You need to read the novel Agent of the Imperium and also dip into the T5 rules.
T5 doesn't actually mention destructive brainscans - setting not following rules as written, very Traveller - it does, however, mention that brain recordings can be made as low as TL12 (in the Robots section). Adding in the relevant bits of the tech tree
TL 12 - personality recording and editing.
TL 13 - cloning, forced growth, wafer technology, wafer jack, wafer headset
TL 14 - temporary personality transfer
TL 15 - mindwipe and editing, pattern personality transfer.
TL 17 - permanent personality transfer
So destructive scans at TL12.
A temporary personality transfer (Agent of the Imperium) TL14 (Bland et al are experimental/prototype)
Non-destructive at TL14 - immortality but at a price - every week you have to re-upload your personality to your clone, failure to do so results in a mindwipe (this is how I think the Essaray do it)
Cloning and transferring the personality permanently TL15
Altered Carbon/Eclipse Phase at TL17
It's worth revisiting this.
TL 12 - personality recording and editing - this is destructive
TL 13 - cloning, forced growth, wafer technology, wafer jack, wafer headset
TL 14 - temporary personality transfer - every week you have to re-upload your personality - brainscans are still destructive.
TL 15 - mindwipe and editing, pattern personality transfer - brainscans are no longer destructive and your personality can be permanently downloaded to a clone of your brain.
TL 17 - permanent personality transfer - personalities can take over a host permanently
The technique used on Bland is thus a TL12 brainscan and experimental TL14 personality uploading.
So destructive scans at TL12.
A temporary personality transfer (Agent of the Imperium) TL14 (Bland et al are experimental/prototype)
Non-destructive at TL14 - immortality but at a price - every week you have to re-upload your personality to your clone, failure to do so results in a mindwipe (this is how I think the Essaray do it)
Cloning and transferring the personality permanently TL15 - could bland be resurrected from his finger?
Altered Carbon/Eclipse Phase at TL17
Also note that electronic personality transfer is one of the ways one of the first starfarer races that pre-dated the Ancients travelled from world to world.
The memories and personality of a being can be recorded onto a "wafer". Anyone with a wafer jack or someone with a wafer interface headset can have those memories (and personality) run on their brain.
But here is the thing for any "brain uploading", the copy of you isn't really you unless the original is destructively scanned.
The copy will think it is you though.
Here is a link to the thread where the current JTAS article on this subject was discussed.
In JTAS 14 we find Finding Immortality by Adrian Tymes. He has obviously read Agent of the Imperium but not T5. Now while the destructive brainscan may have been necessary at TL12/13 the rules in T5 are very clear. During character generation you can muster out with an insurance package...
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