X-ray inspection using spatially and spectrally tailored beams
First Claim
1. A graduated collimator for providing a beam of increasing average energy as a function of distance measured from a central axis, the collimator comprising a plurality of concentric areas, each of the areas defined in a plane substantially perpendicular to the central axis, such that any specified area is characterized by an opacity to the beam exceeding that of any area interior to the specified area.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for inspecting an object, the system and method comprising a source for generating a penetrating radiation beam for irradiating the object, the beam having, for each instant of time, an instantaneous energy spectrum of intensity, a shaper for modulating the generated beam, thereby creating a shaped beam, the shaper comprising at least a first section and a second section, the first section attenuating the intensity of a portion of the generated beam by a first attenuation factor and the second section attenuating the intensity of another portion of the generated beam by a second attenuation factor, and at least one detector for detecting the shaped beam after the shaped beam interacts with the object. The source may scan a beam across an object while the source and at least one detector are moving on a platform capable of highway travel or on an inspection module movable with respect to the object.
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Citations
28 Claims
- 1. A graduated collimator for providing a beam of increasing average energy as a function of distance measured from a central axis, the collimator comprising a plurality of concentric areas, each of the areas defined in a plane substantially perpendicular to the central axis, such that any specified area is characterized by an opacity to the beam exceeding that of any area interior to the specified area.
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5. A method for providing a beam of spectrally increasing average energy as a function of distance measured from a central axis, the method comprising attenuating each of a plurality of concentric beam portions by a subsequent attenuation exceeding an attenuation of any interior beam portion radially closer to a central axis than said beam portion.
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6. An inspection system for inspecting an object, the system comprising:
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a. a source for generating a penetrating radiation beam for irradiating the object, the beam having, at each instant of time, an instantaneous power spectrum of intensity as a function of energy;
b. a shaper for modulating the generated beam, thereby creating a shaped beam, the shaper comprising at least a first section and a second section, the first section attenuating the intensity of a portion of the generated beam by a first attenuation factor and the second section attenuating the intensity of another portion of the generated beam by a second attenuation factor; and
c. at least one detector for detecting the shaped beam after the shaped beam interacts with the object. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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16. An inspection system for inspecting an object, the system comprising:
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a. a source for generating a penetrating radiation beam for irradiating the object, the beam having, at each instant of time, an instantaneous energy spectrum;
b. a shaper for modulating the generated beam, thereby creating a shaped beam, the shaper comprising at least a first section and a second section, the first section attenuating the intensity of a portion of the generated beam by a first attenuation factor and the second section attenuating the intensity of another portion of the generated beam by a second attenuation factor;
c. a first detector for detecting the shaped beam attenuated by the first attenuation factor after the shaped beam interacts with the object; and
d. a second detector for detecting the shaped beam attenuated by the second attenuation factor after the shaped beam interacts with the object.
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21. A method for inspecting an object, the method comprising:
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a. generating a penetrating radiation beam for irradiating the object, the beam having, for each instant of time, an instantaneous energy spectrum of intensity;
b. creating an attenuated beam by;
(1) attenuating the intensity of a first portion of the generated beam by a first attenuation factor;
(2) attenuating the intensity of another portion of the generated beam by a second attenuation factor; and
c. detecting the attenuated beam after the attenuated beam interacts with the object. - View Dependent Claims (22, 24, 26, 27)
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23. A method for inspecting an object, the method comprising:
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a. generating a penetrating radiation beam for irradiating the object, the beam having, for each instant of time, an instantaneous energy spectrum of intensity;
b. attenuating the intensity of a portion of the generated beam by a first attenuation factor;
c. attenuating the intensity of the remaining portion of the generated beam by a second attenuation factor;
d. detecting the beam attenuated by the first attenuation factor after the attenuated beam interacts with the object; and
e. detecting the beam attenuated by the second attenuation factor after the attenuated beam interacts with the object.
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25. An inspection system for inspecting an object, the system comprising:
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a. a bed moveable along a first direction having a horizontal component;
b. a source coupled to move with the bed for generating a penetrating radiation beam for irradiating the object, the beam having, at each instant of time, an instantaneous power spectrum of intensity as a function of energy;
c. a shaper for modulating the generated beam, thereby creating a shaped beam, the shaper comprising at least a first section and a second section, the first section attenuating the intensity of a portion of the generated beam by a first attenuation factor and the second section attenuating the intensity of another portion of the generated beam by a second attenuation factor; and
d. a detector for detecting the shaped beam after the shaped beam interacts with the object, the detector coupled such that the detector moves in coordination with the bed, such that the beam is caused to traverse the object as the bed is moved.
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28. An inspection system for inspecting a large object with penetrating radiation, the system comprising:
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a. a self-propelled vehicle capable of on-road travel;
b. a source coupled to the vehicle for generating a penetrating radiation beam for irradiating the object, the beam having, at each instant of time, an instantaneous power spectrum of intensity as a function of energy;
c. a shaper for modulating the generated beam, thereby creating a shaped beam, the shaper comprising at least a first section and a second section, the first section attenuating the intensity of a portion of the generated beam by a first attenuation factor and the second section attenuating the intensity of another portion of the generated beam by a second attenuation factor; and
d. a detector for detecting the shaped beam after the shaped beam interacts with the object, the detector coupled such that the detector moves in coordination with the bed.
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Specification