American Science and Engineering, Inc. To Provide TSA with SmartCheck(TM) Personnel Screening System at U.S. International Airport

Industry's Most Comprehensive Non-Intrusive Z(R) Backscatter(TM) Personnel Screening System Equipped with Privacy Software to be Tested at Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix, Arizona

American Science and Engineering, Inc.(AS&E(R)), a leader in X-ray detection technology, announced today that it has been selected by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to pilot test its SmartCheck(TM) Personnel Screening System at Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix, Arizona. AS&E's SmartCheck system is the industry's most comprehensive personnel X-ray screening system that detects a wide variety of threats concealed on a person, while ensuring privacy.

"We are very proud to have our SmartCheck personnel screening system tested by the TSA at a major U.S. airport," said Anthony Fabiano, CEO of AS&E. "SmartCheck is able to detect the broadest range of threats and contraband hidden on a person -- including metallic and organic materials. And, together with TSA, we've ensured that the system addresses the privacy concerns of the traveling public. The end result is an effective, non-intrusive, and safe passenger screening system for detecting threats such as weapons, explosives, bottles with liquids, and other prohibited items. Air travel safety is a top priority, and we strongly believe SmartCheck will be a major asset in the screening process at today's busy airports."

About SmartCheck

SmartCheck is a safe, non-intrusive personnel screening system that allows operators to detect threats and contraband hidden on a person. The system displays both organic and inorganic materials, revealing objects such as guns and knives, explosives, composite weapons, and other hidden threats and contraband. Its Z(R) Backscatter(TM) technology gives the operator easy-to-interpret information about where threats or contraband are hidden, thus eliminating the need for intrusive and time-consuming pat-down searches.

Assured Privacy

The SmartCheck system employs a software algorithm to protect the privacy of screened passengers while still effectively displaying threats. The privacy-filtered image provides operators with information to identify the nature and location of any threats, but it will not show revealing images of the screened individual. The privacy-filtered image shows an outline of the passenger and outlines any potential threats on the person. For added privacy to the passenger, the system is not capable of storing, exporting, or transmitting images, and all images are automatically deleted from the system immediately after they are reviewed.

Safe for All Screened Individuals and Operators

Since the SmartCheck system uses Z Backscatter X-ray technology, it is safe for both operators and scanned individuals, with the radiation dose from a single scan equivalent to the radiation received from two minutes of airplane flight at altitude, or less than 10 microrem (0.1 microsieverts) per scan. SmartCheck meets the manufacturer's requirements of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standard N43.17, which is the standard that the Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) references for systems such as SmartCheck.