Non-invasive stationary system for three-dimensional imaging of density fields using periodic flux modulation of compton-scattered gammas

• US 7,412,022 B2
• Filed: 02/26/2003
• Issued: 08/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Clyde P. Jupiter, Nenad N. Kondic
• Original Assignee: Clyde P. Jupiter, Nenad N. Kondic
• Inventors: Jupiter, Clyde P., Kondic, Nenad N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Glick; Edward J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Midkiff; Anastasia
• Application Number:
  US10/373,112
• Publication Number:
  US 20030161526A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,994 Days
• Field of Search: 378/2, 378/63, 378/65, 378 80- 82, 378/62, 378 86- 89, 250/363.06
• US Class Current: 378/2
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4258 for detecting non x-ray radiation, e.g. gamma radiation A61B6/037 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2223/419 computed tomograph
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 23/046 using tomography, e.g. computed tomography [CT]

Abstract

A three-dimensional image-generating device is an inspection system incorporating three components: a radiation source, a modulating unit, and a radiation detector. All three components of the inspection system may be stationary. The radiation source irradiates an external inspected object with mono-energetic gamma rays. The modulating unit, used in conjunction with the unique energy-angle characteristics of the Compton scattering process, by encoding the gamma rays, enables the identification of the spatial origin of single-scattered gamma fluxes as they pass through the inspected object enroute to the detector. The radiation detector and the computerized processor identify gamma fluxes scattered from various locations within the inspected object. The three-dimensional distribution of scattering locations within the inspected object that produce the detected single-scattered gamma fluxes and their intensity is converted to a three-dimensional mass distribution as an image within the inspected object.

Claims

1. A three-dimensional image-generating device comprising:

an external gamma radiation source configured to irradiate an inspected object with source gamma rays to generate a three-dimensional representation of said inspected object;

a modulating unit employing time-dependent nodal windows, each of said nodal windows configured to impose a different time modulation to encode gamma flux from said external gamma radiation source or Compton-scattered gamma rays from within the inspected object as at least one of said source gamma rays and said Compton-scattered gamma rays interact within said inspected object;

said modulating unit configured to identify scattering locations, by either modulating said source gamma rays or said Compton-scattered gamma rays as either said source gamma rays or said Compton-scattered gamma rays pass through said nodal windows of said modulating unit; and

a radiation detector configured to detect said Compton-scattered gamma rays scattered from within said inspected object.

2. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein said three-dimensional representation is generated by reconstructing a volumetric density distribution within said inspected object.

3. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein said external gamma radiation source, said modulating unit, and said radiation detector are stationary, having a fixed orientation.

4. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein said external gamma radiation source, said modulating unit, and said radiation detector are positioned based on a pre-selected region surrounding said inspected object.

5. The device as recited in claim 4, wherein said modulating unit is positioned either between said inspected object and said radiation detector or between said external gamma radiation source and said inspected object.

6. The device as recited in claim 4, wherein said modulating unit comprises an array of nodal windows, each having unique attenuating elements;

and

said modulating unit is configured to provide identification of scattering locations as said source gamma rays or said Compton-scattered gamma rays pass through said nodal windows by a type of movement of said attenuating elements of said nodal windows, wherein said type of movement of said attenuating element is dependent upon a configuration of said modulating unit.

7. The device as recited in claim 5, wherein said modulating unit encodes a selected cross-sectional area of the gamma flux with a time-dependent oscillatory attenuation.

8. The device as recited in claim 7, wherein said modulating unit comprises a rectangular-shaped unit.

9. The device as recited in claim 7, wherein said modulating unit comprises a circular-shaped unit.

10. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein said radiation detector comprises a gamma spectrometer and approximates a point detector;

and

wherein said gamma spectrometer is configured to register a plurality of single detection events of said Compton-scattered gamma rays, wherein said plurality of single detection events are detected individually; and

wherein said gamma spectrometer is configured to concurrently measure energies of Compton-scattered gamma photons associated with said detection events.

11. The device as recited in claim 10, further comprising:

a multi-channel pulse height analyzer coupled to said gamma spectrometer and configured to analyze voltage pulse heights representing the energies of the Compton-scattered gamma photons and sort the voltage pulse heights based upon the energies of the Compton-scattered gamma photons.

12. The device as recited in claim 11, wherein said gamma spectrometer and the multi-channel pulse-height analyzer are configured to determine a bin-average value of energy for said Compton-scattered gamma rays having a predetermined energy bin width.

