Scanning system, method, and corresponding bracket

• US 10,254,436 B2
• Filed: 10/01/2013
• Issued: 04/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rapiscan Holdings, Inc. (OSI Systems Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: VOTI Inc. (VOTI Detection, Inc.)
• Inventors: Awad, William, Archambault, Simon
• Primary Examiner(s): Porta, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sahu, Meenakshi
• Application Number:
  US15/026,823
• Publication Number:
  US 20160252647A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,016 Days
• Field of Search: 2504721, 378 9, 378 19, 378 57, 378 62, 378 983, 378 988
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 13/02 for supporting on, or attaching to, an object, e.g. tree, gate, window-frame, cycle
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 5/22 Active interrogation, i.e. by irradiating objects or goods using external radiation sources, e.g. using gamma rays or cosmic rays
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 5/226 using tomography
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 5/228 using stereoscopic means
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/005 General purpose rendering architectures
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10116 X-ray image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/122 Improving the 3D impression of stereoscopic images by modifying image signal contents, e.g. by filtering or adding monoscopic depth cues H04N13/128 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/189 Recording image signals; Reproducing recorded image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/243 using three or more 2D image sensors

Abstract

A scanning system, corresponding bracket and method are for scanning an object. The system has a frame defining a scanning chamber in which the object to be scanned is placed. The system also has a displacement assembly which displaces the object into and out of the scanning chamber. The system can also have a source which emits electromagnetic radiation or X-rays against the object within the scanning chamber such that the EM radiation passes through the object. The system can also have detectors arranged around the scanning chamber which detect the EM radiation which passes through the object. Each of the detectors forms a detector angle with a plane which can vary from one detector to the next. Similarly, the source can form an angle with the horizontal plane. The system, bracket, and method allow for the production of representative three-dimensional views of the object.

Claims

1. A scanning system for scanning an object comprising:

a scanning chamber having opposed side surfaces and a third surface extending between the side surfaces;

a displacement assembly engageable with the scanning chamber, the displacement assembly configured for receiving the object and displacing the object in a displacement direction into the scanning chamber;

a bracket frame mounted to the scanning chamber and inclined relative to a horizontal in the displacement direction;

a source mounted to an inclined support and in fixed position about the scanning chamber for emitting electromagnetic radiation toward the bracket frame at an angle inclined relative to the horizontal and against the object in the scanning chamber so that the electromagnetic radiation impacts and passes through the object; and

a plurality of detectors mounted to the bracket frame at least partially about the scanning chamber, each detector being inclined at a detector angle, the detector angle of at least one of the detectors having a different value than the detector angle of an adjacent detector, each detector configured for detecting the electromagnetic radiation passed through the object, thereby scanning the object.

2. A scanning system according to claim 1, wherein the source is configured for emitting electromagnetic radiation from a focal point as a beam having beam boundaries, the beam boundaries being separated by an angular interval of about 80°

.

3. A scanning system according to claim 2, wherein one of the beam boundaries is aligned with one of the side surfaces of the scanning chamber.

4. A scanning system according to claim 2, wherein each detector has a detector card having a centre point and edges.

5. A scanning system according to claim 4, wherein each detector is inclined at a corresponding detector angle such that the centre point of each detector card is substantially perpendicular to the focal point.

6. A scanning system according to claim 4, wherein each detector card is inclined at a corresponding detector angle such that the edges of each detector card engage at least one of the third surface and the side surfaces of the scanning chamber.

7. A scanning system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of detectors comprise two rows of detectors mounted to the frame, the first row of detectors being disposed adjacent to one of the side surfaces of the scanning chamber, and the second row of detectors being disposed adjacent to the third surface of the scanning chamber.

8. A bracket for a scanning system for scanning an object, comprising:

a bracket frame mountable to the scanning system, the bracket frame being inclined relative to a horizontal;

a source mounted to an inclined support and in fixed position for emitting electromagnetic radiation toward the bracket frame at an angle inclined relative to the horizontal and against the object so that the electromagnetic radiation impacts and passes through the object, the source being mounted to the bracket frame; and

a plurality of detectors mounted to the bracket frame, each detector being inclined at a detector angle, the detector angle of at least one of the detectors having a different value than the detector angle of an adjacent detector, each detector configured for detecting the electromagnetic radiation passed through the object, thereby scanning the object.

