London, January 17 : Technologists have invented a new hand-held X-ray scanner, which they believe may revolutionise police work and Customs searches by giving officers the superhero power to see through walls.

The LEXID X-ray scanner may allow officers to seek out contraband, weapons, bombs or hidden people, say inventors.

Rick Shie, senior vice-president of its American inventors, Physical Optics Corporation, has revealed that sends out low-level X-rays that get collected in a lens based on the design of a lobster's eye.

It may be noted that lobsters' eyes, which are able to see in deep, murky water, use thousands of tiny squares to focus by reflection rather than the bending or refraction of light like human eyes.

"The LEXID works by emitting a low-level X-ray and then the lobster eye interprets what is returned and the image is produced on a screen,” the Telegraph quoted Shie as saying.

"We have conducted successful trials and the US government is keen to test it. It will show up anything within a couple of metres," he added.

Though the images generated by the LEXID device are not crystal-clear, the inventors claim that they are sharp enough to reveal a weapon cache or bomb parts.

"They are likely to cost several thousand pounds and we think we will be able to improve the image," Shie said. (ANI)