13. The device as recited in claim 10, wherein said gamma spectrometer is configured to determine values of the gamma count rate for said Compton-scattered gamma rays arriving at the detector, wherein predetermined energy bin widths are established for counted gamma rays.

14. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein said modulating unit comprises a planar array of nodal windows.

15. The device as recited in claim 14, wherein each nodal window of said planar array of nodal windows is configured to impart a time-varying attenuation on each segment of the said gamma flux as said each segment of said gamma flux passes through said each nodal window.

16. The device as recited in claim 15, wherein each said nodal window comprises an attenuating element for performing a time-dependent gamma attenuation;

wherein said each attenuating element is configured to impose a time-dependent oscillatory attenuation of said each segment of said gamma flux as said gamma flux passes through said attenuating element of said modulating unit; and

wherein said attenuating element is mounted on a vertical shaft within a frame of said modulating unit and wherein said attenuating element is capable of oscillatory movement in a direction perpendicular to incident gammas.

17. The device as recited in claim 16, wherein a variation of intensity of said gamma flux passing through said nodal windows is accomplished by movement of said each attenuating element, and said movement is based on at least one of a selected temporal modulation and a configuration of the modulation unit.

18. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein said modulating unit encodes said Compton-scattered gamma rays to enable identification of a location of a point of scattering from within a voxel where scattering occurs from among a plurality of individual voxels contained within said inspected object.

19. The device as recited in claim 18, wherein said modulating unit includes a plurality of nodal windows containing a plurality of periodically-oscillating gamma attenuators arranged to form a matrix configuration, and wherein said each gamma attenuator oscillates with a different time-varying attenuation function.

20. The device as recited in claim 19, wherein said each different time-varying attenuation function is unique.

21. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein said external gamma radiation source comprises a mono-energetic gamma source.

22. The device as recited in claim 21, wherein said external gamma radiation source is selected from the group consisting of cesium-137 or sodium-22.

23. The device as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a radiation shield configured to house said external gamma radiation source, wherein said radiation shield includes an opening to allow said external gamma radiation source to project said gamma rays outwardly in a direction capable of irradiating said inspected object.

24. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein said external gamma radiation source comprises a source of selected strength based upon a gamma signal strength required to interact with the radiation detector, following scattering in the inspected object.

25. The device as recited in claim 24, wherein said image-generating device includes a modulator comprising a plurality of nodal windows.

26. The device as recited in claim 24, wherein said image-generating device utilizes a plurality of voxels within the inspected object.

27. A measurement system comprising:

a modulating unit configured to receive source gamma rays or Compton-scattered gamma rays from within an inspected object irradiated by mono-energetic gamma rays from an external gamma radiation source and to modulate gamma fluxes of said source gamma rays or Compton-scattered gamma rays with a periodic function of time;

said modulation unit configured to implement an encoding process, wherein said encoding process tags a plurality of solid angle segments of said Compton-scattered or source gamma fluxes individually with different tags; and

said modulation unit comprises nodal windows, wherein each nodal window is configured to impose a different time modulation to encode said gamma fluxes, wherein said encoded Compton-scattered or source gamma fluxes are used in combination with a scattering process defined by a Compton energy-angle relationship to determine a three-dimensional distribution of local Compton-scattered gamma fluxes within said inspected object.

28. The measurement system as recited in claim 27, wherein said periodic function comprises a time-variant function for varying attenuation of said Compton-scattered or said source gamma fluxes.

29. The measurement system as recited in claim 27, wherein said encoding process aids in determining a two-dimensional mass distribution within said inspected object.

30. A measurement system comprising:

a measuring device configured to apply a Compton scattering process to an analysis of gamma rays scattered from an inspected object, wherein the gamma rays are irradiated from an external gamma radiation source;

wherein scattering points or a plurality of voxels of said Compton-scattered gamma rays having identical energies form an isogonic surface; and

a modulating unit comprising nodal windows, wherein each nodal window imposes a different time modulation for encoding a two-dimensional cross-section of source gamma fluxes or Compton-scattered gamma fluxes.

31. The measurement system as recited in claim 30, wherein said isogonic surface within the inspected object is represented by a thin layer isogonic shell having a thickness related to a spatial resolution of the measurement system.

32. The measurement system as recited in claim 31, wherein an isogonic slice comprises only a portion of said isogonic shell within the inspected object.

33. The measurement system as recited in claim 32, further comprising:

a multi-channel analyzer configured to sort voltage pulse heights associated with detected gamma rays according to a plurality of energies to determine the Compton-scattered gamma fluxes associated with scattering from said plurality of voxels contained within said isogonic slice.

