Method and apparatus for detecting contraband using radiated compound signatures
First Claim
1. A method of detecting contraband, comprising the acts of:
- a) irradiating an item under inspection with ionizing radiation; and
b) detecting RF energy induced by the ionizing radiation and emitted from the item under inspection.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An system for detecting contraband, particularly explosives or other energetic materials. The system includes a source of ionizing radiation that irradiates an item under inspection. The radiation stimulates the emission of RF energy from objects within the item under inspection. The characteristics of the emitted RF energy reveals information about the material composition of the objects. The system detects this emitted RF energy and comparers it to a signature of RF emissions from contraband objects. Apparatus to detect and analyze RF emissions may be constructed as a stand-alone unit or may be incorporated into an imaging system in which the ionizing radiation is used to form an image of the item under inspection. Similarly, the RF analysis may be used, in the first instance, to determine whether an object contains a contraband item or may be used as a second level analysis to clear alarms generated by analysis of images formed by the imaging system.
69 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method of detecting contraband, comprising the acts of:
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a) irradiating an item under inspection with ionizing radiation; and b) detecting RF energy induced by the ionizing radiation and emitted from the item under inspection. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method of screening an item under inspection, comprising, the acts of:
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a) exposing the item under inspection to ionizing radiation; b) forming an image of the item under inspection based on ionizing radiation that has passed through the item under inspection; c) performing analysis of RF radiation induced by the ionizing radiation and emitted from the item under inspection; d) making an assessment of whether the item under inspection contains contraband based on the image formed in the act b) and the analysis performed in the act c); and e) routing the item under inspection selectively in response to a result of the assessment. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An inspection system adapted to detect contraband in an item under inspection, comprising:
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a) a radiation source positioned to emit ionizing radiation at an item under inspection; b) a radiation detector positioned to detect radiation after it has interacted with the item under inspection; c) an RF antenna positioned to receive RF energy induced by the ionizing radiation and emitted by the item under inspection; and d) a signal analyzer coupled to the radiation detector and the RF antenna having an output adapted to indicate the presence of contraband in the item under inspection based on the image and the received RF energy, when the RF energy is characteristic of RF energy induced within the contraband by the ionizing radiation. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification