Patent ID: 8047053

Claim:
A system for automatically screening an item of mail for the presence of at least two different types of threat agents selected from a group consisting of a radiological agent, a toxic chemical agent, a bio-threat agent, and an explosive agent, the system including: (a) an explosive detection component that determines if an explosive agent is associated with the item of mail, the explosive detection component comprising: (i) an automated sampling arm that automatically places a sampling medium in physical contact with at least one surface of the item of mail; and (ii) means to analyze the sample collected by the sampling medium; and (b) at least one additional detection component selected from a group of detection components consisting of: (i) a radiation detection component, the radiation detection component detecting if radiation is associated with the item of mail; (ii) a toxic chemical detection component, the toxic chemical detection component determining if a toxic chemical agent is associated with the item of mail; and (iii) a bio-threat sampling component, the bio-threat sampling component collecting a bio-threat sample to be analyzed to determine if a bio-threat agent is disposed on a surface of the item of mail.