METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ASSSESSING PROPERTIES OF LIQUIDS BY USING X-RAYS

• US 20110172972A1
• Filed: 03/27/2009
• Published: 07/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Optosecurity Inc.
• Original Assignee: Optosecurity Inc.
• Inventors: Godbout, Steve, Gudmundson, Dan, Bourbeau, Eric
• Application Number:
  US13/063,869
• Publication Number:
  US 20110172972A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 703/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 23/083 the radiation being X-rays
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 23/10 the material being confined in a container, e.g. in a luggage X-ray scanners

Abstract

A method and a system are provided for determining if a liquid product comprising a container which holds a body of liquid is a security threat. Attenuation data conveying information about attenuation of X-rays resulting from interaction of X-rays with the body of liquid is derived by scanning the liquid product with X-rays. Container characterization data is then processed to derive path length data indicative of an approximate length of a path followed by X-rays through the body of liquid and that interact with the body of liquid. The security threat of a liquid product is determined by processing the path length data and the attenuation data.

Claims

1. ) A method for determining if a liquid product comprising a container which holds a body of liquid is a security threat, the method including:

a) receiving X-ray data derived by scanning the liquid product with X-rays in a scanning device, the X-ray data conveying information about attenuation of X-rays resulting from interaction of X-rays with the body of liquid;

b) modelling a position of the liquid product with respect to either one of an X-ray source and an X-ray detector of the scanning device;

c) processing the modeled position to compute path length data, the path length data being indicative of an approximate length of a path followed by X-rays through the body of liquid and that interact with the body of liquid; and

d) processing the path length data and the X-ray data to determine if the liquid product is a security threat.

3. ) A method as defined in claim 1, said method further comprising:

a) deriving container characterization data;

b) processing the container characterization data to model the position of the liquid product with respect to either one of the X-ray source and the X-ray detector of the scanning device.

4. ) A method as defined in claim 3, wherein deriving the container characterization data is performed before the scanning.

5. ) A method as defined in claim 3, wherein deriving the container characterization data includes receiving measurements obtained by contacting the container with a mechanical component.

6. ) A method as defined in claim 3, wherein deriving the container characterization data includes receiving measurements obtained using a non-contact measurement system.

7. ) A method as defined in claim 6, wherein the non-contact measurement system includes an optical camera.

8. ) A method as defined in claim 6, wherein the non-contact measurement system includes a laser scanner to optically capture the shape of the container.

9. ) A method as defined in claim 3, wherein deriving the container characterization data includes processing the X-ray data.

10. ) A method as defined in claim 9, wherein the X-ray data is generated by placing the liquid product on a conveyor belt of the scanning device and scanning the liquid product with X-rays as the liquid product is being displaced by the conveyor belt.

11. ) A method as defined in claim 10, wherein the X-ray data conveys an X-ray image of the liquid product, the method including processing the X-ray data to extract container perspective data, the perspective data conveying information about the spatial extent of the container in a direction along which X-rays interacting with the body of liquid propagate therethrough.

12. ) A method as defined in claim 11, including the step of processing the perspective data to extract information about a cross-sectional shape of the container.

13. ) A method as defined in claim 3, including processing the container characterization data to derive information about a cross-sectional shape of the container.

14. ) A method as defined in claim 13, including generating a virtual model of the container.

15. ) A method as defined in claim 14, including computationally manipulating the virtual model to locate the virtual model in a virtual model of the X-ray machine used for the scanning, the X-ray machine including an X-ray source and an X-ray detector.

16. ) A method as defined in claim 15, including computationally manipulating the virtual model of the container to locate the virtual model of the container in a position relative to a virtual source of X-rays, the position corresponding to a position of the real container relative to a real source of X-rays during the scanning.

17. ) A method as defined in claim 16, including computing intersection points of X-rays through the virtual model of the container on the basis of the position of the virtual model with relation to the virtual source of X-rays.

18. ) A method as defined in claim 17, including processing the intersection points to generate the path length data.

19. ) A method as defined in claim 16, computationally manipulating the virtual model of the container to register the virtual model of the container with a virtual model of a reference element that defines a reference position of the real container with relation to the real source of X-rays.

20. ) A method as defined in claim 19, wherein the virtual model of the reference element includes a virtual model of a tray for supporting the liquid product during the scanning.

21. ) A method as defined in claim 10, including processing the X-ray data to extract information about a wall thickness of the container.

22. ) A method as defined in claim 9, wherein the X-ray data includes:

a) first X-ray image data derived by performing a first scanning of the liquid product with X-rays and conveys an image of the liquid product from a first point of view; and

b) second X-ray image data derived by performing a second scanning, the second X-ray image data conveying an image of the liquid product from a second point of view.

23. ) A method as defined in claim 22, including deriving the information about the spatial extent of the container from the second X-ray image data.

24. ) A method as defined in claim 23, wherein the first point of view and the second point of view are generally along orthogonal directions.

2. ) Method for determining if a liquid product comprising a container which holds a body of liquid is a security threat, the method including:

a) receiving X-ray data derived by scanning the liquid product with X-rays using a scanning device, the X-ray data conveying a two-dimensional representation of the liquid product and providing information about attenuation of X-rays resulting from interaction of X-rays with the body of liquid;

b) deriving container characterization data on the basis of the X-ray data;

c) processing the container characterization data to derive path length data, the path length data being indicative of an approximate length of a path followed by X-rays through the body of liquid and that interact with the body of liquid;

d) processing the path length data and the X-ray data to determine if the liquid product is a security threat.

