Imaging based on cosmic-ray produced charged particles
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for sensing a volume exposed to charged particles, comprising:
- measuring energy loss of charged particles that enter and penetrate the volume or are stopped inside the volume without penetrating through the volume;
based on the measured energy loss, determining a spatial distribution of the charged particles that enter and penetrate the volume or are stopped inside the volume without penetrating through the volume;
using the spatial distribution of the energy loss of the charged particles to reconstruct the three-dimensional distribution of materials in the inspection volume;
measuring charged particles that enter and penetrate through the volume and those that stop in the volume; and
combining measurements of the energy loss of charged particles with the angular deflection of charged particles to reconstruct the spatial distribution of one or more materials in the volume.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Techniques, apparatus and systems for obtaining tomographic images of a volume of interest by using charged particle tomography detection systems.
-
Citations
17 Claims
-
1. A method for sensing a volume exposed to charged particles, comprising:
-
measuring energy loss of charged particles that enter and penetrate the volume or are stopped inside the volume without penetrating through the volume; based on the measured energy loss, determining a spatial distribution of the charged particles that enter and penetrate the volume or are stopped inside the volume without penetrating through the volume; using the spatial distribution of the energy loss of the charged particles to reconstruct the three-dimensional distribution of materials in the inspection volume; measuring charged particles that enter and penetrate through the volume and those that stop in the volume; and combining measurements of the energy loss of charged particles with the angular deflection of charged particles to reconstruct the spatial distribution of one or more materials in the volume. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
-
-
2. A tomography inspection system, comprising:
-
a first set of position sensitive detectors located on a first side of an object holding area to measure positions and directions of incident charged particles entering the object holding area; a second set of position sensitive detectors located on a second side of the object holding area opposite to the first side to measure positions and directions of outgoing charged particles exiting the object holding area, or the absence of charged particles that have stopped in the volume; and a signal processing unit to receive data of measured signals of the incoming charged particles from the first set of position sensitive detectors and measured signals of the outgoing charged particles from the second set of position sensitive detectors, the signal processing unit configured to analyze behaviors of the charged particles caused by interactions with materials within the object holding area based on the measured incoming and outgoing positions and directions of charged particles to obtain a tomographic profile or the spatial distribution of materials within the object holding area, wherein the signal processing unit is operable to measure energy loss of charged particles that enter the volume and penetrate through the volume, and charged particles that are stopped inside the volume without penetrating through the volume, determine a spatial distribution of the charged particles that enter the volume and penetrate through the volume and charged particles that are stopped inside the volume without penetrating through the volume; and based on the measured energy loss, using the spatial distribution to reconstruct the spatial distribution of materials within the inspection volume. - View Dependent Claims (14)
-
-
3. A method for sensing a volume exposed to charged particles, comprising:
-
using a first set of position sensitive detectors located on a first side of the volume to measure positions and directions of incident charged particles that penetrate the first set of position sensitive detectors to enter the volume; using a second set of position sensitive detectors located on a second side of the volume opposite to the first side to measure positions and directions of outgoing charged particles exiting the volume or the lack thereof; using measurements made by the second set of position sensitive detectors to determine incident charged particles that enter the volume and penetrate through the volume and charged particles that do not penetrate through the volume to reach the second set of position sensitive detectors; determining energy loss of charged particles that enter the volume and penetrate through the volume and charged particles that are stopped inside the volume without penetrating through the volume; determining a spatial distribution of the charged particles that enter the volume and are stopped inside the volume without penetrating through the volume, based on the measured energy loss; and using the spatial distribution of charged particles that enter the volume and are stopped inside to reconstruct the spatial distribution of materials in the inspection volume. - View Dependent Claims (15)
-
-
4. A method for sensing a volume exposed to charged particles, comprising:
-
measuring energy loss of charged particles that enter the volume and are stopped inside the volume without penetrating through the volume; based on the measured energy loss, determining a spatial distribution of the charged particles that enter the volume and are stopped inside the volume without penetrating through the volume; and using the spatial distribution to detect presence of one or more low density materials with low atomic numbers. - View Dependent Claims (5, 16)
-
-
6. A tomography inspection system, comprising:
-
a first set of position sensitive detectors located on a first side of an object holding area to measure positions and directions of incident charged particles towards the object holding area; a second set of position sensitive detectors located on a second side of the object holding area opposite to the first side to measure positions and directions of outgoing charged particles exiting the object holding area; and a signal processing unit to receive data of measured signals of the incoming charged particles from the first set of position sensitive detectors and measured signals of the outgoing charged particles from the second set of position sensitive detectors, the signal processing unit configured to analyze scattering behaviors of the charged particles caused by scattering of the charged in the materials within the object holding area based on the measured incoming and outgoing positions and directions of charged particles to obtain a tomographic profile or the spatial distribution of scattering centers within the object holding area, wherein the signal processing unit is operable to measure energy loss of charged particles that enter the volume and are stopped inside the volume without penetrating through the volume, determine a spatial distribution of the charged particles that enter the volume and are stopped inside the volume without penetrating through the volume, based on the measured energy loss, and use the spatial distribution to detect presence of one or more low density materials with low atomic numbers. - View Dependent Claims (17)
-
-
7. A method for sensing a volume exposed to charged particles, comprising:
-
using a first set of position sensitive detectors located on a first side of the volume to measure positions and directions of incident charged particles that penetrate the first set of position sensitive detectors to enter the volume; using a second set of position sensitive detectors located on a second side of the volume opposite to the first side to measure positions and directions of outgoing charged particles exiting the volume; using measurements made by the second set of position sensitive detectors to determine incident charted particles that enter the volume and do not penetrate through the volume to reach the second set of position sensitive detectors; determining energy loss of charged particles that enter the volume and are stopped inside the volume without penetrating through the volume; determining a spatial distribution of the charged particles that enter the volume and are stopped inside the volume without penetrating through the volume, based on the measured energy loss; and using the spatial distribution to detect presence of one or more low density materials with low atomic numbers inside the volume. - View Dependent Claims (8)
-
Specification