BILLERICA, Mass., Nov. 12, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- American Science and Engineering, Inc. ("AS&E") (Nasdaq:ASEI) a leading worldwide supplier of innovative X-ray detection solutions, announced today that the Company's new MINI Z™ Handheld Z Backscatter® Screening System has been named "Best of What's New" by Popular Science magazine. This prestigious award is given each year to revolutionary new products and technologies that solve a previously unsolved problem.
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"For 27 years, Popular Science has honored the innovations that surprise and amaze us—those that make a positive impact on our world today and challenge our view of what's possible in the future," said Cliff Ransom, Editor-in-Chief of Popular Science. "The Best of What's New Award is the magazine's top honor, and the winners—chosen from among thousands of entrants—each a revolution in its field."
The MINI Z system is the world's first handheld Z Backscatter imaging system, providing law enforcement, public safety, security, and port and border officials with fast, portable, real-time detection of concealed threats and contraband, even in the most hard-to-reach places. By leveraging AS&E's signature Z Backscatter technology, the system can detect drugs, explosives, and other organic materials concealed behind non-metallic surfaces. Using the MINI Z system, security personnel are now able to quickly assess a suspicious object or location and determine—in just minutes—if explosives or other threats are present in unattended bags and packages, furniture, pleasure craft, small aircraft, and vehicle tires, seats, and panels.
"We are honored to accept the "Best of What's New" award from Popular Science, in recognition of how the MINI Z system and its underlying technology represent a significant step forward in efforts to protect public safety," said Chuck Dougherty, AS&E's President and CEO. "Reflecting AS&E's ongoing commitment to innovation, the MINI Z system is a game-changer for law enforcement and other security officials who now have the critical tool they need to quickly identify and resolve threats to public safety wherever they occur."
AS&E has received initial MINI Z bookings and has begun to ship systems to end-users and key channel partners around the world. Experience the MINI Z system at www.meetminiz.com.
About Best of What's New
Each year, the editors of Popular Science review thousands of products in search of the top 100 tech innovations of the year; breakthrough products and technologies that represent a significant leap in their categories. The winners — the Best of What's New — are awarded inclusion in the much-anticipated December issue of Popular Science, the most widely read issue of the year since the Best of What's New debuted in 1987. Best of Whatʼs New awards are presented to 100 new products and technologies in 12 categories: Aerospace, Automotive, Engineering, Entertainment, Gadgets, Green, Hardware, Health, Home, Recreation, Security, and Software.
MINI Z: The World's First Handheld Z Backscatter® Screening System
The MINI Z system is a portable, single-sided imaging system that can go anywhere—inside buildings, aircraft, watercraft, and other tight spaces—to scan unattended bags and other objects in the hard-to-reach areas where other systems can't go. The system uses AS&E's signature Z Backscatter technology, an advanced X-ray imaging technology that detects and highlights the organic materials that transmission X-ray systems can miss, such as plastic guns, ceramic knives, explosives, and drugs. The MINI Z operator controls the scanning function using a simple, intuitive GUI on the system's dedicated tablet, which shows an image of the scanned target in real time—no set up required. Unlike density meters, trace detectors, and portable transmission X-ray systems, the MINI Z system produces an easy-to-interpret image to enable fast detection of organic threats and contraband behind non-metallic surfaces. Easy to carry and use, the MINI Z system is ideal for a wide-range of applications, including checkpoint, VIP, event, law enforcement, and airport and border security. Introduced in June 2014, the MINI Z system was awarded "Best of What's New" by Popular Science and been named an ASIS Accolades Award winner and selected by ASIS for the best in show, "Judge's Choice" award.
American Science and Engineering, Inc. (AS&E) is the trusted global provider of threat and contraband detection solutions for ports, borders, military, critical infrastructure, law enforcement, and aviation. With over 50 years of experience, AS&E offers proven, advanced X-ray inspection systems to combat terrorism, drug smuggling, illegal immigration and trade fraud. AS&E systems are designed in a variety of configurations for cargo and vehicle inspection, parcel inspection, and personnel screening. Using a combination of technologies, these systems provide superior detection capabilities, with high-energy, dual-energy, and Z Backscatter X-rays. Learn more about AS&E products and technologies at www.as-e.com and follow us on Twitter @ase_detects.
Safe Harbor Statement: The foregoing press release contains statements concerning AS&E's financial performance, markets and business operations that may be considered "forward-looking" under applicable securities laws. AS&E wishes to caution readers of this press release that actual results might differ materially from those projected in any forward-looking statements. Factors which might cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements contained herein include the following: significant reductions, delays or cancellations (in full or in part) in procurements of the Company's systems by the United States and other governments; disruption in the supply of any source component incorporated into AS&E's products; litigation seeking to restrict the use of intellectual property used by the Company; limitations under certain laws on the Company's ability to protect its own intellectual property; potential product liability claims against the Company; global political trends and events which affect public perception of the threat presented by drugs, explosives and other contraband; global economic developments and the ability of governments and private organizations to fund purchases of the Company's products to address such threats; the potential insufficiency of Company resources, including human resources, capital, plant and equipment and management systems, to accommodate any future growth; technical problems and other delays that could impact new product development and the Company's ability to adapt to changes in technology and customer requirements; competitive pressures; lengthy sales cycles both in United States government procurement and procurement abroad; future delays in federal funding, the market price of the company's stock prevailing from time to time, the nature of other investment opportunities presented to the company from time to time, the company's cash flows from operations and market and general economic conditions. These and certain other factors which might cause actual results to differ materially from those projected are detailed from time to time in AS&E's periodic reports and registration statements filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which important factors are incorporated herein by reference. AS&E undertakes no obligation to update forward looking statements to reflect changed assumptions, the occurrence of unanticipated events, or changes in future operating results, financial condition or business over time. Readers are further advised to review the "Risk Factors" set forth in the Company's most recent Form 10-Q and Form 10-K, which further detail and supplement the factors described in this Safe Harbor Statement. Among other disclosures, the Risk Factors disclose risks pertaining to that portion of the Company's business that is dependent on United States government contracting as well as international customers.
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