CT-Guided system and method for analyzing regions of interest for contraband detection

• US 20050180542A1
• Filed: 02/17/2004
• Published: 08/18/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Morpho Detection (Safran SA)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Leue, William Macomber, Walter, Deborah Joy
• Granted Patent: US 7,609,807 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 378/57
• 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

Abstract

A system and method for ascertaining the identity of an object within an enclosed article. The system includes an acquisition subsystem with a computed tomography machine and an alternate modality subsystem. The alternate modality subsystem includes a detector mounted to a rotatable gantry. The detector may be a quadrupole resonance unit, a dual energy x-ray unit, or a backscatter x-ray unit. The acquisition subsystem analyzes an article and distinguishes regions of interest (may contain contraband) from regions of no interest (do not contain contraband). The article is then transported to the alternate modality subsystem at which the detector further analyzes just the regions of interest.

Claims

1. A system for detecting a contraband object within an article, comprising:

an acquisition subsystem including a computed tomography scanner adapted to identify and distinguish regions of interest from regions of no interest within an article; and

an alternate modality subsystem adapted to analyze the regions of interest to identify a contraband object.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the computed tomography scanner comprises at least one from the group consisting of 3^rd generation computed tomography scanners, 4^th generation computed tomography scanners, 5^th generation computed tomography scanners, stationary computed tomography scanners, and a series of linear computed tomography scanners.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the alternate modality subsystem comprises a detector having a modality with a sensitivity complementary to the computed tomography scanner.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the detector comprises a quadrupole resonance unit.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the alternate modality subsystem comprises a gantry upon which the detector is mounted and a sliding mechanism for sliding the detector along the gantry.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the sliding mechanism comprises wheels.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the sliding mechanism comprises a linear bearing.

8. The system of claim 3, wherein the alternate modality subsystem comprises a rotatable gantry upon which the detector is mounted.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the alternate modality subsystem comprises a rotating drive for rotating the rotatable gantry.

10. The system of claim 3, wherein the detector comprises an x-ray system with dual energy capability.

11. The system of claim 3, wherein the detector comprises a backscatter x-ray unit.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising a conveyor belt for transporting the article between the acquisition subsystem and the alternate modality subsystem.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the alternate modality subsystem is adapted to move in a direction parallel to a direction of movement of the conveyor belt.

14. A system for detecting an explosive within an article, comprising:

an acquisition subsystem including a computed tomography scanner adapted to identify and distinguish regions of interest from regions of no interest within an article;

an alternate modality subsystem adapted to analyze the regions of interest to identify an explosive, wherein the alternate modality subsystem comprises a detector having a modality with a sensitivity complementary to the computed tomography scanner; and

a transportation means for transporting the article between the acquisition subsystem and the alternate modality subsystem.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the computed tomography scanner comprises at least one from the group consisting of 3^rd generation computed tomography scanners, 4^th generation computed tomography scanners, 5^th generation computed tomography scanners, stationary computed tomography scanners, and a series of linear computed tomography scanners.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the detector comprises a quadrupole resonance unit.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the alternate modality subsystem comprises a gantry upon which the detector is mounted and a sliding mechanism for sliding the detector along the gantry.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the sliding mechanism comprises wheels.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the sliding mechanism comprises a linear bearing.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the alternate modality subsystem comprises a rotatable gantry upon which the detector is mounted.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the alternate modality subsystem comprises a rotating drive for rotating the rotatable gantry.

22. The system of claim 14, wherein the detector comprises an x-ray system with dual energy capability.

23. The system of claim 14, wherein the detector comprises a backscatter x-ray unit.

24. A method for detecting a contraband object within an article, comprising:

performing a computed tomography scan of the article with a computed tomography scanner;

then, distinguishing regions of interest from regions of no interest within the article; and

then, analyzing the regions of interest with a second modality having a sensitivity complementary to the compute tomography scanner to detect the contraband object.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising transporting the article through the computed tomography scanner.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the distinguishing step is accomplished with an alternate modality subsystem comprising a detector.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the detector is moved relative to the article to enhance the capability of the detector to distinguish regions of interest within the article.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the detector comprises a quadrupole resonance unit.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein the detector is mounted upon a rotatable gantry, enabling the detector to be rotated around the article.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the detector comprises an x-ray system with dual energy capability.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein the detector comprises a backscatter x-ray unit.

32. The method of claim 26, further comprising listing the regions of interest and transmitting the listing to the alternate modality subsystem.

33. A method for detecting an explosive within an article, comprising:

performing a computed tomography scan of the article with a computed tomography scanner;

then, distinguishing regions of interest from regions of no interest within the article;

transporting the article through the computed tomography scanner to an alternate modality subsystem having a sensitivity complementary to the compute tomography scanner; and

then, analyzing the regions of interest to detect the explosive.

34. The method of claim 33, further comprising listing the regions of interest and transmitting the listing to the alternate modality subsystem.

35. The method of claim 33, wherein the alternate modality subsystem includes a detector mounted on a gantry.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the detector comprises a quadrupole resonance unit.

37. The method of claim 35, wherein the detector is moved relative to the article to enhance the capability of the detector to distinguish regions of interest within the article.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the detector is mounted on a rotatable gantry, enabling the detector to be rotated around the article.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the detector comprises an x-ray system with dual energy capability.

40. The method of claim 38, wherein the detector comprises a backscatter x-ray unit.