Method for making a collimator for an x-ray technique-based nonintrusive inspection apparatus

• US 6,715,533 B2
• Filed: 02/07/2002
• Issued: 04/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: GE Homeland Protection Incorporated (Safran SA)
• Original Assignee: Invision Technologies, Inc. (GE Aerospace)
• Inventors: Kresse, David E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lin, Kuang Y.
• Application Number:
  US10/071,147
• Publication Number:
  US 20020097835A1
• Time in Patent Office: 789 Days
• Field of Search: 164/47, 164/113, 164/312
• US Class Current: 164/113
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2223/419 computed tomograph
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 23/046 using tomography, e.g. computed tomography [CT]
• 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

Abstract

According to one embodiment of the invention, a method of making a collimator for a detector array of an x-ray technique-based nonintrusive inspection apparatus is provided. The method includes injecting a die with a material, the die being shaped and dimensioned to form a collimator including a body defining a support structure and a plurality of septa secured to the support structure; allowing the material to set within the die to form the body; and removing the body from the die.

Claims

1. A method of making a collimator (332) for a detector array (190) of an x-ray technique-based nonintrusive inspection apparatus (8), which includes:

injecting a die (310) with a material, the die defining an L-shaped support structure gap (324), and a plurality of septa gaps (320) in communication with one another through the L-shaped support structure gap, wherein the die shapes the material to form a body (330) comprising an L-shaped support structure (336) and a plurality of septa (334) secured to the L-shaped support structure (336), the L-shaped support structure (336) including a substantially vertical wall (340) and a substantially horizontal mounting portion (338);

allowing the material to set within the die to form body (330); and

removing the body from the die.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the material includes a first, lead component comprising at least 90 percent thereof.

3. A method according to claim 2 wherein the material includes a second component which provides the material with a strength which is stronger than lead.

4. A method according to claim 3 wherein the second component includes tin.

5. A method according to claim 4 wherein the material comprises about 86 percent lead, 3 percent tin, and 11 percent antimony.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein center lines (346) of two of the septa located next to one another converge in a first direction (348).

7. A method according to claim 6 wherein surfaces (342, 344) of the two septa facing one another do not converge in the first direction.

8. A method according to claim 7 wherein fins (318) of the die are removed in the first direction from between the septa.

9. A method according to claims 7 wherein the surfaces diverge from one another in the first direction.

10. A method according to claim 6 wherein a lower tip of a first of the septa is spaced from a lower tip of a sixteenth of the septa by a first distance and an upper tip of the first septum is spaced from an upper tip of the sixteenth septum by a second distance that is approximately 1 mm less than the first distance.

11. A method according to claim 10 wherein the first distance is approximately 50 mm and the second distance is approximately 49 mm.

12. A method according to claim 1 wherein the mounting portion defines a mounting formation.

13. A method according to claim 12 wherein the mounting formation is a notch in a periphery of the mounting portion.

14. A method of constructing an x-ray technique-based nonintrusive inspection apparatus (8), which includes:

injecting a die (310) with a material, the die defining an L-shaped support structure gap (324), and a plurality of septa gaps (320) in communication with one another through the L-shaped support structure gap, wherein the die shapes the material to form a body (330) comprising an L-shaped support structure (336) and a plurality of septa (334) secured to the L-shaped support structure (336), the L-shaped support structure (336) including a substantially vertical wall (340) and a substantially horizontal mounting portion (338);

allowing the material to set within the die to form body (330);

removing the body from the die and

mounting the body over a detector array of a CT scanner subsystem (34) rotatably mounted to a support frame (10).

15. A method according to claim 14 wherein the material includes a first, lead component comprising at least 90 percent thereof.

16. A method according to claim 15 wherein the material includes a second component which provides the material with a strength which is stronger than lead.

17. A method according to claim 16 herein a motor (220) is coupled to the CT scanner subsystem and is capable of rotating the CT scanner subsystem at a rate of at least 100 revolutions per minute.

18. A method according to claim 14 wherein center lines of the septa converge toward an x-ray source (150) of the CT scanner subsystem.