U.S. Transportation Security Administration Program Designed to Strengthen Airport Security
WILMINGTON, Mass.--(PRNewswire)--June, 17, 2004--GE Infrastructure, Security, a unit of the General Electric Company, announced today that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) launched its first-ever live pilot of GE's EntryScan3 walk-through explosives detector in an airport environment.
In a press conference today in Warwick, RI, the TSA announced that it would evaluate GE's EntryScan3 for screening passengers for explosives at security checkpoints in five airports in the United States: T.F. Green Airport, Warwick, RI; Greater Rochester International Airport, Rochester, NY; San Diego International Airport, San Diego, CA; Tampa International Airport, Tampa, FL; and Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport, Gulfport, MS.
The program is expected to yield important data on technology effectiveness, passenger wait times, and impact on airport operations. This announcement comes on the heels of GE's successful completion of TSA's Transit and Rail Inspection Pilot (TRIP) program in Amtrak's New Carrollton Station.
"We are pleased to partner with the TSA and participate in this landmark airport security pilot program," said Ken Boyda, president of GE Infrastructure, Security. "In seconds, EntryScan3 can help detect microscopic traces of explosives and identify potential threats to security screeners. With its rapid throughput and cutting-edge technology, it is well suited to this trial. We are confident that the EntryScan3 will perform as successfully as it did in the TSA's recent TRIP program at New Carrollton Station."
"The trial is part of the TSA's on-going efforts to implement cutting edge technology and enhance the security of the aviation system," said Mark Hatfield, Jr., TSA Director of Communications and Public Information.
The GE EntryScan3, which is popularly known as the "Puffer Machine," has already been deployed to dozens of high-risk facilities worldwide to help detect explosives.
About EntryScan3
EntryScan3 is the result of a successful five-year partnership between Ion Track, the Pennsylvania State University Gas Dynamics Laboratory, and the FAA/TSA. This research effort was based on the concept of understanding the natural airflow around the human body.
In April 2003, the TSA confirmed that the EntryScan3 completed and passed a laboratory detection test at the Transportation Security Laboratory (TSL) located at the William J. Hughes Technical Center in Atlantic City, NJ. Testing focused on detecting trace levels of explosives substances on subjects.
The EntryScan3's patented sample collection system takes advantage of a natural airflow phenomenon called the "human convection plume." This eliminates the need for forced air from a fan, which would stir up contaminants, dirt, and dust, and enables cleaner sample acquisition for higher detection sensitivity. This design also requires fewer moving parts resulting in quieter operation, reduced weight, and improved long-term reliability.
EntryScan3 utilizes GE's patented Ion Trap Mobility Spectrometer (ITMS(R)) technology, enabling its users to detect a wider range of contraband with unprecedented sensitivity. It achieves this through a proprietary ion "trap" that increases ionization efficiency, the main factor determining detection sensitivity. EntryScan3 is the only walk-through portal with versatile detection of both positive and negative ions, enabling the detection of the broadest spectrum of explosives in seconds.
About GE Infrastructure
GE Infrastructure (NYSE: GE) is a high-technology platform comprised of some of GE's fastest-growing businesses. These global businesses offer a set of infrastructure protection and productivity solutions to some of the most pressing issues that industries face: pure water, safe facilities, plant automation, and sensing applications in the operating environment. GE Infrastructure is headquartered in Wilton, CT. Learn more at www.geinfrastructure.com.
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