Abstract
We developed a small, hand-held, portable, low cost, millimeter wave (mmW) meter to detect and display the levels of emissions from L3 ProVision security scanners used in hundreds of airports for detection of contraband and weapons. The meter is intended to measure radiation emissions from this particular scanner and enable the user to enable periodic quality assurance measurements and to see if undesirably high levels were to occur. The non-engineering staff of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) can use this meter to demonstrate safety of these scanners to passengers using this simple handheld instrument certified by the US Food Drug administration. This meter can assess human exposure levels during periodic quality assurance inspections, in a region where a person is being scanned, and demonstrate the lack of possible interference with body worn medical devices. It has receiving, signal processing, output display, and user control subsystems, and displays graphical and numerical information. The meter detects low level, pulses of mmW electromagnetic radiation (20 - 30 GHz with levels of 0.02 V/m to 0.15 V/m). It displays a single burst of five or more 10 μsec pulses. It detects levels as low as several thousand times below the maximum permissible levels prescribed by international human exposure safety standards. This compact system replaces the bulky and costly collection of large and costly instruments needed to perform the same measurements.
Highlights
The ProVision by L-3 Communications Inc. [1] is a millimeter wave body scanner system that is widely used in airports to scan passengers for contraband
Hand-held, portable, low cost, millimeter wave meter to detect and display the levels of emissions from L3 ProVision security scanners used in hundreds of airports for detection of contraband and weapons
There have been certain public concerns expressed about exposures to millimeter wave emissions from these scanners and potential electromagnetic interference (EMI) of body worn and implanted medical devices or about human exposures [2] [3]
Summary
The ProVision by L-3 Communications Inc. [1] is a millimeter wave (mmW) body scanner system that is widely used in airports to scan passengers for contraband. The second-generation system is termed the advanced imaging technology (AIT-2) system These security systems emit mmW electromagnetic radiation in the range of 20 - 30 GHz. There have been certain public concerns expressed about exposures to millimeter wave emissions from these scanners and potential electromagnetic interference (EMI) of body worn and implanted medical devices or about human exposures [2] [3]. The transportation security administration wanted to address these concerns from airline passengers and from employees who could be exposed during installation, testing and use of the scanners, where repeated exposures or extended exposure durations occur This led to an interagency agreement between the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) to assess the safety of AIT systems. The safety of mmW scanners is still questioned by some
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
