Advanced Imaging Technology Off To a Great Start

Since 2009, officers operating advanced imaging technology (AKA “body scanners”) have found all sorts of things on passengers. Some of these items have been smaller items such as a three inch pocket knife hidden on someone’s back, little packets of powder, a syringe full of liquid hidden in someone’s underwear, and other small items either intentionally hidden or forgotten. These finds demonstrate that imaging technology is very effective at detecting anomalies and can help TSA detect evolving threats to keep our skies safe.

Some might wonder what kind of damage small items could do to a plane since we’re looking for threats such as explosives. At first thought, you would probably think “not much,” but in addition to explosives, we’re also looking for bomb components, among other threat items. There’s more to a bomb than the explosive (timers, initiators, switches, power sources, etc.).


Since our machines can detect such small items, I feel it’s important to remind passengers that when going through AIT screening, be sure to take everything out of your jacket, pants and shirt pockets. And unlike before with the walk through metal detector (magnetometer), wallets and other stuff you didn’t need to take out before will have to come out so we can get a clean image. And that goes to the folks who tuck stuff in their socks too. Making sure you get all the items out of your pockets will get you through the machine much more quickly without secondary screening and will allow the lines to move faster.

This post highlights that AIT is detecting potential threat items concealed under clothing and its deployment is helping to keep travelers safe by improving security at our airports.

As of yesterday, Charlotte Douglas International Airport is the latest airport to roll out Advanced Imaging Technology.

We’ve talked about this technology on the blog many times and you can read all of the AIT related posts here.

***Update - 4/21/2010***

We wanted to clarify that the ceramic knife in the image used for this post was discovered during the pat down of a passenger who opted out of AIT.

Thanks,
Blogger Bob
TSA Blog Team

Advanced Imaging Technology: "Radiation Risk Tiny"

You may have read a recent article stating that Advanced Imaging Technology used at TSA checkpoints is not safe. Because of the discussion the article has created, I wanted to share this with you.

The American College of Radiology posted an article titled: ACR Statement on Airport Full-body Scanners and Radiation and then WebMD followed up with an article titled New Airport Scanners: Radiation Risk Tiny which quoted the ACR article.

From the ACR article: "An airline passenger flying cross-country is exposed to more radiation from the flight than from screening by one of these devices. The National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurement (NCRP) has reported that a traveler would need to experience 100 backscatter scans per year to reach what they classify as a Negligible Individual Dose. The American College of Radiology (ACR) agrees with this conclusion. By these measurements, a traveler would require more than 1,000 such scans in a year to reach the effective dose equal to one standard chest x-ray."

"The ACR is not aware of any evidence that either of the scanning technologies that the TSA is considering would present significant biological effects for passengers screened."

We also asked the Johns Hopkins University of Applied Physics Laboratory to perform an independent radiation safety engineering assessment of our Advanced Imaging Backscatter Technology and they determined that the radiation dose to scanned individuals from this general use system is within the requirements of ANSI N43.17 2002 and 2009.

In the coming weeks, the FDA will be posting similar information on their web page.

For your reference:

Backscatter technology projects an ionizing X-ray beam over the body surface at high speed. The reflection, or "backscatter," of the beam is detected, digitized and displayed on a monitor. Each full body scan produces less than 10 microrem of emission, the equivalent to the exposure each person receives in about 2 minutes of airplane flight at altitude. It produces an image that resembles a chalk-etching.

Millimeter wave technology bounces harmless electromagnetic waves off of the human body to create a black and white image (not a photograph). It is safe, and the energy emitted by millimeter wave technology is the energy projected by the system is thousands of times less intense than a cell phone transmission. This technology is not new. TSA is not the first to use this technology. It's currently being used in Canadian airports and U.S. courthouses in Colorado and Texas as well as international locations.

This Standard limits the reference effective dose2 delivered to the subject to 0.25 microsieverts (25 microrem) per screening.

For your reading pleasure, here are some documents relevant to security screening of humans using ionizing radiation:

ANSI/HPS N43.17-2009 Radiation Safety for Personnel Security Screening Systems Using X-Ray or Gamma Radiation

NCRP commentary 16, Screening of humans for security purposes using ionizing radiation scanning systems

NCRP Statement 10, Recent Applications of the NCRP Public Dose Limit Recommendation for Ionizing Radiation (2004)

NCRP report no. 116 Limitation of Exposure to Ionizing Radiation (1993) ISBN 0-929600-30-4 recommends annual limits on radiation dose for the general public. Report 116 also introduces the concept of a negligible individual dose.

