US-based Passport Systems, a provider of state-of-the-art radiation detection technology, is showcasing its latest developments at the ongoing Milipol Qatar, the international exhibition of homeland security in Doha, Qatar.

The 11th edition of the event will run until November 2 at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center.

Passport Systems provides effective and efficient cargo scanning around the globe and will help protect property and populations from nuclear terrorists and CBRNe threats.

Paul Hurd, product manager, Passport Systems, said: “We are excited that our technology can vastly enhance the scanning of cargo arriving at ports and other transportation hubs around the world.”

"The Milipol Qatar show is a rare opportunity to talk with international security authorities, port security directors from around the world, foreign governments and global private sector interests regarding our innovative radiation detection technology can improve security,” he added.

The company is showcasing its SmartScan 3D cargo scanner and the SmartShield Networked Radiation Detection System, a first of its kind networked, handheld radiation detection system.  Both products represent significant advancements in their respective fields, said a statement from Passport Systems.

Many ports today utilise a limited X-ray scanning process that requires dense or thick objects, which could hide radioactive threats or contraband, to be inspected by hand, slowing the shipping process and putting inspectors in dangerous situations, it said.

By contrast, SmartScan 3D doesn't require that containers be opened. Trucks with cargo are conveyed through a tunnel. The cargo is inspected using high-resolution x-rays and other passive radiation detection methods with proprietary technologies. Three-dimensional images based on the effective atomic number and density are generated as the system measures photon signals to determine anomalies, such as explosives or radioactive material. A three-dimensional scan of the cargo is provided, and alerts flag suspicious cargo. The non-intrusive scanning also detect explosives and contraband such as drugs, tobacco, and firearms - a growing concern among security professionals and lawmakers, it added.

In the US, the SmartShield technology has been used to increase security at the NCAA Final Four Basketball Tournament in Houston, at the Boston Marathon, and other crowd gathering events, such as Nascar races in New Hampshire. Internationally, it has market for use at celebrations, soccer matches, concerts, as well as airports, and ports.

The SmartShield system is comprised of small gamma-radiation detectors that collect radiation data and transmit the information wirelessly through smartphones, forming a network that allows security forces to simultaneously respond to any threats. While on routine patrols, security and law enforcement officers collect background radiation data. When gamma radiation is detected, an alert and GPS coordinates are sent throughout the network, to a central command station, and to responding law enforcement personnel, it stated.

Hurd added: "We believe our technology is the best available at a time when the global threat against terrorists is growing.”

"Technology is an important counter balance to the growing sophistication of terrorist groups seeking to do harm. Our challenge is to get this technology deployed to the authorities tasked with protecting the public,” he concluded. – TradeArabia News Service