Methods and system for hazardous material early detection for use with mail and other objects

A system, for the detection of potentially hazardous materials in mail pieces, comprising:

• at least one radiation source capable of exposing one mail piece from a plurality of mail pieces;
• means for detecting a signal arising from an interaction between said at least one radiation source and said one mail piece from the plurality of mail pieces, said means generating at least one detected signal;
• means for transporting each mail piece from the plurality of mail pieces through an illumination area for said at least one radiation source;
• means for culling a mail piece from said plurality of mail pieces;
• at least one processor;
• a first memory for storing data for access by a process executed by at least one processor, said memory comprising a database;
• at least one second computer readable memory having instructions embodied therein, said instructions causing said at least one processor to:
• analyze said at least one detected signal, said analysis producing at least one result;
• compare said at least one analysis result to data from the database;
• apply an early warning criterion to said comparison;
• if said early warning criterion indicates that said one mail piece from the plurality of mail pieces contains potentially hazardous materials, cause said at least one processor to apply control signal to the culling means.

A memory for storing data for access by a process executed by a processor, said memory comprising:

• a structure for providing data to be compared against results of interaction of at least one radiation source with mail pieces and to be utilized to apply an early warning criterion to said comparison, said structure comprising:
• an identifier for said radiation source,
• an identifier for said interaction,
• an identifier for an analysis form for the result of said interaction,
• data for known suspicious interaction results,
• an early warning criterion corresponding to said data.

A system, for the detection of potentially hazardous materials in mail pieces, comprising:

• at least one sensor capable of providing an indication of a presence of hazardous materials in at least one mail piece;
• a mail transport sub-system capable of transporting said at least one mail piece through an operational area of said at least one sensor;
• at least one processor receiving and processing data from said at least one sensor;
• a culling sub-system capable of culling said at least one mail piece if the presence of hazardous material is detected.

A method, for the detection of potentially hazardous materials in mail pieces, comprising the steps of:

• providing at least one sensor capable of providing an indication of the presence of potentially hazardous material in at least one mail piece;
• sensing the presence of said potentially hazardous material in said at least one mail piece;
• and,
• culling said at least one mail piece, if the presence of said potentially hazardous material is sensed.