Eleven full-body scanners will be installed at John Wayne Airport security checkpoints, officials said Monday.

High-tech imagers generated widespread controversy when they were rolled out in select airports in recent years, with many travelers denouncing the highly revealing body images as invasions of privacy.

The devices use millimeter-wave technology, which can see through clothing and gained popularity as a way to spot weapons, such as plastic explosives, that metal detectors might miss.

Nico Melendez, spokesman for the Transportation Security Administration, said the devices at John Wayne Airport will be equipped with software that addresses concerns. Earlier this year, the TSA began outfitting machines so that they produce no image unless a possible threat is detected, in which case a generic body outline is shown.

JWA debuts its expanded terminal next month, but Melendez didn’t have a firm date for installation, saying only that it’s expected in coming months.

There are nearly 500 full-body scanners at 78 airports nationwide, and continued deployment to other airports is planned. The vast majority of travelers choose imagers over other advanced screening methods, such pat-downs, TSA officials say.

Contact the writer: 714-796-7952 or joverley@ocregister.com