25. ) An apparatus for determining if a liquid product comprising a container which holds a body of liquid is a security threat, the apparatus including:

a) a scanning device for scanning the liquid product with X-rays to derive X-ray data, the X-ray data conveying information about attenuation of X-rays resulting from interaction of X-rays with the body of liquid;

b) a processing element having an input in communication with said device and being programmed for;

i) modeling a position of the liquid product with respect to either one of an X-ray source and an X-ray detector in the scanning device;

ii) processing the modeled position to compute path length data, the path length data being indicative of an approximate length of a path followed by X-rays through the body of liquid and that interact with the body of liquid; and

iii) processing the path length data and the X-ray data to determine if the liquid product is a security threat;

c) an output for releasing data conveying results obtained by the processing element.

26. ) A computer readable storage medium storing a program element for execution by a computing device for determining if a liquid product comprising a container which holds a body of liquid is a security threat, said program element when executing on said processor implementing a method comprising:

a) receiving X-ray data derived by scanning the liquid product with X-rays in a scanning device, the X-ray data conveying information about attenuation of X-rays resulting from interaction of X-rays with the body of liquid;

b) modelling a position of the liquid product with respect to either one of an X-ray source and an X-ray detector of the scanning device;

c) processing the modeled position to compute path length data, the path length data being indicative of an approximate length of a path followed by X-rays through the body of liquid and that interact with the body of liquid; and

d) processing the path length data and the X-ray data to determine if the liquid product is a security threat.

27. ) An apparatus for determining if a liquid product comprising a container which holds a body of liquid is a security threat, the apparatus including:

a) an input for receiving container characterization data;

b) a computer based processing component for;

i) modeling a position of the liquid product with respect to either one of an X-ray source and an X-ray detector;

ii) processing the modeled position to compute path length data, the path length data being indicative of an approximate length of a path followed by X-rays through the body of liquid and that interact with the body of liquid;

iii) processing the path length data and the container characterization data for determining if the liquid product is a security threat; and

c) an output for releasing data conveying the result of the determining.

28. ) Method for determining a length of a path followed by X-rays through a body of liquid held in a container, the method including:

a) scanning the container with X-rays to generate X-ray image data;

b) modeling a position of the container with respect to either one of an X-ray source and an X-ray detector;

c) deriving the length of the path of X-rays through the body of liquid held in the container at least in part based on the modelled position of the container.

29. ) A method as defined in claim 28, wherein modeling the position of the container includes extracting container characterization data from X-ray image data.

30. ) A method as defined in claim 29, wherein the characterization data includes container width information.

31. ) A method as defined in claim 29, wherein the characterization data includes container height information.

32. ) A method as defined in claim 29, wherein the container characterization data indicates whether or not that the container has a cap.

33. ) Method for determining if a liquid product comprising a container which holds a body of liquid is a security threat, the method including:

a) receiving X-ray data derived by scanning the liquid product with X-rays, the X-ray data conveying information about attenuation of X-rays resulting from interaction of X-rays with the body of liquid;

b) generating a virtual model of the container by using software executed by a computer;

c) processing the virtual model and the X-ray data to determine if the liquid product is a security threat.

34. ) A method as defined in claim 33, including deriving container characterization data and processing the container characterization data with the computer to generate the virtual model of the container.

35. ) A method as defined in claim 34, including computationally manipulating the virtual model to locate the virtual model in a virtual model of the X-ray machine used for the scanning, the X-ray machine including an X-ray source and an X-ray detector.

36. ) A method as defined in claim 35, including computationally manipulating the virtual model of the container to locate the virtual model of the container in a position relative to a virtual source of X-rays, the position corresponding to a position of the real container relative to a real source of X-rays during the scanning.

37. ) A method as defined in claim 36, including computing intersection points of X-rays through the virtual model of the container on the basis of the position of the virtual model with relation to the virtual source of X-rays.

38. ) A method as defined in claim 37, including processing the intersection points to generate path length data.

39. ) A method as defined in claim 36, computationally manipulating the virtual model of the container to register the virtual model of the container with a virtual model of a reference element that defines a reference position of the real container with relation to the real source of X-rays.

40. ) A method as defined in claim 39, wherein the virtual model of the reference element includes a virtual model of a tray for supporting the liquid product during the scanning.

41. ) A method as defined in claim 34, wherein deriving container characterization data includes processing the X-ray data derived by scanning the liquid product with X-rays.

42. ) A method as defined in claim 34, wherein the characterization data includes container width information.

43. ) A method as defined in claim 34, wherein the characterization data includes container height information.

44. ) A method as defined in claim 35, wherein the container characterization data indicates whether or not that the container has a cap.

45. ) An apparatus for determining if a liquid product comprising a container which holds a body of liquid is a security threat, the apparatus comprising:

a) a device for scanning the liquid product with X-rays to derive X-ray data, the X-ray data conveying information about attenuation of X-rays resulting from interaction of X-rays with the body of liquid; and

b) a processing element having an input in communication with said device and being programmed for

i) receiving the X-ray data;

ii) generating a virtual model of the container;

iii) processing the virtual model and the X-ray data to determine if the liquid product is a security threat.

46. ) A computer readable storage medium storing a program element for execution by a computing device for determining if a liquid product comprising a container which holds a body of liquid is a security threat, said program element when executing on said processor implementing a method comprising:

a) receiving X-ray data derived by scanning the liquid product with X-rays, the X-ray data conveying information about attenuation of X-rays resulting from interaction of X-rays with the body of liquid;

b) generating a virtual model of the container;

c) processing the virtual model and the X-ray data to determine if the liquid product is a security threat.