FAQs: Whole Body Imaging

The decision by Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab and his terrorist handlers to conceal high explosives in Abdulmutallab’s underpants on a Detroit-bound flight on Christmas has led to renewed interest into whole body imaging technology, or full body scans, to detect contraband passengers may smuggle onboard an airplane.

Already, the British, French, Dutch, and Nigerian governments say they will embrace the technology, which allows operators to peer underneath a passenger’s clothes and identify hidden threats on their body. The European Union, which overwhelmingly said no to the technology in 2008, is reconsidering its position post-Detroit, reports The Christian Science Monitor. And yesterday, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said her department will accelerate the deployment of whole body imaging technology at U.S. airports. There are already about 40 machines deployed at certain airports nationwide, but Napolitano said the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will fast track at least another 300 units into the field this year.

This increased push for whole body imaging, however, has led to fears that the technology unnecessarily violates passengers’ privacy rights and even their health. So what’s true and false about whole body imaging technology?Security Management has scoured publicly available information to answer some of the most pressing questions.

How does whole body imaging technology work?

That depends, because there are two different ways to generate a full body image: millimeter wave technology and backscatter technology.

How do these technologies differ?

Millimeter wave technology beams the passenger with millimeter wave radio frequency (RF) energy from two antennas that spin around the passenger at very fast speeds from head to toe. The energy reflected off the body and other objects generates a three-dimensional image of the passenger’s body and anything else carried on his person.

Backscatter technology, however, uses very weak X-rays to generate a two-sided image of a passenger and anything else on that person’s body.

Do these technologies identify the same types of threats?

Yes. Manufacturers of each technology say their respective technologies can detect the same types of threats.  L-3 Communications’ machines, which use millimeter wave technology,  boast that they can “reveal and pinpoint hidden weapons, explosives, drugs and other contraband.”

RapiScan, which uses backscatter technology, states that its machines screen passengers “for a wide range of potential threats including liquids, contraband, ceramics, explosives, narcotics, concealed currency and weapons.” American Science and Engineering (AS&E), another manufacturer of backscatter technology, says its system “displays both organic and inorganic materials, revealing objects such as guns and knives, liquid and plastic explosives, composite weapons, and other hidden threats and contraband.”

On its Web page devoted to whole body imaging, the TSA makes no distinction between the types of threats each technology can detect.

Are these technologies safe?

The consensus seems to be yes. The American College of Radiology (ACR)recently released a statement vouching for the safety of each type of technology. “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.”

But there is a difference between the two types of technology. Backscatter technology exposes passengers to ionizing radiation, much like medical X-rays, while millimeter wave technology does not, reports Reuters. Instead, millimeter wave technology “uses radio signals akin to cell phone RF energy,” reports DotMed.com. “Since the millimeter waves are low-level radio waves, the radiation is non-ionizing and so it is considered completely safe.”

Despite this, the X-ray dose used by backscatter machines is extremely low. Dr. James Thrall, chair of the ACR and chair of radiology at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, told ABCNews.com that a passenger “would have to take hundreds and hundreds of trips requiring screening to even reach what would be considered a negligible dose.”

On their Websites, both RapiScan and AS&E address radiation fears explaining that a passenger will receive considerably higher radiation doses once they’ve been flying for an hour or two than they will undergoing screening with backscatter technology.

Nevertheless, L-3 Communications, which manufactures millimeter wave scanning technology, states that its machines screen people “without exposure to harmful electromagnetic radiation.”

Are privacy concerns legitimate?

Yes and no. Both whole body imaging technologies display anatomically correct images of the person screened, which is why some civil libertarians liken this screening to “virtual strip searches.” The ACLU yesterday released a new backgrounder on the technology yesterday, stating it “reveals not only our private body parts, but also intimate medical details like colostomy bags. Many people who wear adult diapers feel they will be humiliated.”

The TSA as well as the manufactureres of the technology say they have taken many steps to protect the identity of the passenger being screened. AS&E’s backscatter technology can be privacy-enhanced, according to the company. When the image is generated, it looks like a chalk outline of the passenger which also “outlines any potential threats on the person — similar to when a child traces an outline of his/her hand” without “revealing images of the body.” The machines that use millimeter wave technology produces an image that looks like a photo negative, but the faces of passengers are blurred, according to the TSA.

