The South Bend Regional Airport wasn’t the first to use advanced imaging technology to screen passengers, but it is happy to be the latest to do so.

“I’m just very pleased that South Bend has the very latest,” said John Schalliol, the airport’s executive director.

At 4:30 a.m. today, the airport began using the Pro Vision ATD, which employs magnetic waves to screen passengers.

While such advanced imaging machines were controversial when they first came out, the newer versions are designed to be both effective—and non offensive.

“We didn’t have to put up with the, the outrage actually of people who saw the image, the actual very graphic image of a person and the concern that somebody was copying it or somebody was seeing it that shouldn’t be seeing it,” said Schalliol.

While earlier machines were met with invasion of privacy concerns, the $180,000 Pro Vision ATD machine installed today produces a cartoon like outline of a human image, with potential trouble spots highlighted in yellow.

“The technology looks for metallic and non metallic items; liquids, plastics, powders, aerosols, things that can be used as explosive components, or as explosives themselves,” said Jim Fotenos, with the Transportation Security Administration.

Stepping into the machine is a little like stepping into a revolving door, only you stand still—and there is no glass in the frame that encircles you.

“The millimeter wave technology uses electro magnetic or radio waves, it's thousands of times less than what is used by your cell phone, it is safe for all passengers,” said Fotenos.

To passenger Mike O’Connell, the new machine was noticed, but no cause for alarm. “Yeah, it was pretty simple; it didn’t take very long, it seemed more sophisticated than before.”

The machine detected some neck chains that O’Connell was wearing. He says a TSA agent wore latex gloves while patting the medals. O’Connell had to wait while the gloves were apparently tested for traces of explosives.

Not all passengers will have to go through the new advanced imaging machine. In fact, every single passenger has the right to refuse, although they will be subjected to a “pat down” search that must be as thorough as the search performed by the machine.

“I personally can’t imagine why anybody would opt out of this process, you ask about a pat down and to me a pat down is just that, people touching you in places only your wife ought to be touching you,” said Schalliol.

Just one machine was installed in South Bend. When passenger volume warrants, two screening lines will be formed with one line going through the advanced imaging machine and the other going through the old fashioned metal detector.