英国曼彻斯特机场近日引入了一套X光人体扫描安检设备，以帮助安检人员迅速发现乘客身上藏匿的武器或爆炸物，同时省去了传统手检时需要脱衣、脱鞋的繁冗程序。因为这套全身扫描设备可以清晰照射出人体的“裸体”轮廓，隐私部位均显露无疑，所以有些乘客不愿意接受这样的检查。该机场客服部门负责人表示，这种设备得到的图像只显示在一个遥控的终端上，并且只有一名安检人员能看到，扫描的图像无法保存或抓取，在安检通过后即被删除。另外，这种设备的辐射水平很低，人们一年接受5000次照射也不用担心会受到伤害。据悉，这套设备价值8万英镑，英国希斯罗机场也曾在2004年试用过。

An X-ray machine which produces ''naked'' images of passengers has been introduced at Manchester Airport, enabling staff to instantly spot any hidden weapons or explosives.

An X-ray machine which produces "naked" images of passengers has been introduced at Manchester Airport, enabling staff to instantly spot any hidden weapons or explosives.

The full body scanner, which is being trialed, will also show up any breast enlargements, false limbs, piercings, and a clear outline of passengers' private parts.

Some travelers might not want to be scanned because of the graphic¹ nature of the images, bosses admit.

They can refuse to undergo the virtual strip search at Terminal 2, opting² for the traditional "pat down" search instead.

But the black and white image will only be seen by one officer in a remote location before it is deleted, Sarah Barrett, head of customer experience at the airport, said.

"Most of our customers do not like the traditional 'pat down' search, they find it too intrusive³, but they still want to be kept safe.

"This scanner completely takes away the hassle of needing to undress. The images are not erotic or pornographic and they cannot be stored or captured in anyway," she said.

The scanner, made by the firm RapiScan Systems, makes the check-in process much quicker for passengers, who will not have to remove their coats, shoes or belts.

Frequent fliers do not need to worry about radiation from the low-level X-ray, she said, and a dental X-ray transmits 20,000 times more radiation.

"Passengers can go through this machine 5,000 times a year each without worrying, it is super safe and the amount of radiation transmitted is tiny," Ms Barrett said.

The scanners, which cost £80,000 each, were also trialed at Heathrow Airport in 2004. The Department for Transport will decide whether to install them permanently⁴ at the end of the trial, which is expected to last for a year.

Electromagnetic waves are beamed on to passengers while they stand in a booth, and a virtual three-dimensional "naked" image is created from the reflected energy.

Security officials in the United States have pioneered their use at New York and Los Angeles airports, and they are gradually being rolled out in other airports in the country.