The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has installed two new state-of-the-art computed tomography (CT) checkpoint scanners at West Virginia International Yeager Airport. The scanners enhance screening capabilities for carry-on items and streamline the passenger experience, as travellers will no longer need to remove laptops and liquids from hand baggage.
“Our officers’ use of CT technology substantially improves our threat detection capability at the checkpoint,” said John C. Allen, TSA’s Federal Security Director for West Virginia. “Previously, our screening technology for carry-on bags used 2D images. The CT technology applies advanced algorithms for the detection of explosives, including liquid explosives and other threat items.”
The new CT scanners screen carry-on items at the checkpoint by applying a sophisticated algorithm as they generate a 3D image of the contents of carry-on bags. This new technology creates such a clear image of a bag’s contents that the system can automatically detect explosives and other threat items by shooting hundreds of images with an X-ray camera spinning around the items to provide TSA officers with a 3D view of the contents of a carry-on bag. A TSA officer can view the 3D X-ray image on a monitor and manipulate the image to get a better view of the bag’s contents, ultimately reducing the number of carry-on bags that need to be opened and manually inspected. However, if a bag requires further screening, a TSA officer will inspect it to ensure that a threat item is not contained inside.