NCRP report no. 160, Ionizing Radiation Exposure of the Population of the United States (2009)

Screening Individuals with Backscatter X-Ray Systems by Daniel Strom

HPS Position Statement Use of Ionizing Radiation for Security Screening Individuals

HPS Public Information Radiation Exposure During Commercial Airline Flights

American College of Radiology (ACR) Statement on Airport Full-body Scanners and Radiation

EPA.gov Ionizing Radiation

Information on laws and regulations applicable to manufacturers of people screening security systems that use x-rays is on FDA's X-Ray & Particulate Products other than Medical Diagnostic or Cabinet page.

ANSI/HPS N43.17 is not a mandatory standard. More information on the ANSI standards setting process is available on the ANSI website.

The concept of justification based on a societal benefit appears in the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) report 60 (see paragraph S14).

Random Facts:

For comparison, the energy projected by millimeter wave technology is 10,000 times less than a cell phone transmission.

We, and all objects around us, generate millimeter wave energy - and we are exposed to it every single day.

Backscatter technology uses low level X-ray and a single scan is the equivalent of two minutes of flying on an airplane.

Full Body Scanners at Security Okay by Travelers - When it comes to the newest addition to airport security, 79 percent of travelers said they are comfortable with U.S. airports using full body scanners that can see through clothes.

We've written many posts on Advanced Imaging Technology and you can read them all HERE.

Blogger Bob
TSA Blog Team

Backscatter Advanced Imaging Technology on Its Way to First Eleven Airports

The first 11 airports receiving advanced imaging technology (AIT) units are gearing up for their arrival.

Advanced imaging technology safely screens passengers for metallic and non-metallic threats, including weapons, explosives and other objects concealed under clothing that might normally go undetected.

AIT units are currently being set up at Boston Logan International airport, and within a week they’ll be at Chicago O’Hare International airport. You should see the rest of the airports on this list in action by this summer:

· Boston Logan International (BOS)
· Charlotte Douglas International (CLT)
· Chicago O’Hare International (ORD)
· Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International (CVG)
· Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International (FFL)
· Kansas City International (MCI)
· Los Angeles International (LAX)
· Mineta San José International (SJC)
· Oakland International (OAK)
· Port Columbus International (CMH)
· San Diego International (SAN)

A total of 450 AIT units will be deployed by the end of 2010 and the additional airports will be announced in the near future.

You might be wondering why it takes so long to deploy these machines. Well, it’s not as if you can pop these out of the box and plug them in. Many factors are taken into consideration before AIT units are deployed, including the airports' infrastructure. These machines are big, and don’t forget about the remote viewing location that goes along with the machines. So as you can imagine, there is much planning going on behind the scenes before these machines actually arrive at their airports and are ready to screen.

We’ve posted here on the blog about AIT many times in the past, and here are some links to previous blog posts to help answer some of the questions you might have:

Can your image be saved or printed? No.

What will my image look like? What will TSA officers see? Take a look…

Will children be screened with this new technology? Yes and no.

What’s the difference between millimeter wave and backscatter? Read here...

Has my privacy been taken into consideration? Are these machines safe? Yes.

Currently, 40 AIT units purchased previously are deployed at 19 airports nationwide.





















Thanks,

Blogger Bob
TSA Blog Team

Bollywood Confidential

A rumor is going around that Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan had an Advanced Imaging Technology (AIT) image of himself leaked by UK Security officers at Heathrow. This rumor, though juicy, is unfounded.

TSA reached out to the UK's Department for Transport (DFT) and learned that, just like advanced imaging technology machines in U.S. airports, they do not have printers or the ability to store images in the airport setting.

Additionally, DFT pointed TSA to the source of the rumor: an interview with BBCs Jonathan Ross. Though he doesn't explicitly say that he's joking, we can confirm in all seriousness that the machines don't do what he jokingly describes.

Thanks,

Blogger Bob
TSA Blog Team

What’s Wrong With This Picture?

