Non-rotating X-ray system for three-dimensional, three-parameter imaging

• US 6,556,653 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2001
• Issued: 04/29/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: University of New Brunswick
• Original Assignee: University of New Brunswick
• Inventors: Hussein, Esam
• Primary Examiner(s): Dunn, Drew A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ho, Allen C.
• Application Number:
  US09/860,538
• Publication Number:
  US 20010046275A1
• Time in Patent Office: 708 Days
• Field of Search: 378/86, 378/87, 378/88, 378/89, 378/90, 378/57
• US Class Current: 378/90
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 23/02 by transmitting the radiation through the material

Abstract

The system for inspecting an object comprises a structure having a first, second and third orthogonal axes, and a source of x-ray pencil beam mounted thereto along the first axis. An incident radiation detector is mounted to the structure perpendicularly to the first axis. A first and second linear arrays of scattered radiation detectors are mounted to the structure perpendicularly to the second and third axes respectively. The source of x-ray pencil beam, the incident radiation detector and the first and second linear arrays of scattered radiation detectors are spaced apart and define therebetween an inspection zone. In use, an object to be inspected is moved inside the inspection zone relative to the x-ray pencil beam. The object is inspected voxel by voxel and the radiation measurements taken at each voxel are indicative of incident radiation attenuation, scattered radiation attenuation and electron density of that voxel.

Claims

1. A system for inspecting an object, comprising:

a structure having a first, second and third orthogonal axes;

a source of collimated x-ray pencil beam mounted to said structure along said first axis;

an incident radiation detector mounted to said structure perpendicularly to said first axis;

a first linear array of scattered radiation detectors mounted to said structure perpendicularly to said second axis;

a second linear array of scattered radiation detectors mounted to said structure perpendicularly to said third axis;

said source of collimated x-ray pencil beam, said incident radiation detector and said first and second linear arrays of scattered radiation detectors being spaced apart and defining therebetween an inspection zone; and

means for moving an object relative to said source of collimated x-ray pencil beam, mounted to said structure in said inspection zone,

such that radiation measurements available from said incident radiation detector and said first and second linear arrays of scattered radiation detectors when inspecting a voxel in an object in said inspection zone are indicative of incident radiation attenuation through said voxel, scattered radiation attenuation through said voxel and electron density of said voxel.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising means for extracting volume imaging characteristics of an object in said inspection zone from measurements obtained from said incident radiation detector and said first and second linear array of scattered radiation detectors when a x-ray pencil beam is passed through said object.

3. A method for inspecting an object, comprising the steps of:

defining and associating a first, second and third orthogonal axes with an object to be inspected;

defining a voxel in said object;

passing a x-ray beam through said voxel along said first axis;

measuring incident radiation attenuation through said voxel along said first axis;

while maintaining said x-ray beam aligned parallel with said first axis, sequentially moving said x-ray beam along each of said second and third axes, passing said x-ray beam through said object alongside said voxel, and measuring scattered radiation attenuation through said voxel along each of said second and third axes;

relating said incident radiation attenuation and said scattered radiation attenuations to a material property of said voxel;

such that said incident and scattered radiation attenuations and said material property are representative of an entirety of said voxel.

4. A method for inspecting an object, comprising the steps of:

defining and associating a first, second and third orthogonal axes with an object to be inspected;

defining a voxel in said object;

passing an x-ray beam through said voxel along said first axis;

measuring incident radiation attenuation through said voxel along said first axis;

measuring scattered radiation attenuation through said voxel along said second axis;

measuring scattered radiation attenuation through said voxel along said third axis;

using measurements of incident radiation attenuation through said voxel along said first axis, scattered radiation attenuations through said voxel along said second and third axes, extracting volume imaging characteristics of said voxel along said first, second and third axes;

such that volume details of said voxel are obtainable without rotating said object.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4, further including the step of using measurements of incident radiation attenuation through said voxel along said first axis, scattered radiation attenuations through said voxel along said second and third axes, verifying said incident radiation attenuation along said first axis.