34. A three-dimensional density image generating system comprising:

a modulating unit comprising nodal windows;

said modulating unit configured to receive source gamma rays or Compton-scattered gamma rays from within an inspected object irradiated by gamma rays from an external gamma radiation source, such that each nodal window imposes a different time modulation to modulate gamma fluxes of said source gamma rays or Compton-scattered gamma rays and configured to encode cross-sectional portions of source gamma fluxes or Compton single-scattered gamma fluxes to locate a first coordinate and a second coordinate of scattering points or voxels within said inspected object;

a measuring device configured to identify and separate said source gamma fluxes or said Compton single-scattered gamma fluxes originating from a plurality of voxels present in isogonic slices within the inspected object, and configured to provide a determination of a third coordinate of the scattering points within the inspected object;

wherein said measuring device is configured to determine a spatial distribution of said Compton single-scattered gamma fluxes; and

wherein said Compton single-scattered gamma flux determination includes a multitude of gamma fluxes of said gamma rays arriving from isogonic slices internal to said inspected object, wherein the isogonic slices comprise portions of isogonic shells within said inspected object.

35. A non-invasive three-dimensional density distribution measuring device comprising:

an external isotopic source configured to irradiate an inspected object with gamma rays to generate Compton single-scattered gamma photons, wherein said Compton single-scattered gamma photons obey principles of Compton scattering law;

a modulator comprising nodal windows, wherein each nodal window imposes a different time modulation to encode a periodic time-dependent oscillation distributed over a two-dimensional area of a source gamma flux or a Compton single-scattered gamma flux, whereas the source gamma flux comprises a plurality of source gamma photons and the Compton single-scattered gamma flux comprises a plurality of said Compton single-scattered gamma photons;

a spectrometer configured to detect energies and intensities of said Compton single-scattered gamma photons; and

a multi-channel pulse-height analyzer configured to sort detected gamma signals according to the energies of the detected gamma photons.

36. The device as recited in claim 35, wherein said Compton single-scattered gamma photons originate from scattering points or voxels located in a virtual isogonic shell, associated with a virtual isogonic surface of said virtual isogonic shell;

and

wherein said Compton single-scattered gamma photons originating from identical isogonic surfaces have identical energies.

37. The device as recited in claim 36, wherein said isogonic surface is generated by rotating an isogonic curve about a source-detector connecting line.

38. The device as recited in claim 37, wherein said virtual isogonic surfaces comprise a plurality of configurations of rotary surfaces comprising at least one of pointed poles, a sphere, and a dual curvature rotary surface having indented poles, wherein said plurality of configurations depends on Compton scattering angles of the gammas photons.

39. An inspection device comprising:

an external mono-energetic gamma radiation source configured to irradiate an inspected object with gamma photons;

a gamma photon detection unit configured to detect Compton-scattered gamma photons emanating from said inspected object;

a modulation unit configured to encode source gammas, or Compton-scattered gammas emanating from the inspected object, enroute toward the gamma photon detection unit;

a time-varying modulation unit comprising nodal windows, wherein each nodal window imposes a different time modulation to modulate said source gammas or Compton-scattered gammas with a time-variation character of flux attenuation;

a gamma signal sorting unit configured to sort counts of said detected Compton-scattered gamma photons into various energy bins;

a signal splitting unit configured to split detector output signals from each of said energy bins into multiple equal components;

an electronic function generator unit configured to generate digital signals having time-dependent functions;

a multiplication unit configured to multiply said digital signals with said detector output signals to form a combined product-function signal;

an integration unit configured to integrate, over time, said combined product-function signal to yield a plurality of linear algebraic equations;

an equation-solving unit configured to solve said plurality of linear algebraic equations to produce a determination of local Compton-scattered gamma fluxes at points of interest inside the inspected object; and

a data processing unit configured to perform said determination of said local Compton-scattered gamma fluxes and reconstruct an image of a three-dimensional density distribution within said inspected object.

40. The device as recited in claim 39, wherein said Compton single-scattered gamma fluxes are generated by said inspected object and wherein said Compton single-scattered gamma flux generation is a result of a Compton scattering process.

41. The device as recited in claim 39, wherein said external mono-energetic gamma radiation source is approximated by a point source.

42. The device as recited in claim 41, wherein attenuators within said plurality of nodal windows are configured to oscillate individually in a different manner to encode said Compton single-scattered gamma fluxes and wherein said plurality of nodal windows comprises one attenuator for each nodal window.

