Re: X-rays or Strip Search?

[Kim Merritt <Merritt9@llnl.gov>]

>The machine in question delivers roughly two orders of magnitude less dose
>to an individual (per scan) than that individual will receive this day, and
>every day, from background radiation.  The individual volunteers to receive
>that dose, rather than to undergo a strip search.  Am I to understand that
>the operators of that machine may be in an ethical quandary?  I wouldn't
>think so.
>
I think this is a confusion of the two topics that were being discussed
under the  same thread.  I believe that the question of ethics came into
play with the use of medical x-ray systems to do the imaging.  The other
backscatter system was brought as an issue later.

Just to throw my $.02 into the pot, if it works and the dose is neglible it
should be used.  However, using a system that does not give good results
would not be ,at least in my mind, good practice, even if the dose is
neglible.


| | | |    Kim Merritt, RRPT
| | | |__  Safety Support Officer, Physics & Space Technolgy
| | \___/  Lawrence Livermore National Labs
| \___/    merritt9@llnl.gov
\___/      Voice: (925)423-1143   Fax: (925)423-1088
	   "When the only tool you have is a hammer,
	   every problem begins to resemble a nail."
	   -Abraham Maslow


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