Radiation scanning systems and methods
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for operating an inspection system, comprising:
- (a) moving an item under inspection in a first direction relative to and at least partially between at least first and second radiation sources and at least one array of detectors, the array comprising detectors disposed in a first plane, and the first radiation source being positioned in a second plane, separate from and parallel to the first plane, and the second radiation source being positioned outside the second plane; and
(b) with the detector array, detecting radiation emitted by each of the first and second radiation sources at each of a plurality of times as the item under inspection moves, with the first source emitting radiation towards the detector array at a first portion of the plurality of times and the second source emitting radiation towards the detector array at a second portion of the plurality of times, the first portion being different than the second portion; and
(c) computing a volumetric representation of the item under inspection based on the detected radiation at each of the plurality of times, wherein;
the detector array comprises a first detector array and the computing the volumetric representation further comprises computing the volumetric representation based on measurements made with a second detector array, and the first and second detector arrays are substantially spaced apart in the first direction; and
the act (b) comprises;
detecting radiation emitted by the first radiation source with each of the first and second radiation detector arrays during first periods; and
detecting radiation emitted by the second radiation source with at least one of the first and second radiation detector arrays during second periods that are substantially non-overlapping with the first periods.
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Abstract
An apparatus may comprise a frame supporting at least first and second skewed radiation sources and at least first and second radiation detectors. The first and second radiation detectors may be substantially non-contiguous such that a substantial gap exists between the first and second radiation detectors that is free of any radiation detectors. Each of the first and second radiation detectors may also configured and arranged to detect radiation emitted by each of the first and second skewed radiation sources.
48 Citations
46 Claims
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1. A method for operating an inspection system, comprising:
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(a) moving an item under inspection in a first direction relative to and at least partially between at least first and second radiation sources and at least one array of detectors, the array comprising detectors disposed in a first plane, and the first radiation source being positioned in a second plane, separate from and parallel to the first plane, and the second radiation source being positioned outside the second plane; and (b) with the detector array, detecting radiation emitted by each of the first and second radiation sources at each of a plurality of times as the item under inspection moves, with the first source emitting radiation towards the detector array at a first portion of the plurality of times and the second source emitting radiation towards the detector array at a second portion of the plurality of times, the first portion being different than the second portion; and (c) computing a volumetric representation of the item under inspection based on the detected radiation at each of the plurality of times, wherein; the detector array comprises a first detector array and the computing the volumetric representation further comprises computing the volumetric representation based on measurements made with a second detector array, and the first and second detector arrays are substantially spaced apart in the first direction; and the act (b) comprises; detecting radiation emitted by the first radiation source with each of the first and second radiation detector arrays during first periods; and detecting radiation emitted by the second radiation source with at least one of the first and second radiation detector arrays during second periods that are substantially non-overlapping with the first periods. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. An apparatus, comprising:
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at least first and second skewed radiation sources; a detector array; means for moving an item under inspection in a first direction relative to and at least partially between the at least first and second skewed radiation sources and the detector array; means for operating the at least first and second skewed radiation sources such that the detector array detects radiation emitted by each of the first and second skewed radiation sources at different times to collect data representative of a plurality of rays passing through the item from different angles relative to the detector array, the plurality of rays comprising at least a first ray from the first source to the detector array passing through a voxel of the item at a first angle and a second ray from the second source to the detector array passing through the voxel at a second angle, the second angle differing from the first angle by at least 10 degrees; and means for computing a volumetric representation of the item under inspection from the data collected at the different times when the item under inspection is at a plurality of positions and when the first radiation source is emitting radiation and when the second radiation source is emitting radiation, and the volumetric representation having a resolution suitable for use in detecting a suspicious region.