What’s wrong with this picture? Put quite simply, it’s a fake. The picture (minus the black boxes) has been gaining popularity ever since it was used on several popular web pages and blogs.

The TSA Office of Information Technology (OIT) was able to determine that the original images used to make these pictures were taken from a stock photo website and doctored to mimic Advanced Imaging Technology (AIT) images. The doctored images are nothing more than full frontal photos (hence the black boxes) with the colors inverted. The image of the gun and belt were superimposed. This can be done with any basic image editing software.

It’s obvious that the woman shown on the left is not the woman in the doctored photos on the right. Notice that the bracelet on the right wrist in the clothed image does not appear in the doctored images. Her arms and legs are also in different positions in the clothed photo. It can be argued that maybe the photo was taken before she entered an AIT machine. Even so, just like X-ray images, hair does not show up in authentic AIT images and faces are blurred with a privacy algorithm.

Please take a look at this blog post to see larger versions of the images below and video of what AIT images actually look like.




Thanks,

Blogger Bob
TSA Blog Team

Advanced Imaging Technology: Storing, Exporting and Printing of Images

It's being reported that the Advanced Imaging Technology (also known as body scanners) being used by TSA has the ability to store, print and export images.

The truth is, the procurement specifications require these machines be capable of functioning in both a screening operation environment at the airport, and in a test mode environment. A test mode would be used at our testing facilities at the Transportation Security Integration Facility (TSIF) and the Transportation Security Lab (TSL). As you can imagine, the ability to store, export and print are crucial in a testing environment. TSA documents and manages approved configurations for all procured equipment, which are verified both in the factory and in the field prior to operational use.

All functionality to store, export or print images is disabled before these machines are delivered to airport checkpoints. There is no way for Transportation Security Officers in the airport environment to place the machines into test mode.

The Privacy Impact Statement (PIA), versions of which have been out since 2007, have each said the same thing: "While the equipment has the capability of collecting and storing an image, the image storage functions will be disabled by the manufacturer before the devices are placed in an airport and will not have the capability to be activated by operators."

AIT machines do have USB, hard disc and Ethernet capabilities, but these are for limited data transfer only - an officer's user ID, log-in and log-out time, and statistical data. Images cannot be transmitted or stored. Also, these machines are not networked, so they cannot be hacked.

TSA has been forthcoming with the traveling public about this technology, including the strong privacy protections we have in place. We've posted many times on Advanced Imaging Technology and you can read more on our blog and at TSA.gov.

Also, contrary to popular rumor, AIT portals cannot "beam you up."

On a slightly unrelated note, there are many different inaccurate images circulating out there. Below, you will see accurate examples of what our officers see while using advanced imaging technology. Anything else you see is inaccurate.



Thanks,

Blogger Bob
TSA Blog Team

Response to: “Oops: Backscatter X-ray machines tear apart DNA"

This article has been receiving quite a bit of attention and it’s leading people to believe the Backscatter Advanced Imaging Technology (AIT) used by TSA emits terahertz radiation. Recent studies are showing that terahertz radiation may “unzip double-stranded DNA, creating bubbles in the double strand that could significantly interfere with processes such as gene expression and DNA replication.”

(I know… who knew that your DNA could be unzipped? Hey buddy, your barn door’s open!!!)

I forwarded the article around to a few subject matter experts here at TSA and was provided with some interesting information:

“TSA has not tested nor procured any terahertz AIT systems.”

That sentence should sum it up for most of our readers, but for those who like to get into the weeds, here is some more interesting information that was given to me from the fine folks at the Office of Security Technology (OST):

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has assessed multiple types of AIT systems including X-ray backscatter and millimeter wave. Both offer safe and effective whole body screening for weapons and explosives concealed on a person’s body. Backscatter X-ray technology uses X-rays that penetrate clothing, but not skin, to create an image. Millimeter wave technology uses sensors to collect millimeter wave energy to measure the difference in radiated energy relative to each object against a common background (the human body produces these signatures in typical screening applications) to construct a composite image.

