Method and apparatus for assessing characteristics of liquids

• US 8,781,066 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2011
• Issued: 07/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Vanderlande Industries BV (VIVE BV)
• Original Assignee: Optosecurity Inc.
• Inventors: Gudmundson, Dan, Pham, Vinh Phuc, Doyle, Aidan
• Primary Examiner(s): Kiknadze, Irakli
• Application Number:
  US13/313,635
• Publication Number:
  US 20120140879A1
• Time in Patent Office: 951 Days
• Field of Search: 378/53, 378/57, 378/62, 378/70, 378/83, 378/89
• US Class Current: 378/57
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2223/637 liquid
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2223/639 material in a container
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2223/643 object on conveyor
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 23/04 and forming images of the material
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 23/083 the radiation being X-rays
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 23/10 the material being confined in a container, e.g. in a luggage X-ray scanners
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 5/222 measuring scattered radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 5/226 using tomography

Abstract

A method to perform security screening at an airport on hand-carried baggage. The method includes requesting passengers with hand carried baggage to remove from the baggage a container that holds a liquid and perform an x-ray inspection on the hand carried baggage and on the container while the container remains outside the baggage. According to the method, the results of the x-ray inspection are used to determine if the baggage contains illegal objects and if the liquid is a security threat.

Claims

1. A system for determining a parameter of a liquid held in a container, said system comprising:

a) an input for receiving X-ray image data obtained by scanning the container holding the liquid with X-rays;

b) a computer based logic module for;

i) processing the X-ray image data to derive path length data, the path length data conveying an estimated length of a path followed by X-rays through the liquid held in the container;

ii) processing the X-ray image data in combination with the path length data to determine the parameter;

c) an output to release data conveying the parameter.

2. A system as defined in claim 1, wherein the parameter is selected from the group consisting of a density, an X-ray attenuation coefficient and an effective atomic number.

3. A system as defined in claim 1, wherein the system comprises an X-ray imaging apparatus including a conveyor belt on which the container holding the liquid to be scanned is placed and which transports the container holding the liquid through the X-ray imaging apparatus, said X-ray imaging apparatus generating said X-ray image data by scanning the container holding the liquid transported on the conveyor belt.

4. A system as defined in claim 3, wherein the X-ray imaging apparatus that scans the container holding the liquid is a dual energy X-ray imaging apparatus.

5. A system as defined in claim 3, wherein the container holding the liquid is scanned in a tray that is carried on the conveyor belt.

6. A system as defined in claim 1, wherein the computer based logic module processes the X-ray image data to extract X-ray attenuation information and processes the X-ray attenuation information and the path length data to derive the parameter.

7. A system as defined in claim 6, wherein the X-ray attenuation information includes X-ray attenuation information associated with a first X-ray energy level and X-ray attenuation information associated with a second X-ray energy level, where the first energy level is higher than the second energy level.

8. A system as defined in claim 5, wherein the image data conveys a two dimensional image of the container.

9. A system as defined in claim 1, wherein the computer based logic module processes the X-ray image data to extract X-ray attenuation information indicative of a degree of attenuation of X-rays by the liquid held in the container and processes the X-ray attenuation data and the path length data to derive the parameter.

10. A method for determining a parameter of a liquid held in a container, said method comprising:

a) receiving X-ray image data of the container holding the liquid, the X-ray image data being obtained by scanning the container holding the liquid with X-rays;

b) processing the X-ray image data with a computer to;

i) derive path length data at least in part based on the X-ray image data, the path length data conveying an estimated length of a path followed by X-rays through the liquid held in the container;

ii) processing the X-ray image data in combination with the path length data to determine the parameter;

c) releasing data conveying the parameter.

11. A method as defined in claim 10, wherein the parameter is selected from the group consisting of a density, an X-ray attenuation coefficient and an effective atomic number.

12. A method as defined in claim 10, wherein said X-ray image data is obtained by scanning the container holding the liquid while the container is transported on a conveyor belt of an X-ray imaging apparatus.

13. A method as defined in claim 12, wherein the container holding the liquid is scanned in a tray that is carried on the conveyor belt.

14. A method as defined in claim 10, wherein said X-ray image data is obtained by scanning the container holding the liquid with dual energy X-rays.

15. A method as defined in claim 10, including processing the X-ray image data to extract X-ray attenuation information and processing the X-ray attenuation information and the path length data to derive the parameter.

