X-ray imaging technique
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Accused Products
Abstract
A security system for detecting contraband such as explosives. The system has a source of radiation and a detector array. A detector array is made of many small detectors, each with a fast response time. The fast response time allows individual radiation photon interactions with each detector to be counted. By counting the number of interactions in an interval of time, the amount of radiation reaching the detector can be measured. The magnitude of the response from the detector to each radiation interaction allows measurement of the energy level of the photons interacting with the detector. Such a system provides significant flexibility in analyzing data collected from items under inspection. For example, objects such as contraband can be identified within the item under inspection by processing the data to accurately determine both the density and type of material.
53 Citations
133 Claims
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1-84. -84. (canceled)
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85. A system for inspecting an item, comprising:
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a) a radiation source emitting a plurality of photons;
b) a plurality of radiation detectors positioned to receive radiation from the radiation source after the radiation interacts with the item and to produce a pulse in response to a photon, each of the radiation detectors having a scintillating member and a light detector with a solid state element positioned to receive light from the scintillating member;
c) a conveyance system for providing relative motion between the item and the path of radiation from the radiation source;
d) a plurality of channels, each channel having;
i) an input connected to an output of a respective radiation detector, and ii) an output representative of a number of pulses produced by the respective radiation detector during an interval of time; and
e) a data processor receiving as inputs the outputs of the plurality of channels, the data processor processing the inputs to determine characteristics of objects within the item. - View Dependent Claims (86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117)
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118. A system for inspecting an item, comprising:
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a) a radiation source emitting a plurality of photons;
b) a plurality of means for producing identifiable pulses, each pulse being produced in response to an individual interaction between a photon from the radiation source and a scintillation detector after the radiation has interacted with a portion of the item;
c) means to position the item in the path of radiation from the radiation source;
d) a plurality of channels, each channel comprising means for making a plurality of counts of pulses produced by one of the plurality of means for producing, each of the counts representing a number of pulses with an amplitude in a predetermined range; and
e) means for analyzing the counts of pulses to form a representation of the item. - View Dependent Claims (119, 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126, 127)
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128. A method of operating a system for inspecting an item comprising a plurality of detectors that each produces a pulse in response to a photon incident on the detector, the method comprising:
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a) calibrating the plurality of detectors to correlate the level of the pulse produced by each detector with an energy levels photons incident on the detector;
b) counting pulses with levels representative of a least three energy levels produced by the plurality of detectors;
c) combining the counts of the pulses into a representation of the item; and
d) analyzing the representation of the item to determine properties of objects within the item based in part on the relative number of counts of each energy level. - View Dependent Claims (129, 130, 131, 132, 133)
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Specification