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11. An apparatus, comprising:
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a frame; a plurality of radiation sources supported by the frame; a plurality of radiation detector arrays supported by the frame; a conveyor adapted and configured to move an item under inspection in a direction past the plurality of radiation sources and the plurality of radiation detector arrays; and a processor coupled to receive data output from the plurality of radiation detector arrays, the data representing radiation from at least two of the radiation sources reaching said radiation detector arrays after the radiation passes through the item under inspection when the item under inspection is positioned at each of a plurality of positions, the processor being adapted to compute from the data received from the plurality of radiation detector arrays a volumetric image of at least a portion of the item under inspection, wherein; the plurality of radiation detector arrays are positioned along the direction of the conveyor; the plurality of radiation sources are positioned and configured such that for each of the plurality of radiation detector arrays; the radiation detector array is irradiated from a group of radiation sources comprising at least two of the plurality of radiation sources and the at least two radiation sources are positioned to irradiate the radiation detector array from different angles with respect to a plane in which the radiation detector array is disposed, the plane being transverse to the direction of the conveyor; within each of the groups irradiating each of the radiation detector arrays, the radiation sources of the group emit radiation at different times; and the data received at the processor from the plurality of radiation detector arrays represents radiation detected at the different times. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. An inspection system comprising:
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an inspection area; a conveyor adapted to move an item under inspection through the inspection area along an axis; a plurality of detector arrays adjacent the inspection area, the plurality of detector arrays being separated along the axis, each of the plurality of detector arrays disposed in a different plane transverse to the axis; a plurality of groups of sources adjacent the inspection area, each group being associated with a respective detector array of the plurality of detector arrays and each group comprising a plurality of sources, each of the plurality of sources in each group being adapted and configured to emit radiation toward the respective detector array, the plurality of sources in each group being adapted and configured to irradiate the respective detector array at different times, and at least a portion of the plurality of sources being collimated to irradiate more than one of the plurality of detector arrays; and a computer adapted to compute a volumetric image of the item under inspection using attenuation measurements collected from each of the plurality of detector arrays while irradiated by each of the plurality of sources in a respective group of sources while the item under inspection is in a plurality of locations within the inspection area, wherein each of the plurality of detector arrays comprises an L-shaped detector array. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. An apparatus, comprising:
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a conveyor; a plurality of rows of detectors, the rows being separated along the length of the conveyor; a first radiation source and a collimator, the collimator being adapted and configured to direct a plurality of beams of radiation from the first source, each beam being directed at a row of the plurality of rows during a first plurality of intervals; at least one second radiation source, the at least one second source being positioned to irradiate each of the plurality of rows of detectors during a second plurality of intervals; a processor coupled to receive data output from the rows of detectors and to compute from the data received from the plurality of rows of detectors a volumetric image of at least a portion of the item under inspection, the received data representing; radiation from the first radiation source reaching the plurality of rows of detectors after the radiation passes through the item under inspection at each of a first plurality of times, and radiation from the at least one second radiation source reaching the plurality of rows of detectors after the radiation passes through the item under inspection at each of a second plurality of times, different than the first plurality of times, wherein the collimator is adapted and configured to collimate radiation emitted by the first radiation source into a plurality of fan beams, each fan beam directed at a different row of the plurality of rows of detectors. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31)
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32. An apparatus, comprising:
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a frame; a plurality of radiation sources supported by the frame; a plurality of radiation detector arrays supported by the frame; a conveyor adapted and configured to move an item under inspection in a direction past the plurality of radiation sources and the plurality of radiation detector arrays; and a processor coupled to receive data output from the plurality of radiation detector arrays, the data representing radiation from at least one of the radiation sources reaching each of said plurality of radiation detector arrays after the radiation passes through the item under inspection, the processor being adapted to compute from the data received from the plurality of radiation detector arrays a volumetric image of at least a portion of the item under inspection, wherein; at least one of the radiation detector arrays is disposed substantially within a plane transverse to the direction of conveyor motion; and the at least one detector array disposed substantially within the transverse plane is irradiated by at least one radiation source disposed outside the transverse plane such that radiation from the at least one radiation source is incident on the at least one detector array from an angle relative to the plane of at least 10 degrees. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46)
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Specification