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    Airport body scanner??

    Took the red eye from California last night. Got pulled aside after I went thru the body scanner, for a "pat down" of my head. Of course there was nothing, I thought the woman was nuts. She told me to look at the screen of my scan and there was a good size colored spot on the side of my head. Does anyone know what that scanner could be possibly be seeing?

    #2
    I think I would have asked what they usually indicate. Metal, explosives? Could have just been the machine having a bad day.

    As far as I know, they don't detect medical issues other than metal parts, etc.
    Diagnosed: May 2012
    Medications: Avonex - stopped 12/14
    Plegridy - starting 12/14

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      #3
      I wonder if the scanner was being glitchy. Hopefully, you weren't embarrassed too much or held up from your schedule.

      After my pump surgery, some time ago, I went on a class trip to DC with my daughter. Every scanner station I was patted down. Medtronic gives you a card to carry but the operators weren't too interested in looking at it before the first scan even if I was trying to hand it to them.

      It became something of a joke with different students wanting to me in my group so they could watch me get patted down. Some of the other moms are my close friends and there are some pictures floating around

      When we traveled across the country this past summer and visited numerous national parks, it was the same thing.

      But I knew scanners were doing their jobs correctly. I hope the machine you had is serviced soon so they can make sure it is calibrated correctly.

      Take Care

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        #4
        Maybe in the future, the scanners will detect weapons and give you a diagnosis. I don't think the imaging penetrates the skin.

        But I'm astonished that you were able to see the scan. I thought that the person who sees the scan is in another room looking at naked pictures of people. I've never heard that the person right there can look at it.

        So was it a naked picture of you?

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          #5
          Wow!

          So how was the rest of your day? Even as a medical person I would have been totally freaked out.

          I have no idea what it could be and agree with the others.

          I have a high level freak-out sensitivity level and that would have ruined my month. You're a stronger person than I am.
          Dave
          "Journeyman"

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            #6
            Scanner or metal detector? What kind of device was it? Is this for real?

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              #7
              Originally posted by nappy View Post

              After my pump surgery, some time ago, I went on a class trip to DC with my daughter. Every scanner station I was patted down. Medtronic gives you a card to carry but the operators weren't too interested in looking at it before the first scan even if I was trying to hand it to them.
              Nappy I haven't been on a plane since my pump was implanted, but I can't imagine that the "hockey puck" in my belly wouldn't set off some sort of warning. Even if they'd look at a silhouette they'd see a bulge, but I figured I'd give them the card and still expect a pat down.

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                #8
                QUOTE=BigA;1387218]Scanner or metal detector? What kind of device was it? Is this for real?[/QUOTE]

                It was the scanner where you stand with your arms up and it goes around you. I would have never noticed the screen if she hadn't told me to turn around. Who looks back after you go thru? I always just want to get to my gate! The only way I can describe it is it looked like a thermal image of my body. So glad it didn't show to much detail!

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                  #9
                  Interesting. Maybe it's not the naked scanner. I wonder what it could have been then.

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                    #10
                    There are two different types of Whole Body Imaging (WBI): Backscatter X-ray machines made by Rapiscan and millimeter wave machines made by L3.

                    The backscatter X-ray consists of two tall blue boxes and you stand in between them with your hands up, while you are X-rayed and your naked picture is viewed by a TSA employee in another area, who then radios the TSA employee at the machine whether or not you have "passed." About 25% of the time, there is a false positive and you get the whole body pat down (including breasts and genital areas) after the X-ray picture. Though the X-ray dosage is reported to be "small," TSA has not allowed any independent outside experts to inspect and review their safety. Ionizing radiation like X-rays are a known cause of cancer.

                    The MMW (MilliMeter Wave) is the round glass booth type that shows the "gumby image" on a screen, with a dot highlighting the suspicious area. Usually, when something shows up on the gumby, your pat down involves only the suspicious areas, not your whole body. The MMW machine uses a radiofrequency wave that, unlike the backscatter X-ray, has not been shown to cause cancer. However, it does have a false positive rate of about 50%. That is probably what happened to nyblondie - a false positive where a dot shows up but there is nothing there, very common with that machine. And at least the gumby is not a graphic nude picture.

                    Some airports still use the walk-through metal detector which is quicker and has very few false positives, though since it detects metal objects, it is not suitable for those with certain types of implants or pumps.

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                      #11
                      I just got back from traveling from one of the busiest east coast airports. They used the MMW as onlyairfare describes with the "gumby" image. I got pulled aside and was sent to a separate room with 2 TSA's and got the full body pat down.

                      It was disconcerting because I had been in the wheelchair up to the point of xray and they didn't even let me use my cane to walk to the private room (at least the pat down was in private) The "culprit" was some single pieces of chicklet gum and 4 advil pills I had in my pants pocket!

                      Lesson learned: when they say empty pockets, they mean empty!
                      1st sx '89 Dx '99 w/RRMS - SP since 2010
                      Administrator Message Boards/Moderator

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                        #12
                        Onlyairfare, thanks for giving a clarifying the difference. The nurses I work with just told me not to freak out, that it probably was a false reading. If it was anywhere other than my head, I would not have thought twice about it. But when you have swiss cheese for brains it's hard not too.

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                          #13
                          Hi All

                          I have had a Baclofen pump for many years. I have always told the person that I have a medical implant when I go through security. I would always get patted down.

                          I have to say, it has actually gotten easier for me, in recent years. I walk with a cane & wear an AFO on my right leg. They swap out my cane for a wooden one & then I go through the x-ray/body scanner. I am able to stand in the machine. The only other thing they do is wipe my brace to check for chemicals.

                          I do store everything in my backpack...belt, keys, wallet,etc. I also have my meds & Copaxone in my backpack. I have only been asked once about the Copaxone & that was back in the stone age when you used to have to mix it.

                          Take Care, Bob

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                            #14
                            body scanners

                            The TSA has been the target of so much controversy over the exposing full-body X-ray scanning devices in airports. The agency claims it will put those machines out of business if favor of a different technology it says shows less skin and has fewer health risks. Still, not everyone is certain.

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                              #15
                              The TSA has reportedly removed the backscatter X-ray scanning machines from all US airports and relocated them for use in "other government facilities" such as prisons or government buildings.

                              They X-ray scanners have been replaced with the millimeter wave machines which create the "gumby image" using non-ionizing radiation, which is safer. Though the TSA stated the reason was because the "gumby" was more private than nude pictures, I think they also felt a lot of public concern about the cancer risk of X-raying all passengers.

                              Of course many airports still use the walk-through metal detectors some or all of the time. Personally, I will walk through the metal detector but I will not go through the millimeter wave machine. I take the pat down instead, because I just don't trust the whole body imaging machines of any sort.

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