Density detection using real time discrete photon counting for fast moving targets
DCFirst Claim
1. A system for detecting and graphically displaying a contents of a fast-moving target object comprising:
- a radiation source, having a position such that at least a portion of radiation emitted from the radiation source passes through the fast-moving target object, the fast-moving target object having a variable velocity and acceleration while maintaining a substantially constant distance from the radiation source and being selected from the group consisting of;
a vehicle, a cargo container, and a railroad car;
a velocity measuring device configured to measure the variable velocity of the fast-moving target object;
a detector array comprising a plurality of photon detectors, having a position such that at least some of the at least a portion of the radiation passing through the target object is received thereby, the detector array having a variable count time according to the variable velocity and a grid unit size;
a counter circuit coupled to the detector array for discretely counting a number of photons entering individual photon detectors of the detector array, the counter circuit measuring a count rate according to a contents within the fast-moving target object;
a high baud rate interface coupled to the counter circuit for sending count information from the counter circuit at a rate fast enough to support real-time data transfer therethrough; and
a processor coupled to the velocity measuring device and to the high baud-rate interface, receiving count information from the high baud-rate interface and generating distortion-free image data in real time as a function of the count information and the variable velocity.
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Abstract
A system for detecting and graphically displaying a contents of a fast-moving target object comprises: a radiation source, having a position such that at least a portion of radiation emitted from the radiation source passes through the fast-moving target object, the fast-moving target object having a variable velocity and acceleration while maintaining a substantially constant distance from the radiation source and being selected from the group consisting of: a vehicle, a cargo container and a railroad car; a velocity measuring device configured to measure the variable velocity of the fast-moving target object; a detector array comprising a plurality of photon detectors, having a position such that at least some of the at least a portion of the radiation passing through the target object is received thereby, the detector array having a variable count time according to the variable velocity and a grid unit size; a counter circuit coupled to the detector array for discretely counting a number of photons entering individual photon detectors, the counter circuit measuring a count rate according to a contents within the fast-moving target object; a high baud-rate interface coupled to the counter circuit for sending count information from the counter circuit at a rate fast enough to support real-time data transfer therethrough; and a processor coupled to the velocity measuring device and to the high baud-rate interface, receiving count information from the high baud-rate interface and generating distortion-free image data in real time as a function of the count information and the variable velocity. A method for using the system is also disclosed.
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Citations
67 Claims
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1. A system for detecting and graphically displaying a contents of a fast-moving target object comprising:
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a radiation source, having a position such that at least a portion of radiation emitted from the radiation source passes through the fast-moving target object, the fast-moving target object having a variable velocity and acceleration while maintaining a substantially constant distance from the radiation source and being selected from the group consisting of;
a vehicle, a cargo container, and a railroad car;
a velocity measuring device configured to measure the variable velocity of the fast-moving target object;
a detector array comprising a plurality of photon detectors, having a position such that at least some of the at least a portion of the radiation passing through the target object is received thereby, the detector array having a variable count time according to the variable velocity and a grid unit size;
a counter circuit coupled to the detector array for discretely counting a number of photons entering individual photon detectors of the detector array, the counter circuit measuring a count rate according to a contents within the fast-moving target object;
a high baud rate interface coupled to the counter circuit for sending count information from the counter circuit at a rate fast enough to support real-time data transfer therethrough; and
a processor coupled to the velocity measuring device and to the high baud-rate interface, receiving count information from the high baud-rate interface and generating distortion-free image data in real time as a function of the count information and the variable velocity. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. A method of detecting and graphically displaying without distortion, in real time, a contents of a fast-moving target object comprising the steps of:
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directing photons from a radiation source toward the fast-moving target object, the fast-moving target object having a variable velocity and acceleration while maintaining a substantially constant distance from the radiation source and selected from the group consisting of;
a vehicle, a cargo container, and a railroad car;
receiving at least a portion of the photons directed at the fast-moving target object at a detector array which maintains substantial equidistance from the radiation source;
