NCBJ-developed radiographic cargo scanner was presented during a two-day-long meeting organized in Świerk for some representatives of the Polish customs authorities and of the PiD Polska sp. z o.o. company. Such scanners are applied mainly at border checkpoints to detect smuggled goods. The meeting was an occasion to discuss capabilities of modern cargo scanners, as well as practical needs of Polish customs officers in respect to such systems.

Prof. Sławomir Wronka, NCBJ Particle Acceleration Physics & Technology Division Head presented advantages of the double-energy scanning technology. The technology uses beams of two different energies to better image cargoes composed of various objects of various specific densities. Prof. Wronka’s team has patented a solution capable to greatly speed up the double-energy scanning process. Ms Edyta Dymowska-Grajda, Director of NCBJ Division of Nuclear Equipment has pointed out that robustness and reliability of the scanners are very important for their end-users, and reminded that one of the first batch of medical accelerators constructed in Świerk in 70’ of the last century is still operational. Other topics discussed during the meeting included fast data processing algorithms, image interpretation modules, and user-friendliness of the system software. Attendees were given an opportunity to view CANIS, a scanner developed in NCBJ.

From the very beginning of its operations, the Świerk-based Institute was involved in development of particle accelerators, radiation detectors, and data analysis methods. Many of the systems developed in the Institute have found their applications in industry, medicine, and research. Long-lasting cooperation with some leading research centres in the world (e.g. CERN Geneva or DESY Hamburg) allowed Polish scientists and engineers to achieve the top international level. Solutions developed for advanced research facilities have soon been finding their way also to devices and systems commonly used in everyday practice. The CANIS cargo scanner is one of the examples. In 2016 NCBJ reached with the PiD Polska sp. z o.o. company cooperation agreement on commercialization of the scanner.