What do we mean by a millimeter-wave body scanner?

In recent years, security has been one of the most important issues in different countries. After some incidents and explosions at multiple airports, various research teams started looking for new security solutions. It was necessary to explore other methods because devices such as metal detectors, X-rays, CCTV cameras, etc. failed to prevent many of these incidents.

Millimeter wave is a specific type of electromagnetic wave. In a body scanner, waves are transmitted and received to construct an image of the passenger. The generated waves pass through the clothing and return from the passenger's skin. If there is a forbidden object on the passenger's body, the device will detect it.

Millimeter wave has a wavelength of a few millimeters, and its photon energy is very low, X-ray, on the other hand, has a wavelength of several angstroms and its photon energy is very high and harmful to human cells. The visible light spectrum in nature is between millimeter-wave and X-ray spectrum. The collection of these electromagnetic waves is called the electromagnetic spectrum. The software application of the body scanner displays the AI detection result, on a dummy image to preserve passenger privacy. With the help of the body scanner, liquids, gels, plastics, metal-non-metallic objects, ceramics, powders, explosives, money, and drugs can be identified. In sensitive government sites, it is critical to detect these objects. Therefore, to increase the level of safety against terrorist attempts, the mentioned places must be equipped with advanced security systems such as millimeter-wave scanners.

Is body scanner the same as metal detector?

Before body scanning systems became known, the detection of prohibited devices was done through searches and inspections with little precision. As threats became more complex and technology advanced, manual inspections gave way to metal detectors. Metal detectors did not stop the flow of people and only halted when a metal object was detected. The main assumption in the use of these systems was that metal indicated a prohibited device, which was considered an acceptable and comprehensive assumption for that period.

In recent years, more threatening objects have been selected and transported, making metal detectors insufficient for detecting threats. Simultaneously, with the development of 3D printer technology, it has become possible to create a variety of complex parts without using metal. Consequently, the need for systems with higher detection accuracy has increased, leading to the common use of X-ray technology.

X-ray imaging is fast, and the beam penetration into the body produces high-resolution images of the body and any dangerous objects. The disadvantage of using this technology is that the person being photographed is exposed to high-intensity radiation, which raises serious concerns about their health and privacy. Early versions of these devices required the operator to identify dangerous objects within the captured images, posing a serious threat to privacy. Therefore, as an alternative to X-ray imaging systems, they used reflected light from the body surface instead of the penetrating beam, achieving a more appropriate solution from a health perspective. Today, this type of imaging is used in many parts of the world.

With the advancement of microwave and millimeter-wave technologies, and especially the expansion of high-frequency integrated circuits, companies are using these technologies for fast, high-resolution, and risk-free imaging to ensure the physical health and privacy of individuals. The use of millimeter waves increases the transverse resolution of object detection. With the global expansion of millimeter-wave technology, and due to their advantages over past technologies, they have become the main choice for current and future imaging systems.

Is millimeter wave safe for human body?

To understand the potential effects of millimeter-wave scanners, we must first understand non-ionizing radiation, which ranges from high-frequency ultraviolet to very low-frequency radiation from electric and magnetic fields. The radiation from millimeter-wave scanners falls within the range of non-ionizing radiation. Other products that use this technology include cell phones, radar, and Wi-Fi signals. The International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) issued a statement on the potential health effects of millimeter-wave scanners in 2012, stating that higher-frequency waves would lead to more energy absorption. For all types of non-ionizing radiation, there are guidelines for the amount of time one can be exposed to prevent potential problems such as local heating. It should be noted that body scanners use one-tenth of this limit. So, the answer is NO! This product won’t harm you any more than your phone!