43. The device as recited in claim 42, wherein said modulation unit generates a plurality of time-dependencies due to oscillation of the attenuators within said plurality of nodal windows, wherein said plurality of time-dependencies exhibit a different time-dependent function for each of said plurality of nodal windows.

77. The device as recited in claim 39, wherein the inspection device is configured to employ a plurality of source energies, a plurality of source locations and a plurality of detector locations.

78. The device as recited in claim 77 wherein a relocation of said external mono-energetic gamma radiation source, said gamma photon detection unit, and a change in at least one of the plurality of source energies produce a different configuration for said inspection device;

and

wherein said different configuration results in a different set of solvable plurality of linear algebraic equations and provides a determination of a density distribution for a multiple number of substances.

44. A method of generating a three-dimensional density image, comprising:

irradiating an object with an external source of gamma photons;

observing portions of source gamma fluxes or Compton single-scattered gamma fluxes that pass through corresponding nodal windows in a modulating unit and are encoded by each nodal window imposing a different time modulation on said source gamma fluxes or Compton single-scattered gamma fluxes;

modulating each portion of said source gamma fluxes or Compton single-scattered gamma fluxes that pass through a nodal window with a different time-varying attenuation function, to generate a system of linear algebraic equations;

solving said system of linear algebraic equations to generate a result; and

storing said results on a computer readable medium.

45. The method as recited in claim 44, further comprising the steps of:

detecting individual Compton single scattered gamma photons within said Compton single-scattered gamma fluxes;

generating output signals associated with each of said detected individual Compton scattered gamma photons;

counting gamma photon signals generated from detection of said individual Compton scattered gamma photons; and

sorting the counted gamma photon signals into separate bins according to the energy of the counted photons.

46. The method as recited in claim 45, further comprising the steps of determining a volumetric distribution of the Compton single-scattered gamma fluxes within the object and imaging a corresponding volumetric density distribution within said object.

47. The method as recited in claim 45, further comprising the step of positioning the modulating unit between said object and a radiation detector.

48. The method as recited in claim 45, further comprising the step of positioning the modulating unit between said object and an external radiation source.

49. The method as recited in claim 45, further comprising the step of encoding cross-sectional portions of said source gamma fluxes or said Compton single-scattered gamma fluxes.

50. The method as recited in claim 45, further comprising the step of providing a rectangular-shaped modulating unit to modulate said source gamma fluxes or said Compton single-scattered gamma fluxes.

51. The method as recited in claim 45, further comprising the step of providing a polar modulating unit to modulate said source gamma fluxes or Compton single-scattered gamma fluxes.

52. The method as recited in claim 45, further comprising the steps of:

registering of a plurality of single detection events of said Compton single-scattered gamma fluxes;

measuring energies of Compton-scattered gammas in said detection events; and

sorting said detection events based upon said energies of said Compton-scattered gammas.

53. The method as recited in claim 52, further comprising the steps of:

analyzing heights of voltage pulses associated with said detection events to identify energies of the detected gamma photons;

applying a Compton energy-angle relationship to the identified energies of the detected gamma photons to determine a spatial origin of Compton-scattered gammas; and

measuring an intensity of components of the Compton single-scattered gamma fluxes by registering count rates of the detection events, wherein the components of the Compton single-scattered gamma fluxes represent gamma fluxes arriving at the detector from at least one of different directions and different portions of the object.

54. The method as recited in claim 52, further comprising the step of:

determining a bin-average value of energy for each energy bin for said components of the Compton single-scattered gamma flux based upon a calibration of the energy bins.

55. The method as recited in claim 49, further comprising a step of:

imparting a time-varying attenuation on said Compton single-scattered gamma fluxes to generate a variation of intensity of said Compton single-scattered gamma fluxes as said segments of said Compton single-scattered gamma fluxes pass through each corresponding said nodal window.

56. The method as recited in claim 55, further comprising a step of:

imposing a time-dependent oscillatory attenuation on said portions of said source gamma fluxes or said Compton single-scattered gamma fluxes as said Compton-scattered gamma fluxes pass through an attenuating element within said nodal window; and

wherein said attenuating element is mounted on a shaft connected to a frame of a rectangular modulating unit and wherein said attenuating element is capable of translatory movement.

57. The method as recited in claim 55, further comprising the steps of:

rotating said attenuating element to vary the intensity of said gamma flux in said polar modulating units.

58. The method as recited in claim 55, further comprising the step of:

encoding said portions of said source gamma fluxes or said Compton single-scattered gamma fluxes to identify a point of scattering from a voxel contained within said object.

