Many Using Prosthetic Devices Say X-rays Are A Concern

Airline travel has long since lost its glamor, but for some, the screening process is one that is a cause for particular concern.

Earlier this summer, the Amputee Coalition of America called on TSA to "clean up its act" when it comes to screening people who have lost a limb and use a prosthetic device. The group says it conducted a survey which revealed that many amputees feel they have been subjected to "inconsistent, unfair, abusive, and often embarrassing screenings" at airports.

USA Today reports that one of the biggest concerns of amputees is the CastScope backscatter X-ray machine which can be used to detect a potential threat in a prosthetic device. Many amputees say the are concerned about radiation from the devices, particularly if they are frequent flyers, and that many of the operators are improperly trained in its use. The CastScope does not scan the entire body, but focuses on the area with a prosthetic, cast or bandage which TSA says could hide a weapon.

Tek84, the company which makes the device, says it uses a very low dose of radiation for its scans, far lower than the dose limits set forth by the American National Standards Institute. But doctor Jeffery Cain, who has had both legs amputated below the knee, says he receives the equivalent of 20 X-rays when he is scanned by the CastScope. Cain, a board member of the Amputee Coalition, says traveling just 5 times a year could exceed the limit considered safe for X-rays.

CastScope TSA Image

Tek84 and TSA contend that it would take 2,500 X-rays to reach the limit, and that the CastScope delivers lest than 1 microrem of radiation per scan. But while passengers who do not wish to submit to the full body scan can be searched in other ways, TSA says the CastScope is the only method available to screen prosthetic devices.

Some amputees have complained that they have been treated like "third class citizens" and even missed flights because no one was available who knew how to operate the CastScope. TSA's new administrator, John Pistole, says he is reviewing those policies. TSA said it spent $1.7 million on 35 of the devices in 2007, and that they are deployed in 11 airports around the country. The agency says there are no plans to purchase additional CastScopes.

FMI: www.tsa.gov, www.amputee-coalition.org