American Science and Engineering, Inc. Receives Multi-Million Dollar Order for OmniView Gantry and ZBV to Secure a Major Port in Italy

American Science and Engineering, Inc. (AS&E(R)) (NASDAQ: ASEI), a leader in X-ray detection technology, announced the receipt of a multi-million dollar order for the OmniView(TM) Gantry system and the Z Backscatter Van(TM) (ZBV(TM)) from its local distributor in Italy, AUS.TECH S.p.A. The systems will be deployed to inspect cargo and vehicles entering a major, high-volume Italian port. For maximum threat detection capability, the OmniView Gantry combines 6.0 MeV high-energy transmission with three Z Backscatter imaging modules (left, right, and top-view). This combination of technologies delivers the most reliable means of detecting contraband and threatening materials, such as weapons and explosives hidden in cargo containers, tankers, and vehicles.

"We are very pleased to receive our first order from a major Italian port for the OmniView Gantry and the ZBV," said Anthony Fabiano, President and CEO. "These systems will operate within a total security protocol for the port -- the OmniView Gantry will be used to inspect incoming containers, while the highly mobile and versatile ZBV will be used by port officials to perform rapid inspections of suspect vehicles. The OmniView Gantry's high-penetration capability will enable the port to inspect dense and complex cargo while the ZBV will facilitate flexible mobile screening to secure the vicinity around the port."

About OmniView Gantry

The OmniView(TM) Gantry System is the only multi-view relocatable system available today that combines 6 MeV high-energy transmission inspection plus three Z Backscatter(TM) X-ray views. OmniView Gantry provides high penetration into inspected objects -- up to 14 inches (350 mm) of steel -- yet the system does not require an exterior building or heavy shielding. The OmniView Gantry System's scanning platform operates by moving on rails past stationary vehicles and cargo. The system is bi-directional allowing for a high throughput of cargo and vehicles.

About Z Backscatter Van (ZBV)

AS&E's Z Backscatter Van(TM) is a low-cost, highly maneuverable screening system built into a commercially available delivery van. The ZBV employs AS&E's patented Z Backscatter(TM) technology, which reveals contraband that transmission X-rays miss -- such as explosives and plastic weapons -- and provides photo-like imaging for rapid analysis. The ZBV is capable of immediate deployment in response to security threats, and features a high throughput capacity to facilitate rapid inspections. The system's unique "drive-by" capability allows one or two operators to conduct X-ray imaging of suspect vehicles and objects as the ZBV drives past.

AS&E's Patented Technology: Z Backscatter X-Rays

AS&E's patented Z Backscatter technology produces photo-like images of the contents of a container or vehicle, highlighting organic materials. Based on the X-ray Compton Scattering effect, Z Backscatter technology works by detecting and highlighting "low Z" materials (items that contain low atomic number elements such as carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen). Z Backscatter images display organic materials by directing a sweeping beam of X-rays at the object under examination, and then measuring and plotting the intensity of scattered X-rays as a function of the beam position. Z Backscatter technology -- only available from AS&E -- reveals the threats that competitive systems miss, including explosives, plastic weapons, and drugs.