9. A bracket according to claim 8, wherein the bracket frame forms an angle relative to the horizontal between about 1°

and about 45°

.

10. A bracket according to claim 9, the bracket frame forms an angle relative to the horizontal between about 10°

and about 20°

.

11. A bracket according to claim 8, wherein the source is configured for emitting electromagnetic radiation from a focal point as a beam having beam boundaries, the beam boundaries being separated by an angular interval of about 80°

.

12. A bracket according to claim 11, wherein each detector has a detector card having a centre point and edges.

13. A bracket according to claim 12, wherein each detector is inclined at a corresponding detector angle such that the centre point of each detector card is substantially perpendicular to the focal point.

14. A method of generating a three-dimensional image of a scanned object, comprising the steps:

receiving, at an input port, image data of an object, having been captured via a plurality of detectors disposed at least partially about the object and mounted to a bracket frame inclined relative to a horizontal, at least two adjacent ones of the detectors being angled one with respect to the other, each of the detectors receiving electromagnetic radiation emitted by a source at an angle inclined relative to the horizontal toward the bracket frame and passing through the object, the source mounted to an inclined support and in fixed position;

by means of a processor, generating from the image data, an image representing a perspective view of the object; and

storing said image into a storage for presenting on a display, a three dimensional representation of the object.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the generating comprises juxtaposing into a row, the image data received from adjacent detectors.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the image data received comprises image captures of segments of the object, and wherein the juxtaposing of the generating step is repeated for each one of the segments, the generating step further comprising concatenating the rows.

17. The method according to claim 14, further comprising normalizing the image of the object, by means of a normalizing module integrated in the processor.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the normalizing comprises at least one of:

correcting an offset for a given pixel of the image data in relation to an offset reference, and

correcting a gain for a given pixel of the image data in relation to a gam reference.

19. The method according to claim 14, wherein the image data of the receiving step, comprises low energy absorption data and high energy absorption data for one or more pixel of the image data.

20. The method according to claim 19, further comprising fusing the low energy absorption data and high energy absorption data for one or more pixel of the image of the object, by means of a fusion module integrated in the processor.

21. The method according to claim 19, further comprising calculating, by means of a calculator integrated in the processor, an atomic number for one or more pixel of the image data.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein the calculating comprises for each pixel:

receiving said low energy absorption data and high energy absorption data;

receiving a signal level of a source emission detected by the detectors; and

referencing, via reference data stored in the storage, an atomic number to the combination of the low energy absorption data, the high energy absorption data and

the signal level of the source emission.

23. A data storage comprising data and instructions for execution by a processor to generate a three-dimensional image of a scanned object, said data and instructions comprising:

code means for receiving image data of an object, having been captured via a plurality of detectors disposed at least partially about the object and mounted to a bracket frame inclined relative to a horizontal, at least two adjacent ones of the detectors being angled one with respect to the other, each of the detectors receiving electromagnetic radiation emitted by a source at an angle inclined relative to the horizontal toward the bracket frame and passing through the object, the source mounted to an inclined support and in fixed position;

code means for generating from the image data, an image representing a perspective view of the object; and

code means for storing said image into a storage for presenting on a display, a three-dimensional representation of the object.

24. A system for generating a three-dimensional image of a scanned object, comprising:

an input port for receiving image data of an object, having been captured via a plurality of detectors disposed at least partially about the object and mounted to a bracket frame inclined relative to a horizontal and in an angled configuration, wherein at least two adjacent ones of the detectors are angled one with respect to the other, each of the detectors receiving electromagnetic radiation emitted by a source at an angle inclined relative to the horizontal toward the bracket frame and passing through the object, the source mounted to an inclined support and in fixed position;

a processor for generating from the image data, an image representing a perspective view of the object; and

a storage for presenting the image on a display as a three-dimensional representation of the object.

25. A scanning system for scanning an object, comprising:

a radiation source mounted to an inclined support and in fixed position for emitting electromagnetic radiation at an angle inclined relative to a horizontal, toward an object to be scanned, and toward a bracket frame inclined relative to a horizontal; and

a plurality of detectors mounted to the bracket frame and disposed at least partially about a scanning area, each detector being mounted substantially perpendicularly in relation to the radiation source for capturing the radiation traversing the object from different angles and thereby scanning the object according to a perspective view.