X-ray tomographic inspection system for the identification of specific target items

• US 9,158,030 B2
• Filed: 10/07/2014
• Issued: 10/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2003
• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): THOMAS, COURTNEY D
• Application Number:
  US14/508,464
• Publication Number:
  US 20150110240A1
• Time in Patent Office: 371 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/027 characterised by the use of a particular data acquisition trajectory, e.g. helical or spiral
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/032 Transmission computed tomography [CT]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4028 resulting in acquisition of views from substantially different positions, e.g. EBCT
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4035 the source being combined with a filter or grating
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4241 using energy resolving detectors, e.g. photon counting
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4488 Means for cooling A61B6/045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/482 involving multiple energy imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/505 for diagnosis of bone
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2223/419 computed tomograph
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 23/04 and forming images of the material
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 23/046 using tomography, e.g. computed tomography [CT]
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 23/203 Measuring back scattering
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 24/084 Detection of potentially hazardous samples, e.g. toxic samples, explosives, drugs, firearms, weapons
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 5/223 Mixed interrogation beams, e.g. using more than one type of radiation beam
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 5/226 using tomography
• CPC Class Codes: G21K 1/025 using multiple collimators, e.g. Bucky screens; other devices for eliminating undesired or dispersed radiation
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 35/045 Electrodes for controlling the current of the cathode ray, e.g. control grids

Abstract

The present invention provides for an improved scanning process with a stationary X-ray source arranged to generate X-rays from a plurality of X-ray source positions around a scanning region, a first set of detectors arranged to detect X-rays transmitted through the scanning region, and at least one processor arranged to process outputs from the first set of detectors to generate tomographic image data. The X-ray screening system is used in combination with other screening technologies, such as NQR-based screening, X-ray diffraction based screening, X-ray back-scatter based screening, or Trace Detection based screening.

Claims

1. A method for identifying objects in a container, comprising:

performing a first stage screening, comprising;

arranging a stationary X-ray source to generate X-rays from a plurality of stationary X-ray source positions around a scanning region, arranging a first set of detectors to detect X-rays transmitted through the scanning region, arranging a second set of detectors to detect X-rays scattered within the scanning region, and activating each of said plurality of stationary X-ray source positions in a sequence and rate to emulate an angular velocity of source rotation sufficient to generate data from which at least one tomographic image is formed;

processing data output from the first set of detectors using at least one processor to generate the at least one tomographic image;

processing data output from the second set of detectors to generate scatter image data; and

,

performing a second stage screening comprising at least one of a NQR-based screening process, X-ray diffraction based screening process, X-ray backscatter based screening process, or trace detection based screening process.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one processor outputs data indicative of a suspect object in the container.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one processor outputs a signal indicating said container should be subject to the second stage screening only if the first stage screening identifies a suspect object in the container.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one processor outputs a signal indicating said container should not be subject to the second stage screening only if the first stage screening does not identify a suspect object in the container.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the second stage screening outputs a signal indicative of whether a suspect object exists in the container and wherein said output of the second stage screening, said at least one tomographic image, and said scatter image data are used to determine if the suspect object is illegal.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said first stage screening is performed in parallel with said second stage screening.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said first stage screening is performed serially with respect to said second stage screening.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the first stage screening is used to analyze at least one of the tomographic image data or scatter image data to determine a type of material of an object in the enclosure.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the second stage screening is used to conduct a nuclear quadrupole measurement based on the type of material determined by the first screening system.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the second stage screening is used to conduct an X-ray diffraction based screening based on the at least one tomographic image generated by the first stage screening.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein said stationary X-ray source is an electronically scanned X-ray source.

12. A method for identifying objects in a container, comprising:

performing a first stage screening comprising;

arranging a stationary X-ray source to generate X-rays from a plurality of stationary X-ray source positions around a scanning region;

arranging a first set of detectors to detect X-rays transmitted through the scanning region;

activating each of said plurality of stationary X-ray source positions in a sequence and rate to emulate an angular velocity of source rotation sufficient to generate data from which at least one tomographic image is formed;

processing data output from the first set of detectors to generate the at least one tomographic image, using at least one processor; and

conveying said container from a first stage screening area to a second stage screening area, wherein the second stage screening comprises at least one of a NQR-based screening process, X-ray diffraction based screening process, X-ray back-scatter based screening process, or trace detection based screening process.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the at least one processor outputs data indicative of a suspect object in the container.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the at least one processor outputs a signal indicating said container should be subject to the second stage screening only if the first stage screening identifies a suspect object in the container.

15. The system of claim 12 wherein the second screening system outputs a signal indicative of whether a suspect object exists in the container and wherein said output of the second stage screening and said at least one tomographic image are used to determine if the suspect object is a threat.

16. The system of claim 12 wherein said first stage screening is performed in parallel with said second stage screening.

17. The system of claim 12 wherein said first stage screening is performed serially with respect to said second stage screening.

18. The system of claim 12 wherein the first stage screening is used to analyze the tomographic image data to determine a type of material of an object in the enclosure.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the second stage screening is used to conduct a nuclear quadrupole measurement based on the type of material determined by the first stage screening.

20. The system of claim 12 wherein the second stage screening system is used to conduct an X-ray diffraction based screening based on the at least one tomographic image generated by the first stage screening.