Unilateral hand-held x-ray inspection apparatus

• US 6,282,260 B1
• Filed: 12/09/1999
• Issued: 08/28/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: American Science and Engineering Incorporated (OSI Systems Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: American Science and Engineering Incorporated (OSI Systems Incorporated)
• Inventors: Grodzins, Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): Porta, David P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hobden, Pamela R.
• Application Number:
  US09/458,479
• Time in Patent Office: 628 Days
• Field of Search: 378/87, 378/88, 378/86, 378/102, 378/83, 378/98.8, 378/137, 250/498.1
• US Class Current: 378/87
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 23/20 by using diffraction of the radiation by the materials, e.g. for investigating crystal structure; by using scattering of the radiation by the materials, e.g. for investigating non-crystalline materials; by using reflection of the radiation by the materials
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 5/222 measuring scattered radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G21K 5/04 with beam-forming means

Abstract

A hand holdable inspection device for three-dimensional inspection of a volume distal to a surface. The inspection device has a hand-holdable unit including a source of penetrating radiation for providing a beam of specified cross-section and a detector arrangement for detecting penetrating radiation from the beam scattered by the object in the direction of the detector arrangement and for generating a scattered radiation signal. Additionally, the inspection device has a controller for characterizing the volume based at least on the scattered radiation signal. The detector arrangement includes one or more backscatter detectors that may be disposed asymmetrically with respect to the beam and at differing displacements with respect to the surface.

Claims

1. An inspection device for three-dimensional inspection of a volume distal to a surface, the device comprising:

a. a hand-holdable unit including a source of penetrating radiation for providing a beam of specified cross-section;

b. a detector arrangement for detecting penetrating radiation from the beam scattered by the object in the direction of the detector arrangement and for generating a scattered radiation signal; and

c. a controller for three-dimensional characterization of the volume based at least on the scattered radiation signal such that three-dimensional characterization is performed without motion of the hand-holdable unit.

2. An inspection device according to claim 1, further comprising:

d. a display screen for displaying an image characterizing the volume distal to the surface.

3. An inspection device according to claim 1, wherein the detector arrangement is integral to the hand-holdable unit.

4. An inspection device according to claim 2, wherein the display screen is integral to the hand-holdable unit.

5. An inspection device according to claim 1, further comprising an electromagnetic locator.

6. An inspection device according to claim 1, further comprising an acoustic locator.

7. An inspection device according to claim 1, wherein the source of penetrating radiation includes a scanner for scanning a direction of emission of the beam.

8. An inspection device according to claim 1, wherein the source of penetrating radiation includes an electronic scanner for scanning a direction of emission of the beam.

9. An inspection system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the source of penetrating radiation is an x-ray source.

10. An inspection system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the detector arrangement includes an array of semiconductor detectors.

11. An inspection system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the detector arrangement includes at least two detectors asymmetrically disposed with respect to the beam.

12. An inspection system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the detector arrangement includes a first scatter detector disposed at a first displacement from the surface and a second detector disposed at a second displacement from the surface.

13. An inspection system as set forth in claim 12, wherein the first displacement is unequal to the second displacement.

14. A method for inspecting a volume distal to a surface, the method comprising:

a. illuminating the surface with penetrating radiation formed into a beam emitted by a hand-held unit;

b. detecting penetrating radiation scattered from the volume with a detector arrangement, the detector arrangement including at least two detectors asymmetrically disposed with respect to the beam; and

c. determining at least one characteristic of the volume based at least on the radiation scattered from the volume.

15. A method according to claim 14, further including the step of varying the orientation of the beam with respect to the surface.

16. A method according to claim 15, further including the step of displaying an image of the volume distal to the surface.

17. An inspection device for inspection of a volume distal to a surface, the device comprising:

a. a hand-holdable unit including a source of penetrating radiation for providing a beam of specified cross-section;

b. a detector arrangement for detecting penetrating radiation from the beam scattered by the object in the direction of the detector arrangement and for generating a scattered radiation signal, wherein the detector arrangement includes at least two detectors asymmetrically disposed with respect to the beam; and

c. a controller for characterization of the volume based at least on the scattered radiation signal such that characterization is performed without motion of the hand-holdable unit.

18. A method for inspecting a volume distal to a surface, the method comprising:

a. illuminating the surface with penetrating radiation formed into a beam emitted by a hand-held unit;

b. detecting penetrating radiation scattered from the volume with a detector arrangement; and

c. performing a three-dimensional characterization of at least one characteristic of the volume based at least on the radiation scattered from the volume.