59. The method as recited in claim 55, further comprising the step of:

modulating each of said cross-sectional portions of said source gamma fluxes or said Compton single-scattered gamma fluxes passing through the modulating unit and directed towards the radiation detector, approximated by a point detector.

60. The method as recited in claim 59, further comprising the step of:

encoding a cross-sectional distribution of said source gamma fluxes or said Compton single-scattered gamma fluxes to locate a first coordinate and a second coordinate of scattering points or voxels within said object.

61. The method as recited in claim 60, wherein said step of encoding generates two-dimensional coordinates indicating origins of the plurality of cross-sectional components of said Compton single-scattered gamma fluxes, identifies and separates said source gamma fluxes or said Compton single-scattered gamma fluxes originating from a plurality of voxels present in isogonic slices within the object, and provides a determination of a third coordinate of the scattering points within the object.

62. The method as recited in claim 59, wherein said step of encoding further comprises modulating said source gamma fluxes or said Compton single-scattered gamma fluxes with a periodic trigonometric function.

63. A method for imaging comprising the steps of:

irradiating an inspected object with gamma rays from an external gamma radiation source;

applying a Compton scattering process to a plurality of gamma rays scattered from within the inspected object;

defining isogonic surfaces and associated isogonic shells as loci of scattering points associated with Compton-scattered gammas scattered through identical scattering angles;

using a portion of said isogonic shell within the inspected object to form a locus of said scattering points within the inspected object, from which fluxes of said Compton single-scattered gamma photons having the same energy originate, wherein only the portion of the isogonic shell within the inspected object defines an isogonic slice;

detecting said gamma photons;

sorting signals from the detected Compton-scattered gamma photons according to a plurality of energies; and

storing said signals from the detected Compton-scattered gamma photons according to said plurality of energies on a computer readable medium.

64. The method as recited in claim 63, further comprising the step of:

analyzing said signals to determine gamma fluxes associated with voxels contained within said isogonic slices.

67. The method as recited in claim 64, further comprising the step of:

calculating the loci of said scattering points or voxels, wherein said loci comprise an isogonic surface.

65. A method for generating a three-dimensional image, the method comprising the steps of:

detecting source gamma rays from an external gamma radiation source or Compton-scattered gamma rays from within an inspected object irradiated by said source gamma rays after modulating gamma fluxes of said source gamma rays or said Compton-scattered gamma rays by passing through nodal windows in a modulating unit, wherein each nodal window imposes a different time modulation on said gamma fluxes;

identifying and separating said Compton-scattered gamma fluxes originating from a plurality of scattering locations from the inspected object;

formulating a gamma flux calculation procedure, wherein said gamma flux calculation yields magnitudes of Compton single-scattered gamma fluxes arriving from a plurality of known scattering points or voxels within identified isogonic slices and substantially eliminates or reduces multiple-scattered gamma fluxes arriving from said inspected object and background fluxes; and

storing said magnitudes of said Compton single-scattered gamma fluxes on a computer readable medium.

66. A method of generating a flux distribution image, comprising the steps of:

irradiating an object with gamma rays from an external gamma source to generate Compton single-scattered gamma rays, wherein said Compton single-scattered gamma rays obey principles of Compton scattering law;

encoding source gamma flux or Compton single-scattered gamma flux;

determining energies and intensity levels of said flux of Compton single-scattered gamma rays; and

sorting said energies and measuring flux intensities of portions of the Compton single-scattered gamma flux that pass through nodal windows of a modulator, wherein each nodal window imposes a different time modulation to produce a three-dimensional representation of the local Compton single-scattered gamma flux distribution.

68. A method of inspecting comprising the steps of:

irradiating an object with gamma rays from an external gamma source;

encoding source gamma fluxes or Compton-scattered gamma fluxes by modulating either said source gamma fluxes or said Compton-scattered gamma fluxes with a time variation character, wherein each nodal window of a modulator imposes a different time modulation on said source gamma fluxes or said Compton-scattered gamma fluxes;

detecting the Compton single-scattered gamma fluxes of Compton-scattered gamma photons transmitted from said object;

generating output voltage pulse height signals from a detector, based upon individual energies of said detected Compton-scattered gamma photons;

sorting of registered counts of the detected Compton single-scattered gamma photons into energy bins of a multi-channel analyzer, according to energies of individual detected Compton single-scattered gamma photons;

splitting the output voltage pulse height signals from the multi-channel analyzer into a plurality of equal sets;

generating electronic digital signal functions;

multiplying components of said output voltage pulse height signals from a detector with said digital signal functions to form combined product-function signals;

time-integrating said combined product-function signals to generate a value representing a term in a plurality of linear algebraic equations;

storing said plurality of linear algebraic equations for local Compton single-scattered gamma fluxes on a computer readable medium;

solving said linear algebraic equations for local Compton single-scattered gamma fluxes; and

reconstructing a mass density field of said object by converting numerical local Compton single-scattered gamma fluxes into local mass densities.

