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 CBP Officials Tour Secure Border Innovations Lab
 New Electronic Manifest Policy Strengthens Southern Border
Advanced X-Ray System Arrives at Port of Charleston, S.C.

(10/01/2007)
Charleston, S.C. -- CBP recently unveiled its newest tool in combating the terrorism, a high-energy rail-gantry X-ray imaging devise known as the OmniView. The system will provide a more thorough exam process at the Charleston, S. C. seaport and will greatly increase the speed of processing.

This next generation X-ray system is so high powered it can penetrate steel more than a foot thick.
The high-powered OmniView produces power equivalent to nearly 6 million volts of electricity enabling it to visually penetrate through approximately 14 inches of steel. An entire 40-foot container can be scanned in under a minute. This new system is ideally suited for inspecting high density cargo such as refrigerated containers of frozen foods.

CBP officers study a scan from the new X-ray system.
The images produced by the Omni View are high definition and can be best described as ‘photo-like’ in quality. The image detail is so good that the operator can determine if a cargo pallet is assembled with nails or screws. The Omni View is also capable of providing images from various angles, allowing the operator to have three-dimensional view of the cargo and any areas of interest. The standard imaging capabilities include features such as Preset and Continuous Density Expand, Edge Enhance, Zoom, Pan, Scroll, and Reverse Video.

Along with the outstanding imaging capabilities, the system requires only two people to operate and it is extremely easy to use. The Omni View provides the port of Charleston with an added layer of non-intrusive technology to more effectively screen high-risk cargo without having to conduct a physical inspection. It is a product of American Science & Engineering, Inc.

CBP Charleston is anxious to leverage this new tool to combat terrorism and other violations of U.S. law. This system was funded through a grant from the Office of Justice Programs’ National Institute of Justice and is part of Project Seahawk, a Charleston-based law enforcement task force of federal, state and local agencies designed to improve port security.

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