Backscatter - Relies on a narrow, low intensity X-ray beam scanned over the body’s surface at high speed that is reflected back from the body and other objects placed or carried on the body, where it is converted into a computer image of the subject and displayed on a remote monitor. For comparison purposes, the X-ray dose received from the backscatter system is equivalent to the radiation received in two minutes of airplane flight at altitude (0.003* millirem by backscatter (2 scans) compared to .0552 millirem for two minutes of flight). Newer technologies require less scanning time, reducing individual X-ray exposure to .002 millirem for the entire process. The backscatter AIT meets and exceeds the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standard for personnel security screening systems using X-rays.

Millimeter Wave - Uses non-ionizing radio frequency energy in the millimeter wave spectrum to generate an image based on the energy reflected from the body. The frequency range for millimeter wave technology exists in the range between 30-300 gigahertz. The three-dimensional image of the body is displayed on a remote monitor for analysis. The energy projected by the system is 10,000 times less than a cell phone transmission (.00000597 mW/cm2 for millimeter wave technology compared to 37.5 mW/cm2 for a cellphone).

Other Safety Information

“TSA security screening technologies are required to meet consensus standards, such as those issued by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), as well as regulatory requirements such as those issued by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Our systems are independently tested as well by such laboratories as Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) and the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) and FDA. We also apply an aggressive maintenance program to ensure that these systems continue to meet these performance standards. Additionally, TSA Occupational Safety Health and Environment (OSHE) is an active participant in our project integrated project teams. TSA OSHE assists in the development and validation of technology safety requirements. We also conduct safety evaluations as part of our laboratory, TSA Systems Integration Facility (TSIF), operational and site acceptance testing procedures.”

TSA tells its employees, namely Transportation Security Officers (TSOs), about the safety of advanced imaging technology machines, including the radiation exposure, during training on the equipment. In addition, TSA’s Office of Occupational Safety Health and Environment has individuals who work directly with TSOs to communicate safety information about operating the equipment. Information is available to TSOs through the OSHE Web site and employees can contact members of OSHE directly with questions.

*.04 was posted in error. The corrrect number was added. 0.003 millirem. Edited on 1/5/10

Thanks,

Blogger Bob

TSA Blog Team

TSA to Receive $355 Million for Airport Security Projects

(DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano recently announced that TSA will receive $355 million for more than a dozen airport security projects funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

The $355 million is going to be used for a lot of really nifty improvements to aviation security including:

Inline Baggage Screening Systems: Inline baggage screening systems help keep transportation safe. $254 million will be spent on inline baggage handling systems at six airports—including Washington Dulles International Airport, Mineta San Jose International Airport, San Antonio International Airport, Portland (Maine) International Jetport, Port Columbus International Airport, and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Watch this video about inline baggage screening at ATL.

CCTV: $38 million will be spent to support new and enhanced closed circuit television (CCTV) systems at six airports, including Chicago Midway International Airport, Little Rock National Airport/Adams Field, Kansas City International Airport, Omaha Eppley Airfield, Washington Dulles International Airport, and Tampa International Airport.

Backscatter Advanced Imaging Units: Backscatter machines use advanced imaging technology that allow our officers to better detect a wide range of threats in a matter of seconds, including explosives. More than $25 million will fund the purchase and deployment of approximately 150 backscatter advanced imaging units to airports across the nation. This deployment follows a successful pilot phase, during which 46 imaging technology units were deployed at 23 airports and passengers opted to use imaging technology for primary screening 98 percent of the time. It is important to note that this technology is always optional to passengers.

Next Generation Explosives Trace Detection: If you’ve seen our officers swabbing passengers and luggage with white swabs, that is our Explosives Trace Detection (ETD) machines. ETDs can detect even the smallest traces of explosives and are a very important part of our layers of security. $15 million will be spent on Next Generation Explosives Trace Detection (ETD) units.

Next Generation Bottled Liquid Scanners: $22 million will be spent on Bottled Liquid Scanners (BLS), a technology that screens medically necessary liquids such as infant formula and liquid medications to ensure they do not contain a threat.

Also, be sure to check out Tom Frank’s USA Today article on TSA’s purchase of 150 backscatter machines.

Blogger Bob

TSA Blog Team

Imaging Technology: The Bigger Picture

Millimeter Wave (Click Photo)

Backscatter (Click Photo)


Many have asked to see a bigger picture than what we had on our TSA.gov web page. So, we're not only showing you the bigger pictures here on the blog, we also updated them on the web page as well. They are male/female – front/back – Millimeter Wave/Backscatter.