79. The method as recited in claim 68, further comprising the step of determining a three-dimensional density distribution within the inspected object.

69. A modulating unit comprising:

an encoder configured to encode source gamma fluxes incident on an inspected object or scattered gamma fluxes scattered from an inspected object as gamma rays irradiated from an external source interact with said inspected object, wherein said object scatters the gamma rays; and

a spatial origin identifier configured to identify spatial origins of said scattered gamma rays as source gamma rays or Compton-scattered gamma rays pass through a modulating unit comprising a plurality of nodal windows, wherein each nodal window imposes a different time modulation on said source gamma rays or said Compton-scattered gamma rays.

70. The modulating unit as recited in claim 69, wherein said plurality of nodal windows is configured to impart a time-varying attenuation on portions of the gamma flux as said portions of said gamma flux pass through said plurality of nodal windows.

71. The modulating unit as recited in claim 70, wherein said each of said plurality of nodal windows is associated with an attenuating element for performing a time-dependent gamma attenuation;

wherein said attenuating element is configured to impose a periodic, time-dependent oscillatory attenuation on said portions of said source gamma fluxes or said Compton-scattered gamma fluxes when said source gamma fluxes or said Compton-scattered gamma fluxes pass through said attenuating element of said modulating unit; and

wherein said attenuating element is mounted on a vertical shaft within a frame of said modulating unit and wherein said attenuating element is capable of movement in a vertical or horizontal direction perpendicular to a direction of incident gamma fluxes.

72. The modulating unit as recited in claim 71, wherein said time-varying attenuation generates variation of intensity of said source gamma fluxes or Compton-scattered gamma fluxes passing through said plurality of nodal windows and wherein said variation in attenuation results from a rotational movement of said attenuating elements.

73. The modulating unit as recited in claim 72, wherein said modulating unit encodes said Compton-scattered gamma fluxes or said source gamma fluxes for enabling identification of a point of scattering from a voxel contained within said inspected object.

74. The modulating unit as recited in claim 73, wherein said modulating unit includes said plurality of nodal windows containing a plurality of periodically-oscillating gamma attenuators arranged to form a matrix configuration, and wherein said gamma attenuators oscillate with different time-dependent attenuator functions.

75. The modulating unit as recited in claim 74, wherein a first gamma attenuator of said plurality of gamma attenuators within said plurality of nodal windows is configured to periodically oscillate independently of another gamma attenuator of said plurality of gamma attenuators.

76. The modulating unit as recited in claim 75, wherein periodic oscillation of said gamma attenuators in said plurality of said nodal windows influence said Compton-scattered or said source gamma fluxes passing through said plurality of nodal windows of said modulating unit enroute towards said radiation detector.

82. The modulating unit as recited in claim 69, wherein the modulating unit is configured to be inserted into a path of a gamma flux, between said source of gammas and said inspected object or between said inspected object and a detector, for encoding a cross-section of the gamma flux with a unique periodic oscillatory attenuation in each of the plurality of nodal windows;

and

wherein said modulating unit is configured to be integrated into a measuring device to enable a three-dimensional determination of density within said inspected object.

83. The modulating unit as recited in claim 82, wherein said encoder is configured to indicate a direction of origin of each gamma photon passing through the modulating unit.

80. A method of determining density images inside an inspected object, the method comprising the steps of:

utilizing at least two gamma source energies at the same location, each source energy having a different energy so that a number of gamma source energies is greater than a number of source locations;

combining the number of source locations and the number of source energies to generate a total number of source configurations;

multiplying the total number of source configurations by a number of detector locations to indicate a number of independent solvable equation systems and to indicate a maximum number of substances with unknown density distributions having solvable solutions; and

storing said number of independent solvable equation systems on a computer readable medium.

81. The method as recited in claim 80, further comprising the steps of:

determining multiple density fields in the inspected object comprising a number of multiple substances; and

using the total number of source configurations and detector locations to determine different density distributions of said number of multiple substances, wherein said different density distributions represent different substances present within the inspected object.