Editing 1st Marine Expeditionary Force (section)

===Safety features, protocols and components===
As with other Starfleet technology, the transporter had its own set of safety features, protocols and procedures. In an emergency, many of these safety systems could be modified or circumvented.

One safety feature protected the transport subject to a certain degree from external influences once the dematerialization process had begun.  This protection extended to both high energy discharges (such as energy weapons fire) and physical incursions (such as projectile weapons fire). (ENT|Broken Bow; TOS|Bread and Circuses; film|6; TNG|A Matter of Perspective|The Most Toys)

Such protection was ''not'' infallible, however, particularly in the earlier models of transporter. "Foreign matter" could get caught up in the transport process and become embedded or integrated into the subject. (ENT|Strange New World).

Biofilters were uniformly used on all Federation transporters by the 24th century.  These filters functioned to decontaminate transported objects and prevent harmful substances, pathogens, and even certain forms of radiation (including theta radiation), from contaminating the rest of the ship.  (VOY|Macrocosm|Night)

Though biofilters performed a general contaminate removal with each transport, some novel contaminate removal required specific calibration in order for the filters to be effective.  As such, biofilters were incapable of filtering out certain types of substances and pathogens, most notably psychic energy. (TNG|Lonely Among Us|Power Play) 

Biofilters were also unable to detect and filter certain types of phased reality lifeforms without prior calibration.  Biofilters also functioned to detect and disable weapons and explosives (remat detonators).  (TNG|Realm of Fear|The Schizoid Man)

Additionally pattern buffers were used to compensate for relative motion during transport, ensuring that transported matter materialized in the correct location.

Except in cases of extreme emergency, protocols prohibited transporting objects while traveling at warp speed. (TNG|The Schizoid Man)