Compact mobile cargo scanning system

• US 9,052,403 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2013
• Issued: 06/09/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rapiscan Systems Incorporated (OSI Systems Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Rapiscan Systems Incorporated (OSI Systems Incorporated)
• Inventors: Morton, Edward James, Baldwin, Francis, Kotowski, Andreas F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kiknadze, Irakli
• Application Number:
  US14/104,637
• Publication Number:
  US 20150110243A1
• Time in Patent Office: 544 Days
• Field of Search: 378/57, 378/62, 378/86, 378/196, 378/102
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2223/639 material in a container
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 5/22 Active interrogation, i.e. by irradiating objects or goods using external radiation sources, e.g. using gamma rays or cosmic rays
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 5/232 having relative motion between the source, detector and object other than by conveyor G01V5/226 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05G 1/02 Constructional details

Abstract

The present invention is a self-contained mobile inspection system and method and, more specifically, improved methods and systems for detecting materials concealed within a wide variety of receptacles and/or cargo containers. In particular, the present invention is an improved method and system with a novel boom structure that reduces the weight of the boom. The single, light-weight boom of the inspection system is relatively compact in a stowed configuration and has a low height and center of gravity lending to greater maneuverability.

Claims

1. An inspection system comprising:

a vehicle having a bed defining a horizontal surface;

a boom pivotably attached to said vehicle wherein said boom comprises a first vertical section, a second vertical section and a horizontal section, wherein said first vertical section is pivotably hinged to said horizontal section and said horizontal section is pivotably hinged to said second vertical section; and

a radiological source coupled to said boom, wherein, when fully deployed, said boom defines an inspection area having a height in a range of 2000 mm to 5300 mm and wherein, when fully stowed, said vertical section forms an angle in a range of 5 to 20 degrees to the horizontal surface.

2. The inspection system of claim 1 wherein said radiological source is attached to said vehicle.

3. The inspection system of claim 1 wherein said radiological source is attached to said vehicle but not attached to said boom.

4. The inspection system of claim 1 wherein said radiological source is an X-ray source is at least one of a X-ray generator with 100 kVp to 500 kVp tube voltage and 0.1 mA to 20 mA tube current, a 0.8 MV to 2.5 MV linear accelerator source with a dose output rate of less than 0.1 Gy/min at 1 m, and a 2.5 MV to 6 MV linear accelerator source with a output dose rate in a range 0.1 Gy/min at 1 m to 10 Gy/min at 1 m.

5. The inspection system of claim 1 wherein said vehicle has only one rear axle.

6. The inspection system of claim 5 wherein said boom has a weight and wherein said boom is positioned such that, upon movement of said boom, the weight acts substantially over the rear axle.

7. The inspection system of claim 1 wherein said boom has a weight and wherein said boom is positioned such that, upon movement of said boom, the weight acts over an area.

8. The inspection system of claim 7 wherein said boom has a lattice structure comprising a plurality of beam sections connected by a plurality of nodes wherein said structure defines an internal lattice area.

9. The inspection system of claim 8 wherein a detector is connected to an outside the internal lattice area.

10. The inspection system of claim 8 wherein a detector is positioned within the internal lattice area.

11. The inspection system of claim 1 wherein said vehicle comprises a plurality of targets wherein each of said targets is on a different part of said vehicle.

12. The inspection system of claim 11 further comprising a camera in data communication with a controller wherein said camera captures a movement of said targets and wherein said controller determines what portion of said vehicle has moved based on the movement of said target.

13. The inspection system of claim 12 wherein said controller determines a speed of said vehicle based on said movement of said targets.

14. The inspection system of claim 13 wherein said controller modulates a frequency at which X-ray data is collected based upon said speed.

15. An inspection system comprising:

a vehicle having a first axle proximate to a front of said vehicle and at least one rear axle proximate to a back of said vehicle wherein a first area is bounded by the rear axle extending to the front of said vehicle and a second area is bounded by the rear axle extending to the back of said vehicle;

a boom pivotably attached to said vehicle wherein said boom has a weight and comprises a first vertical section, a second vertical section and a horizontal section and wherein said first vertical section is pivotably hinged to said horizontal section and said horizontal section is pivotably hinged to said second vertical section; and

a radiological source coupled to said boom, wherein, when fully deployed, said boom defines an inspection area having a width in a range of 2000 mm to 4000 mm and wherein, when fully stowed, said vertical section forms an angle in a range of 5 to 20 degrees to the horizontal surface.

16. The inspection system of claim 15 wherein said system is capable of achieving radiological penetration of at least 30 mm of steel.

17. The inspection system of claim 15 wherein the weight of the boom is positioned to substantially act over said first area and not said second area wherein said system weighs 25,000 kg or less.

18. The inspection system of claim 15 wherein said radiological source is attached to said vehicle and capable of being moved from a first position to a second position, wherein each of said first and second positions are proximate to said vehicle.

19. The inspection system of claim 18 wherein said radiological source is an X-ray source is at least one of a X-ray generator with 100 kVp to 500 kVp tube voltage and 0.1 mA to 20 mA tube current, a 0.8 MV to 2.5 MV linear accelerator source with a dose output rate of less than 0.1 Gy/min at 1 m, and a 2.5 MV to 6 MV linear accelerator source with a output dose rate in a range 0.1 Gy/min at 1 m to 10 Gy/min at 1 m.

20. The inspection system of claim 15 wherein said boom has a lattice structure comprising a plurality of beam sections connected by a plurality of nodes wherein said structure defines an internal lattice area.