To read more about Imaging Technology, check out these blog posts from our archives:

-The First Significant Deployment of Aviation Security Technology

-Catch a Wave and Avoid a Pat Down

-Safety & Privacy Concerns Regarding the Millimeter Wave Whole Body Imager

-You asked for it...You got it, Millimeter Wave images.

-Pilot Program Tests Millimeter Wave for Primary Passenger Screening

-CNN Article: Airport security bares all, or does it?

-Will Children be Screened by Whole Body Imagers?

-New Imaging Technology at Cleveland Hopkins Airport

Thanks,

Blogger Bob

TSA Blog Team

New Imaging Technology at Cleveland Hopkins Airport

With all of the comments on the TSA Blog about this technology, I just had to share the link to this article.

Check out this interesting read on Cleveland’s testing of new imaging technology:

Full-body airport images not pretty, but not porn: Connie Schultz

(To read more about new imaging technology at TSA, click here.)

Blogger Bob

TSA Blog Team

Will Children be Screened by Whole Body Imagers?

This question keeps popping up on our blog as well as other forums around the internet. Will children be screened by Whole Body Imagers (WBI)?

Yes and no.

Anybody can opt out of WBI screening. Adults, children, Klingons, etc… If you opt out of WBI screening, you will receive a patdown search in lieu of the WBI screening.

Children are allowed to be screened by the WBI if they’re able to stand motionless with their arms outstretched and feet shoulder width apart for 5 seconds. (If your child is like my 4 year old, they can’t stand still for a single second unless they’re watching that yellow sponge guy who shares my name)

Things to remember:

- Children do not have to be screened by the WBI. (Anybody can opt out)
- Parents carrying infants or children will not be screened by the WBI.
- Parents accompanying children may opt out of WBI screening to prevent separation of family.
- WBI screening is still in the pilot phase and has not been deployed at all checkpoints.
- Did I mention you can opt out?

Bob

EoS Blog Team

Which is it: Millimeter Wave or Backscatter?

As TSA continues to deploy new technology, some people continue to be confused about whole body imagers. Millimeter wave, backscatter, privacy filters… it all adds up to a confused traveling public.

Since one of our readers asked about the difference between millimeter wave and backscatter images in a previous post and we’ve also seen other blogs get the two confused, we thought we’d put the correct information and images out there to clear up any misinformation. Both millimeter wave and backscatter fall under the classification of whole body imaging, which gives security officers a virtual image of a passenger that highlights potentially dangerous items.

Here’s the lowdown on the two technologies:

How millimeter wave works:

Beams of radio frequency (RF) energy in the millimeter wave spectrum are projected over the body’s surface at high speed from two antennas simultaneously as they rotate around the body.


The RF energy reflected back from the body or other objects on the body is used to construct a three-dimensional image.

The three-dimensional image of the body, with facial features blurred for privacy, is displayed on a remote monitor for analysis. The image is not saved – once it’s off the screen it’s gone forever.

This is the millimeter wave image a security officer sees:

A millimeter wave machine looks like this:

Here’s how Millimeter Wave imaging works (WMV, 3.4 MB).

Here’s how Millimeter Wave technology detects threats (WMV, 3.4 MB).

How backscatter works:

A narrow, low intensity X-ray beam is scanned over the body's surface at high speed.
The technology relies on the X-ray radiation that is reflected back from the body and other objects placed or carried on the body, where it is converted into a computer image, embedded with a modesty filter and displayed on a remote monitor.

Passengers will walk up to the backscatter unit, assisted by a transportation security officer and remain still for several seconds while the technology creates an image of the body.
Images will be deleted immediately once viewed and will never be stored, transmitted or printed (the passenger imaging units have zero storage capability).

This is the backscatter image the security officer sees:




This is a backscatter machine.

Click here to see a demonstration of backscatter (2Mb, wmv).

And while we’re at it:

Because we see it time and time again, we wanted to clear up another bit of misinformation. This is a raw backscatter image with NO privacy algorithm. This is NOT what security officers see – this image was used to show what the capabilities of the technology are.