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Time of flight backscatter imaging system

  • US 9,128,198 B2
  • Filed: 10/07/2013
  • Issued: 09/08/2015
  • Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2009
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. An X-ray imaging apparatus for determining a surface profile of an object under inspection and positioned at a distance from said apparatus, comprising:

  • an X-ray source for producing a scanning beam of X-rays directed toward said object;

    a detector assembly adapted to provide a signal representative of an intensity of X-rays backscattered from said object; and

    processing circuitry adapted to determine a time difference between when the X-ray source is switched on and when the backscattered X-rays arrive at the detector assembly and adapted to output data representative of the surface profile of the object under inspection, wherein said processing circuitry comprises a comparator capacitor adapted to be charged by a current source when said X-ray source is turned on, a switch that disconnects said comparator capacitor from the current source when a voltage of the comparator capacitor equals or exceeds a reference voltage, an analog to digital converter to generate a digital value representative of said voltage, and circuitry to determine said time difference from said digital value.

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