HAWTHORNE, Calif. -- Rapiscan Systems, a division of OSI Systems, Inc., announced that the company was awarded a two-phase $2.7 million contract by the Homeland Security Advanced Research Projects Agency (HSAPRA) for the development of the Rapiscan Radiological Threat Identification System.
RTIS is designed to automatically detect and identify radioactive materials within cargo and vehicles utilizing gamma-ray spectroscopic analysis of radioactive species. This process distinguishes between radiological threats and benign Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (NORM). As a result, the system facilitates the flow of commerce because its false alarm rate is much lower than radiation detection systems that cannot make the distinction.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) plans to deploy, on a large scale, systems that detect the illicit movement of nuclear and other radioactive materials at our nation's ports and border crossings. As part of this multi-phase, competitive-bid initiative, performance tests are scheduled to begin in the near future. The field is then expected to narrow down to the top-three systems followed by a large-scale acquisition planned for by the DHS.
Ajay Mehra, President of Rapiscan Systems, stated, "This announcement signifies an advance in the next generation screening technologies for radiological and nuclear threats. The new technology will be designed to work either as a stand-alone portal monitor, or it can be deployed in tandem with our image-based screening technologies such as the advanced Eagle(R) X-ray technology, which is operating in the Port of Baltimore."
