GE Healthcare technology leaps to airport security

GE Security’s Homeland Protection business just announced that the Transportation Security Administration has certified its newest explosives detection system, which will give airports their first access to high-definition, 3-D imaging for checked baggage. It’s not only designed to check bags at twice the speed of existing machines, the technology powering it was originally developed by GE Healthcare.

Fast lane: The CTX 9800, which is made in Newark, California, is capable of processing about 700 bags per hour — with plans to achieve speeds up to 1,000 bags per hour in the near future.

Up, down, all around: This video allows you to take a 360-degree “swim” through a suitcase and visualize the capabilities of this new system.

Just as some of the GE gas turbine technology being used in China’s massive West-to-East pipeline was originally developed by GE Aviation, the shared technology between GE Security and GE Healthcare provides another live example of how GE business units can share breakthroughs to meet the needs of customers across industrial sectors.

“The CTX 9800 represents a leap forward in explosive detection systems and introduces GE Security’s newly branded Clarity technology, which combines automated explosives detection with advanced imaging technology from GE Healthcare,” said Jill Bunney, Product Manager, GE Security Homeland Protection. “Air travelers can rest assured that baggage screening technologies continue to improve thanks to GE technologies like ones originally developed for life-saving medical settings. Airports benefit through an increased ability to identify threats, reduce false alarm rates, and handle more bags per hour, increasing productivity and getting more bags to their planes on time.”

* Learn more details in GE’s announcement
* Read today’s Dow Jones story
* See another 360-degree video on tech blog engadget