High energy X-ray mobile cargo inspection system with penumbra collimator

• US 6,785,357 B2
• Filed: 01/16/2003
• Issued: 08/31/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Varian Medical Systems Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Bio-Imaging Research, Inc. (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Bernardi, Richard T., Moore, John F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Church, Craig E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kiknadze, Irakli
• Application Number:
  US10/346,143
• Publication Number:
  US 20040141584A1
• Time in Patent Office: 593 Days
• Field of Search: 378/57, 378/193, 378/196, 378/62, 378/147, 378/98.8
• US Class Current: 378/57
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 23/04 and forming images of the material
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 5/20 Detecting prohibited goods, e.g. weapons, explosives, hazardous substances, contraband or smuggled objects

Abstract

A non-invasive method and apparatus are described for inspecting a cargo container. The method includes the steps of disposing an X-ray source and an X-ray detector on opposing ends of a rotatable boom, rotating the boom in a horizontal plane so that the X-ray source and X-ray detector straddle the cargo container and providing translational relative movement between the boom and cargo container while the X-ray source irradiates the container and the X-ray detector detects and measures X-ray energy passing through the container from the X-ray source.

Claims

1. A non-invasive method for inspecting a cargo container, such method comprising the steps of:

disposing an X-ray source and an X-ray detector on opposing ends of a rotatable boom;

rotating the boom in a horizontal plane so that the X-ray source and X-ray detector straddle the cargo container; and

providing translational relative movement between the boom and cargo container while the X-ray source irradiates the container and the X-ray detector detects and measures X-ray energy passing through the container from the X-ray source.

2. The non-invasive method as in claim 1 wherein the rotatable boom further comprises a trailer supporting the rotatable boom.

3. The non-invasive method as in claim 2 wherein the trailer further comprises a flat-bed semi-tractor trailer.

4. The non-invasive method as in claim 2 wherein the rotatable boom supported by the trailer further comprises a support post secured to the trailer at a first end and to a center portion of the boom on a second, opposing end.

5. The non-invasive method as in claim 4 further comprising collimating an X-ray beam from the X-ray source within a collimator disposed in the support post.

6. The non-invasive method as in claim 1 wherein the cargo container further comprises a semi-tractor trailer.

7. The non-invasive method as in claim 1 further comprising tilting the boom to clear the cargo container.

8. The non-invasive method as in claim 1 further comprising folding the X-ray detector into the boom for transport.

9. The non-invasive method as in claim 1 further comprising proportioning the boom so that the X-ray source substantially counterbalances the X-ray detector.

10. The non-invasive method as in claim 1 further comprising processing the detected X-rays to form a two-dimensiona image of the cargo container.

11. The non-invasive method as in claim 1 further comprising processing the detected X-rays to form a binocular image of the cargo container.

12. An apparatus for performing non-invasive inspection of a cargo container, such apparatus comprising:

means for supporting an X-ray source and an X-ray detector on opposing sides of an inspection area;

rotating the means for supporting in a horizontal plane so that the X-ray source and X-ray detector straddle the cargo container located within the inspection area; and

means for providing translational relative movement between the means for supporting and cargo container while the X-ray source irradiates the container and the X-ray detector detects and measures X-ray energy passing through the container from the X-ray source.

13. The apparatus for performing non-invasive inspection as in claim 12 wherein the rotatable means for supporting further comprises a trailer.

14. The apparatus for performing non-invasive inspection as in claim 13 wherein the trailer further comprises a flat-bed semi-tractor trailer.

15. The apparatus for performing non-invasive inspection as in claim 12 wherein the cargo container further comprises a semi-tractor trailer.

16. The non-invasive method as in claim 15 further comprising means for collimating an X-ray beam from the X-ray source disposed within the means for supporting.

17. The apparatus for performing non-invasive inspection as in claim 12 further comprising means for tilting the means for supporting to clear the cargo container.

18. The apparatus for performing non-invasive inspection as in claim 12 further comprising means for folding the X-ray detector into the means for supporting for transport.

19. An apparatus for non-invasively inspecting a cargo container, such apparatus comprising:

a rotatable boom;

an X-ray source and an X-ray detector on opposing ends of the rotatable boom;

an actuator adapted to rotate the boom in a horizontal plane so that the X-ray source and X-ray detector straddle the cargo container; and

an actuator adapted to provide translational relative movement between the boom and cargo container while the X-ray source irradiates the container and the X-ray detector detects and measures X-ray energy passing through the container from the X-ray source.

20. The apparatus for non-invasively inspecting a cargo container as in claim 19 wherein the rotatable boom further comprises a trailer supporting the rotatable boom.

21. The apparatus for non-invasively inspecting a cargo container as in claim 20 wherein the trailer further comprises a flat-bed semi-tractor trailer.

22. The apparatus for non-invasively inspecting a cargo container as in claim 20 wherein the rotatable boom supported by the trailer further comprises a support post secured to the trailer at a first end and to a center portion of the boom on a second, opposing end.

23. The apparatus for non-invasively inspecting a cargo container as in claim 22 further comprising a collimator disposed in the support post.

24. The apparatus for non-invasively inspecting a cargo container as in claim 19 wherein the cargo container further comprises a semi-tractor trailer.

25. The apparatus for non-invasively inspecting a cargo container as in claim 19 further comprising an actuator adapted to tilt the boom to clear the cargo container.

26. The apparatus for non-invasively inspecting a cargo container as in claim 19 further comprising a processor adapted to process the detected X-rays to form an X-ray image of the cargo container.

27. An apparatus for non-invasively inspecting a cargo container, such apparatus comprising:

a truck;

rotatable boom;

an X-ray source and an X-ray detector disposed on opposing ends of the rotatable boom;

a rotating tower for supporting the rotatable boom secured to the truck on a first end and the rotatable boom on a second end; and

a collimator disposed within the support post.

28. The apparatus for non-invasively inspecting a cargo container as in claim 27 further comprising an actuator adapted to rotate the boom in a horizontal plane so that the X-ray source and X-ray detector straddle the cargo container.

29. The apparatus for non-invasively inspecting a cargo container as in claim 27 further comprising an actuator adapted to provide translational relative movement between the boom and cargo container while the X-ray source irradiates the container and the X-ray detector detects and measures X-ray energy passing through the container from the X-ray source.

30. A mobile cargo inspection apparatus comprising:

a trailer;

a support post extending upwards from the trailer;

a boom disposed across an upper end of the post;

an X-ray source disposed on a first end of the boom; and

an X-ray detector array disposed on a second, opposing end of the boom, said boom being arranged to rotate to a position transverse to a longitudinal axis of the trailer so as to create an X-ray interrogation space for cargo inspection between the X-ray detector and side of the trailer.