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The Transportation Security Administration (TSA), together with American Airlines, has launched new scanners that can better screen luggage.
The new scanners use computed tomography (CT), an imaging technology that produces 3D images. With this technology, airport security screeners can see the exact shape and material of items inside a bag. Screeners will even be able to tell overlapping contents apart. The CT scanners also have zoom and rotate functions, making it easy for screeners to maneuver the 3D images of the contents.
The machines had already been tested last year, but it was only in July that a CT scanner was installed at the JFK Airport in New York. More scanners will be deployed to US airports by the end of the year.
The CT scanners are an upgraded version of the X-ray scanners commonly used in airports. Security X-ray scanners show only the top and side view of a bag, while CT scanners can produce 360-degree images. X-ray scanners also mark anything organic, like food and explosive chemicals, the same way. Because of this, screeners usually request passengers to unpack things like liquids to check for suspicious items. But with CT scanners, passengers may not need to take things out of their luggage at all, resulting in a speedier screening process.
CT scanners have been widely used in the medical industry, but they were not popular for airport use due to their size.
Apart from their newfound use in airports, CT scanners are also being utilized in the industrial sector. They are being used to scan and assess packaging and to inspect interior machine parts without damaging them.