CROWN POINT | While a suicide bomber passed through two scanners and then went on to injure a Saudi prince last year by detonating explosives inserted in his rectum, a local business was creating a scanner that would have detected the hidden bomb.
Nesch LLC, a firm located at the Purdue Technology Center in Crown Point, has developed a technology called Diffraction-Enhanced X-ray Imaging, called DEXI, which can detect contraband both inside and outside human body cavities in 30 to 90 seconds.
"Placing our security machines at airports and security gates will ensure dangerous materials are taken out of the control of terrorists who seek to inflict grave harm on the general public," said President and Chief Executive Officer Ivan Nesch.
Terrorists are increasingly turning to age-old tactics once the main purview of drug smugglers.
The DEXI scanner also would have revealed the cache of explosives attached to the underwear of a Nigerian man who attempted to blow up a flight from Amsterdam to Detroit on Christmas day.
Since then, the mad dash for full-body scans at airports seems unstoppable.
There are 40 in use at 19 U.S. airports, and that number is expected to skyrocket, according to the Transportation Security Administration. O'Hare International Airport has its first full-body scanner. Approximately 150 machines, paid for with $25 million of 2009 federal stimulus funds, are to be installed in airports by the end of June.
The DEXI technology, which is noninvasive, initially was developed for medical use. But the large-scale machinery evolved, and testing now is done with a desktop-sized device, project manager Daniel Fogarty said.
The prototype is about 10-by-7-by-4-feet and has 50 times less radiation than conventional X-rays. "More information and less radiation -- a gain on both sides," Nesch said. The current scan time is expected to improve, Fogarty said.
Eventually, the scanner will analyze material so users may determine, for example, if a substance is carbon-based. "On the spot, we would know if it's dangerous," Nesch said.
The security procedure could be similar to today's current process for carry-on luggage where the object goes through, and a security official in close proximity views a monitor.
Scanners on the market today see through clothing and produce ghostly images of passengers. DEXI reveals internals but doesn't expose or recreate contours of the body or face.
The company is finalizing a larger production model and was to begin taking orders in March. The cost is expected to be $600,000 to $1 million. For now, up to 15 machines could be produced per year, but the market potential is significant.
When it comes time to expand, the Purdue Research Foundation said it will accommodate the company on its premises. Nesch has no plans to leave the Hoosier state, and the company one day could easily employ hundreds.
"Indiana has a decent workforce and high-tech companies are good for this region," he said. "We are capable of retaining our own and attracting people from other states."
Indiana's 21st Century Research and Technology Fund focuses on ventures that have demonstrated a market potential to commercialize innovative technologies. It helps companies leap from research to product development.
The fund awarded the high-tech company a $2 million grant. Funding from all sources, which includes the Department of Defense and the National Institutes of Health, totals $4 million.
Fogarty said the company is poised to take advantage of the current market potential.
There is already global interest in places such as Netherlands, Germany, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Israel.
"It's very encouraging," he said. "The technology is proven. It's a matter of securing funds to grow the company and grabbing a customer base and going from there. It's a very exciting time for us as a young company."
Company name: Nesch LLC
Type of business: X-ray imaging technology
When opened: 2003
Address: 9800 Connecticut Dr., Crown Point
Phone: (219) 644.3505
Owner: Ivan Nesch
Number of Employees: 10
E-mail: contactus@neschllc.com
Web site: www.neschllc.com
