniques that traditionally cause problems due to metallic components and density problems which caused review of possible threats to be especially difficult.
CastScope which takes about 2.5 seconds to record and project an image is said to exert the same amount of radiation exposure as “each person receives every 15 minutes from naturally occurring background radiation.”
Additionally, CastScope is explained as non-intrusive and is safe to use with advanced prostheses as well as on passengers with other implanted medical devices.
CastScope technology entered the piloting process under the supervision of the TSA in April at San Jose International Airport. The system was in use at the Nashville International Airport, Tampa International Airport and Reagan National Airport in June.
During this pilot phase, passengers with prostheses, orthoses or casts will be asked to participate on a voluntary basis.
