About Tek84
Pioneering Contraband Detection
For over three decades, Tek84 has been at the forefront of high-security screening and advanced contraband detection. We develop ultra-low-dose transmission x-ray technology that safeguards high-threat environments from internal and external security risks.
What began as a solution for critical security checkpoints has evolved into the industry standard for secure facilities everywhere—protecting staff, securing perimeters, and ensuring the safety of those within.
A Problem Worth Solving
Before earning a PhD in electrical engineering, Dr. Steve Smith served as a police officer for approximately five years. During that time, he experienced firsthand the challenges officers faced in identifying concealed threats during searches and custody events. After returning to academia, he specialized in medical imaging technologies such as MRI, CT, and ultrasound during a rapid era of innovation in imaging science.
Smith combined his two backgrounds: advanced medical imaging capabilities and the real-world operational challenges of law enforcement. In the early 1990s, he developed the first concept for a full-body scanner designed specifically for security. This breakthrough led to the creation of the Secure 1000 in 1991, widely recognized as the world’s first backscatter x-ray body scanner. Because of this pioneering invention and his role in establishing the foundational technology used globally today, Dr. Smith is historically referred to as the “Father of the Body Scanner.” His early work allowed operators to identify objects concealed beneath clothing without requiring intrusive physical searches, demonstrating that advanced imaging could solve critical, real-world security problems.
From Science Fiction to Real-World Security
In 1990, movie audiences were introduced to a vision of the future where security checkpoints could instantly detect concealed threats beneath a person’s clothing. In the film Total Recall, that technology existed in the year 2084.
What most people did not know was that similar technology was already being developed in the real world. Because founder Dr. Steve Smith was actively engineering his groundbreaking body-scanning technology before the film’s release, the name Tek84 was chosen as a tribute to this convergence of science fiction and engineering reality.
Designed for High-Security & Corrections
While early backscatter systems were highly effective at identifying externally concealed items, high-security environments presented a unique challenge: internal concealment. Traditional search methods and surface-focused imaging were insufficient. Recognizing this limitation, Tek84 shifted focus to a transmission imaging system capable of detecting both externally and internally concealed contraband.
This evolution led to the creation of an advanced screening platform designed specifically for institutional security. Unlike standard airport scanners, high-threat environments deal with individuals who may be restrained, uncooperative, or intoxicated. To address this, our flagship product Intercept was engineered with features like stationary-subject architecture, where the imaging apparatus moves around the individual rather than requiring the person to move through the scanner. This critical design choice drastically improves safety, simplifies workflow, and accommodates the rigorous realities of modern contraband detection.