16. A method as defined in claim 15, wherein the X-ray attenuation information includes X-ray attenuation information associated with a first X-ray energy level and X-ray attenuation information associated with a second X-ray energy level, where the first energy level is higher than the second energy level.

17. A method as defined in claim 10, including processing the X-ray image data to extract X-ray attenuation information indicative of a degree of attenuation of X-rays by the liquid held in the container and processing the X-ray attenuation data and the path length data to derive the parameter.

18. A computer readable storage medium for storing a program element suitable for execution by a computing apparatus, said computing apparatus comprising a memory unit and a processor operatively connected to said memory unit, said program element when executing on said processor implementing a method for determining a parameter of a liquid held in a container comprising:

a) receiving X-ray image data of the container holding the liquid, the X-ray image data being obtained by scanning the container holding the liquid with X-rays;

b) processing the X-ray image data with a computer to;

i) derive path length data at least in part based on the X-ray image data, the path length data conveying an estimated length of a path followed by X-rays through the liquid held in the container;

ii) processing the X-ray image data in combination with the path length data to determine the parameter;

c) releasing data conveying the parameter.

19. A system for determining a parameter of a liquid held in a container, said system comprising:

a) an input for receiving X-ray image data obtained by scanning the container holding the liquid with X-rays;

b) a computer based logic module for;

i) processing the X-ray image data to;

(1) derive X-ray attenuation data indicative of a degree at which X-rays are attenuated by the liquid held in the container;

(2) derive path length data, the path length data conveying an estimated length of a path followed by X-rays through the liquid held in the container;

ii) deriving the parameter at least in part on the basis of the X-ray attenuation data and the path length data;

c) an output to release data conveying the parameter.

20. A system as defined in claim 19, wherein the parameter is selected from the group consisting of a density, an X-ray attenuation coefficient and an effective atomic number.

21. A system as defined in claim 19, wherein the system comprises an X-ray imaging apparatus including a conveyor belt on which the container holding a liquid to be scanned is placed and which transports the container holding the liquid through the X-ray imaging apparatus, said X-ray imaging apparatus generating said X-ray image data by scanning the container holding the liquid transported on the conveyor belt.

22. A system as defined in claim 21, wherein the X-ray imaging apparatus that scans the container holding the liquid is a dual energy X-ray imaging apparatus.

23. A system as defined in claim 21, wherein the container holding the liquid is scanned in a tray that is carried on the conveyor belt.

24. A system as defined in claim 19, wherein the X-ray attenuation data conveys X-ray attenuation information associated with a first X-ray energy level and X-ray attenuation information associated with a second X-ray energy level, where the first energy level is higher than the second energy level.

25. A system as defined in claim 19, wherein the X-ray image data conveys a two dimensional image of the container.

26. A method for determining a parameter of a liquid held in a container, said method comprising:

a) receiving X-ray image data of the container holding the liquid, the X-ray image data being obtained by scanning the container holding the liquid with X-rays;

b) processing the X-ray image data with a computer to;

i) derive X-ray attenuation data, the X-ray attenuation data being indicative of a degree at which X-rays are attenuated by the liquid held in the container;

ii) derive path length data, the path length data conveying an estimated length of a path followed by X-rays through the liquid held in the container;

c) process the X-ray attenuation data and the path length data with the computer to derive the parameter;

d) releasing data conveying the parameter from an output of the computer.

27. A method as defined in claim 26, wherein the parameter is selected from the group consisting of a density, an X-ray attenuation coefficient and an effective atomic number.

28. A method as defined in claim 26, wherein said X-ray image data is obtained by scanning the container holding the liquid while the container is transported on a conveyor belt of an X-ray imaging apparatus.

29. A method as defined in claim 28, wherein the container holding the liquid is scanned in a tray that is carried on the conveyor belt.

30. A method as defined in claim 26, wherein said X-ray image data is obtained by scanning the container holding the liquid with dual energy X-rays.

31. A method as defined in claim 26, wherein the X-ray attenuation data conveys X-ray attenuation information associated with a first X-ray energy level and X-ray attenuation information associated with a second X-ray energy level, where the first energy level is higher than the second energy level.

32. A method as defined in claim 26, wherein the X-ray image data conveys a two dimensional image of the container.