COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY SYSTEM FOR CARGO AND TRANSPORTED CONTAINERS

• US 20150325010A1
• Filed: 04/23/2015
• Published: 11/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Astrophysics Inc.
• Original Assignee: Astrophysics Inc.
• Inventors: Quivira, Fernando, Bedford, Simon Peter, Zayek, Francois, Moore, Richard Hardwick
• Granted Patent: US 9,865,066 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 5/232 having relative motion between the source, detector and object other than by conveyor G01V5/226 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/003 Reconstruction from projections, e.g. tomography
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2211/416 Exact reconstruction

Abstract

An imaging system includes an x-ray or gamma ray source that emits an x-ray or gamma ray beam, a tunnel having a plurality of detectors, and a translatable platform. The detectors each receive a portion of the beam. The translatable platform supports cargo or a transported container and moves through the tunnel so that the cargo or transported container crosses the portions of the beam received by the detectors. The translatable platform may rotate and move through the tunnel at multiple angles. The imaging system may also include a computer and a graphical interface. The computer may receive information collected by the detectors and may reconstruct a three-dimensional image of the cargo or transported container. The graphical interface may display the three-dimensional image or information derived from the three-dimensional image. According to other embodiments, a system for creating a three-dimensional image may receive data from a wide vertical beam angle and generate and output a three-dimensional model.

Claims

1. An imaging system for imaging contents, components and/or composition of cargo or transported containers, the imaging system comprising:

an x-ray or gamma ray source configured to emit an x-ray or gamma ray beam, respectively;

a tunnel having a plurality of detectors, each of the plurality of detectors configured to receive a portion of the x-ray or gamma ray beam; and

a translatable platform configured to support cargo or a transported container and to move through the tunnel so that the cargo or the transported container crosses the portions of the x-ray or gamma ray beam received by the plurality of the detectors when the x-ray or gamma ray source is emitting the x-ray or gamma ray beam; and

wherein the translatable platform is configured to rotate and move through the tunnel at multiple angles.

2. The imaging system of claim 1, wherein the x-ray or gamma ray source is an x-ray source and the x-ray or gamma ray beam is an x-ray beam.

3. The imaging system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of detectors comprises 1 to about 30 detector arrays.

4. The imaging system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of detectors comprises 3 to 9 detector arrays.

5. The imaging system of claim 1, wherein the x-ray or gamma ray source is configured to emit the x-ray or gamma ray beam with a wide vertical cone beam angle.

6. The imaging system of claim 5, wherein the wide vertical cone beam angle is in a range from approximately 20 to approximately 80 degrees from horizontal.

7. The imaging system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of detectors comprises a plurality of detector arrays, each of the plurality of detector arrays spaced apart by an angle between approximately 3 to approximately 15 degrees relative to the source.

8. The imaging system of claim 7, wherein a total angular range over which the plurality of detector arrays extends is between approximately 10 and approximately 180 degrees.

9. An imaging system for imaging contents, components or composition of cargo or transported containers, the system comprising:

an x-ray or gamma ray source configured to emit an x-ray or gamma ray beam, respectively;

a tunnel having a plurality of detectors, each of the plurality of detectors configured to receive a portion of the x-ray or gamma ray beam;

a translatable platform configured to support cargo or a transported container and to move through the tunnel so that the cargo or the transported container crosses the portions of the x-ray or gamma ray beam received by the plurality of the detectors when the x-ray or gamma ray source is emitting the x-ray or gamma ray beam;

a computer configured to receive information collected by the plurality of detectors from the portions of the x-ray or gamma ray beam when the cargo or the transported container crosses the portions of the x-ray or gamma ray beam, wherein the computer is configured to reconstruct a three-dimensional image of the cargo or the transported container based on the information; and

a graphical interface configured to display the three-dimensional image or information derived from the three-dimensional image.

10. The imaging system of claim 9, further comprising:

a translatable platform configured to support cargo or a transported container and to move through the tunnel so that the cargo or the transported container crosses the portions of the x-ray or gamma ray beam received by the plurality of the detectors when the x-ray or gamma ray source is emitting the x-ray or gamma ray beam; and

wherein the translatable platform is configured to rotate and move through the tunnel at multiple angles.

11. The imaging system of claim 10, wherein the x-ray or gamma ray source is an x-ray source and the x-ray or gamma ray beam is an x-ray beam.

12. The imaging system of claim 10, wherein the plurality of detectors comprises 1 to about 30 detector arrays.

13. The imaging system of claim 10, wherein the plurality of detectors comprises 3 to 9 detector arrays.

14. The imaging system of claim 10, wherein the x-ray or gamma ray source is configured to emit the x-ray or gamma ray beam with a wide vertical cone beam angle.

15. The imaging system of claim 14, wherein the wide vertical cone beam angle is in a range from approximately 20 to approximately 80 degrees from horizontal.

16. The imaging system of claim 10, wherein the plurality of detectors comprises a plurality of detector arrays, each of the plurality of detector arrays spaced apart by an angle between approximately 3 to approximately 15 degrees relative to the source.

17. The imaging system of claim 16, wherein a total angular range over which the plurality of detector arrays extends is between approximately 10 and approximately 180 degrees.

18. A method of imaging contents, components and/or composition of cargo or transported containers by an imaging system comprising an x-ray or gamma ray source, a tunnel having a plurality of detectors, and a translatable and rotatable platform, the method comprising:

loading cargo or a transported container onto the translatable and rotatable platform;

emitting an x-ray or gamma ray beam from the x-ray or gamma ray source, respectively;

receiving a portion of the x-ray or gamma ray beam at each of the plurality of detectors;

moving the translatable and rotatable platform through the tunnel so that the cargo or the transported container crosses the portions of the x-ray or gamma ray beam received by the plurality of the detectors;

rotating the translatable and rotatable platform; and

moving the translatable and rotatable platform through the tunnel so that the cargo or the transported container crosses the portions of the x-ray or gamma ray beam received by plurality of the detectors at a different angle.

19. A method of imaging contents, components and/or composition of cargo or transported containers by an imaging system comprising an x-ray or gamma ray source, a tunnel having a plurality of detectors, a translatable platform, a computer, and a graphical interface, the method comprising:

loading cargo or a transported container onto the translatable platform;

emitting an x-ray or gamma ray beam from the x-ray or gamma ray source, respectively;

receiving a portion of the x-ray or gamma ray beam at each of the plurality of detectors; and

moving the translatable platform through the tunnel so that the cargo or the transported container crosses the portions of the x-ray or gamma ray beam received by the plurality of the detectors;

collecting data from the portions of the x-ray or gamma ray beam via the plurality of detectors, the data containing information pertaining to the cargo or the transported container;

receiving the data on a computer;

reconstructing a three-dimensional image of the cargo or the transported container based on the information in the data; and

displaying the three-dimensional image or information derived from the three-dimensional image on the graphical interface.

20. A system for creating a three-dimensional model based on image data from cargo or a transported container, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory, wherein the memory has stored thereon instructions that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to;

receive data representing information collected from a wide vertical beam angle;

process the data to generate a three-dimensional volumetric model; and

output the three-dimensional volumetric model.