The agency also says it has  implemented privacy protections into the screening process when using this technology.

When a passenger is screened, the TSA officer that assists the passenger never sees the image. The TSA officer that views the image is in a remote, secured viewing room, ensuring she never sees the passenger’s face. The two officers communicate via headset. Once the remotely located TSA officer looks over the image and verifies that the passenger has no contraband, she signals to the TSA officer assisting the passenger to let the passenger continue on through security.

As another safeguard, the ability of the machines to store, print, transmit, or save the image is disabled before the machines are delivered to airports. TSA officers are further barred from bringing cameras, cell phones, or photo-enabled devices into the viewing room as one more privacy protection.

(Assistant Editor Joseph Straw also discussed whole body imaging in the Sept. 2008 feature “New Views on Airport Screening.”)

Scanner May Be Answer To Spotting Terrorists

A new device that can spot tiny amounts of explosive particles could be the answer to protecting the public from terrorism.

The Explosive Residue Detection system – developed by Loughborough University – can scan crowded areas such as airports and train stations remotely, automatically alerting an operator if it finds traces of explosives.

The system is non-evasive, works in real time, causes no delays to passengers and is fully automated which means human error can be ruled out, its developers say.

And a key point, they argue, is that, unlike the Whole Body Imaging which Prime Minister Gordon Brown has called for, the images the ERD produces are no more controversial than those generated by CCTV.

The machine uses the latest generation of pulsed lasers and video camera techniques and combines them to produce a large-area, fluorescent, lifetime imaging system.

By controlling the laser timing and optical filters, direct imaging of explosive residue will be exposed and, if explosive residue is spotted, the system automatically signals the result to a human.

Project leader Professor John Tyrer has been working in the terrorism and counter-terrorism field for more than 20 years and says metal detectors and scanning machines are no longer enough.

Controversial full-body scanner

“When terrorists were going to plant a bomb and then walk away, they were adequate,” Professor Tyrer told Sky News Online.

“But now suicide bombers have become part of the terrorism plan, transport security has to be tightened up while, at the same time, allowing the public to move through quickly.

“Our machine means that every person in the area can be scanned in a non-invasive way – unlike the WBI system – which is something the public wants.”

Professor Tyrer’s team are conducting trials of the machine but, he says, politicians need to speed matters up.

“We can’t wait for another attack before the matter is talked about again,” he warned.

It is not cost concerns, he insists, that are the problems – the system cost is about the same as an X-ray one currently in use – just the decision-making process.

“From an economic point of view, it makes sense. Tourism is a very important part of the UK’s economy and, if people don’t feel safe, they won’t come here – particularly if they’re from the key US market.”

“The latest attack highlights the worldwide need for explosive residue detection that is quick, accurate, non-evasive and does not cause major delays for the travelling public.

Site has airline passengers worried about privacy

SALT LAKE CITY — There are new fears that images of what’s underneath the clothing of airline passengers could be circulated on the Internet.

The top story this morning  linked to images of a man and woman, clothes-less in a full-body scanner. It mentioned that the machines are being used at Salt Lake International airport. It’s leading to questions about if they are actual passengers, or that any passenger’s image could end up on the Internet.

TSA spokesman Dwayne Baird says the pictures online right now are of models demonstrating how the equipment works. He is quick to say the equipment cannot save, print or send images of passengers.

“Once we resolve the image, then the next passenger comes into the machine and the image that is on the screen is immediately deleted,” Baird said.

He says the scanners are part of a pilot program right now at several airports around the nation.

“We’ve been able to determine that some people are actually bringing items through the checkpoint that are not allowed, that are prohibited, but because they are not metallic in nature, would not be picked up with the walk-through metal detector,” he said.

Baird says the screeners are in a resolution room away from the checkpoint, so they don’t see the face or identity of the person being screened. That way even celebrities coming through won’t be identified and potentially exploited.