TraceGuard succesful in explosive detection system trials

Security technology company TraceGuard Technologies Inc. (Bulletin Board:TCGD.OB) has successfully completed trials of its automated explosives detection system. The company’s product, “CompactSafe” inspects complex items at passenger and baggage screening checkpoints, and works in conjunction with security equipment currently in use to improve accuracy and efficiency in detecting explosives.

TraceGuard chairman and CEO Dr. Ehud Ganani said that the trials showed that the system was 10 times more efficient than manual baggage inspection, and that it took 30 seconds only to scan baggage compared with the four to five minutes needed to carry out a manual inspection. CompactSafe is due to begin trials for licensing by the US Transport Security Administration (TSA) within the next few months.

At present baggage inspection is carried out manually by collecting particles from passengers’ hand luggage using a special cloth, following which the particles are then screened by an analyzer that can identify whether the substance collected is hazardous. TraceGuard’s system works by processing the air inside and outside the item. Traces, molecules, particles and vapors of explosives (or other hazardous materials) are released and extracted from the item’s interior and exterior. These are then fed to a chemical analyzer for further analysis, and the results are displayed on the analyzer’s screen.

Ganani added that the current baggage checking process has become intolerable due to the long queues and the exceptionally high cost. The cost of baggage checking activity in US amounts to $2 billion, and the cost of checking baggage manually by an employee is $70,000, compared with $50,000 for TraceGuard’s system. Ganani estimated the potential market for automated detection systems at 15,000 items.

Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes.co.il - on February 11, 2007

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