U.K. health officials have issued warnings to dentists about cheap, handheld x-ray devices that could be potentially lethal.
Health experts say the imported machines expose users and patients to 10 times the normal level of radiation, according to a BBC News story.
So far, 13 of the Tianjie Dental Falcon devices -- sold via the Internet by Zhengzhou Tianjie Electronic Equipment for as little as $380 (200 pounds), compared with around $6,400 (4,000 pounds) for standard handheld x-ray devices -- have been seized at a distribution center in Portsmouth.
Emergency testing of the product by the Health Protection Agency and scientists at King's College Hospital in London revealed that it has insufficient lead shielding inside it to protect dentists and patients from excessive radiation.
Investigators have alerted health officials in Australia and the U.S., where they may also have been sold.
