Radiation scanning of cargo conveyances at seaports and the like
First Claim
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1. A radiation scanning system for scanning objects comprising:
- a crane system to move an object from a first location to a second location, the object having a vertical height and a horizontal length greater than the vertical height;
a radiation source proximate the crane system, configured to emit a horizontally diverging radiation beam having a width at a face of the object at least as long as the horizontal length of the object to irradiate the object; and
a radiation detector proximate the crane system, positioned to receive radiation interacting with the object when the object is between the source and the detector;
wherein the source and detector are positioned such that the object is movable vertically between the source and the detector by the crane system.
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Abstract
A radiation scanning system comprises a radiation source and a radiation detector that are proximate a crane system that moves objects between the source and the detector for scanning. The source and/or detector may be supported by the crane system or may be near to the crane system. Preferably, the source and detector are supported by the crane system or they are within a profile defined by the crane system. The radiation scanning system is particularly suited to scan cargo conveyances, such as sea cargo conveyances, as they are being removed from or loaded onto a ship. Methods of examining objects are disclosed, as well.
85 Citations
72 Claims
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1. A radiation scanning system for scanning objects comprising:
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a crane system to move an object from a first location to a second location, the object having a vertical height and a horizontal length greater than the vertical height; a radiation source proximate the crane system, configured to emit a horizontally diverging radiation beam having a width at a face of the object at least as long as the horizontal length of the object to irradiate the object; and a radiation detector proximate the crane system, positioned to receive radiation interacting with the object when the object is between the source and the detector; wherein the source and detector are positioned such that the object is movable vertically between the source and the detector by the crane system. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A radiation scanning system for scanning cargo conveyances, the system comprising:
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a crane system to move a cargo conveyance from a first location to a second location, the cargo conveyance having a horizontal length of at least 20 feet; a radiation source supported by the crane system; and a radiation detector supported by the crane system, positioned to receive radiation interacting with the cargo conveyance when the cargo conveyance is between the source and the detector; wherein; the source and the detector are positioned such that the cargo conveyance is moved vertically between the source and the detector by the crane system during scanning; and the radiation source is configured to emit a horizontally diverging radiation beam having a width at a face of the cargo conveyance at least as long as the horizontal length of the cargo conveyance to irradiate the cargo conveyance. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A radiation scanning system comprising:
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moving means for lifting a cargo conveyance from one location and lowering the cargo conveyance to a second location, the cargo conveyance having a horizontal length greater than a vertical height; radiation generating means for generating a horizontally diverging radiation beam having a width at a face of the object at least as long as the horizontal length of the cargo conveyance; and detecting means for detecting radiation interacting with the cargo conveyance; wherein the moving means moves the cargo conveyance vertically between the generating means and the detecting means. - View Dependent Claims (26)
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27. A method of examining contents of an object, comprising:
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moving an object along a first vertical axis, the object having a horizontal length greater than a vertical height; moving the object along a second vertical axis different than the first vertical axis, through a horizontally diverging radiation beam having a width at a face of the object at least as long as the horizontal length; and detecting radiation interacting with the object. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. A method of examining contents of a cargo conveyance, comprising:
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moving a cargo conveyance having a horizontal length of at least about 20 feet by a crane system from a first location to a second location; moving the cargo conveyance through a horizontally diverging radiation beam having a width at a face of the cargo conveyance at least as wide as the horizontal length of the cargo conveyance while moving the cargo conveyance at least part of the way from the first location to the second location; and detecting radiation from an interaction of the cargo conveyance with the radiation beam. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
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45. A seaport comprising:
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a plurality of docking stations; a plurality of crane systems, each crane system being positioned at a respective docking station; at least one rail through each docking station; a radiation source; and a radiation detector positioned to detect radiation emitted by the source and interacting with an object under examination; wherein at least one of the source or the detector are movably supported on the rail, to move from one docking station to another. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52)
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53. A method of operating a seaport, comprising:
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docking a first ship at a first docking station at a seaport; moving a first object between the first ship and the seaport by a first crane at the first docking station; scanning the first object by an X-ray system positioned at the first docking station; docking a second ship at a second docking station at the seaport; moving the X-ray system from the first docking station to the second docking station; moving a second object between the second ship and the seaport by a second crane at the second docking station; and scanning the second object by the X-ray station positioned at the second docking station. - View Dependent Claims (54, 55, 56, 57)
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58. A radiation scanning system for scanning objects, comprising:
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a crane system to move an object from a first location to a second location; a radiation source proximate the crane system; and a radiation detector proximate the crane system; wherein; the crane system moves the object between the radiation source and the radiation detector, during scanning; and the source comprises; a vertically oriented accelerator body having a distal end; a target at the distal end of the accelerator body; and shielding around the target, the shielding defining a slot therethrough, configured to emit a diverging radiation beam transverse to the vertically oriented accelerator body, towards the detector. - View Dependent Claims (59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65)
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66. A radiation scanning system for scanning objects, comprising:
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a crane system to move an object from a first location to a second location; a radiation detector proximate the crane system; and a plurality of radiation sources proximate the crane system, at least some of the radiation sources being adapted to emit a radiation beam only upon a respective portion of an object moved between the source and the detector by the crane system, to irradiate the entire object; wherein the detector is positioned to detect radiation interacting with the object. - View Dependent Claims (67, 68, 69, 70)
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71. A radiation scanning system for scanning objects, comprising:
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a crane system supported by ground to move an object from a first location to a second location; a radiation source proximate the crane system, to emit a radiation beam toward the object; a radiation detector proximate the crane system; and at least one rail, supported on the ground proximate the crane system; wherein; at least one of the source or the detector are movably supported by the rail such that the object may be moved between the source and the detector by the crane system.
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72. A radiation scanning system for scanning objects, comprising:
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a crane system comprising; a boom arm lying in a plane, to move an object between a first location and a second location; forward vertical supports to support the boom arm, the forward vertical supports being connected by at least one first crossbeam extending along a first axis substantially perpendicular to the plane; and rearward vertical supports to support the boom arm, the rearward vertical supports being connected by at least one second crossbeam extending along a second axis substantially perpendicular to the plane; a radiation source supported by one of the first or second crossbeams; a radiation detector supported by another of the first or second crossbeams; wherein; the boom arm extends forward of the forward vertical support, to access the first location; the second location is between the forward vertical supports and the rearward vertical supports; and the boom arm moves the object vertically, between the radiation source and the radiation detector, during scanning.
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Specification