measuring the variable velocity and acceleration of the fast-moving target with a velocity measuring device coupled to a processor;
discretely counting a number of the photons entering each of a plurality of detectors in the detector array with a counter circuit at a count rate according to the contents;
sending count data on the number of photons from the counter circuit to the processor through a high baud-rate interface at a processing rate fast enough to support real-time data transfer from the counter circuit;
receiving the count data at a graphical display device from the processor; and
generating distortion-free image data in real time as a function of the count data and the variable velocity of the contents of the fast-moving target object. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52)
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53. A method of detecting a density, without distortion, within a fast-moving target object, the method including:
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irradiating the fast-moving target object with a radiation source, the fast-moving target object having a variable velocity and acceleration while maintaining a substantially constant distance from the radiation source and selected from the group consisting of;
a vehicle, a cargo container, and a railroad car;
detecting with a linear detector array a first discrete number of photons penetrating the fast-moving target object through a first prescribed volume and entering a first radiation detector;
detecting a second discrete number of photons penetrating the fast-moving target object through a second prescribed volume and entering a second radiation detector, the first and second detectors;
measuring the variable velocity and a acceleration of the fast-moving target with a velocity measuring device coupled to a processor, discretely counting with a counter circuit coupled to the detector array, a first number of photons detected by the first radiation detector, the counter circuit measuring a count rate according to a first density;
discretely counting with the counter circuit a second number of photons detected by the second radiation detector, the counter circuit measuring a second count rate according to a second density;
sending the first and second number of photons from the counter circuit to the processor through a high baud rate interface coupled to the counter circuit in real-time;
generating distortion-free image data in real time as a function of the first number and the second number of photons and the variable velocity and acceleration; and
displaying, in real time, a graphical display of the first density within the first volume of the fast-moving target object and the second density within the second volume of the fast-moving target at a graphical display device coupled to the processor. - View Dependent Claims (54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67)
mapping said first number of photons to one of a first color and a first gray scale; and
mapping said second number of photons to one of a second color and a second gray scale.
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55. The method of claim 53 wherein said generating includes:
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mapping said first number of photons to a first shade of gray; and
mapping said second number of photons to a second shade of gray.
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56. The method of claim 53 wherein the generating includes generating a radiographic-image-like display output signal.
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57. The method of claim 53 wherein the steps of discretely counting a first number and a second number includes measuring a count rate as high as two million photons per second per photon detector.
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58. The method of claim 53 wherein the step of irradiating the fast-moving target object includes irradiating with a fan beam from a gamma radiation source.
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59. The method of claim 53 wherein the step of irradiating the fast-moving target object includes irradiating with a fan beam of 662 keV photons from the radiation source.
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60. The method of claim 53 wherein the step of irradiating the fast-moving target object includes irradiating with a fan beam from a mono-energetic radiation source.
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61. The method of claim 53 wherein the step of irradiating the fast-moving target object includes irradiating with a fan beam from a mono-energetic radiation source.
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62. The method of claim 53 wherein the step of irradiating the fast-moving target object includes irradiating with a fan beam from a near mono-energetic radiation source.
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63. The method of claim 53 wherein the step of irradiating the fast-moving target object includes irradiating with a fan beam from a Cesium-137 radiation source.
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64. The method of claim 53 wherein the step of irradiating the fast-moving target object includes irradiating with a fan beam from a Cobalt-60 radiation source.
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65. The method of claim 53 wherein the step of irradiating the fast-moving target object includes irradiating with a fan beam of photons with high enough energy to penetrate through the fast-moving target object.
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66. The method of claim 53 wherein the step of irradiating the fast-moving target object includes irradiating with a fan beam of relatively very low photon intensity for purposes of scanning the fast-moving target object.
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67. The method of claim 53 wherein the step of irradiating the fast-moving target object includes irradiating with a fan beam from a curie radiation source having a strength of from 0.3 to 2.0 curies.
Specification