X-Ray Tomographic Inspection Systems for the Identification of Specific Target Items

• US 20100303287A1
• Filed: 05/26/2010
• Published: 12/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rapiscan Systems Incorporated (OSI Systems Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Rapiscan Systems Incorporated (OSI Systems Incorporated)
• Inventors: Morton, Edward James
• Granted Patent: US 8,223,919 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/100
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/027 characterised by the use of a particular data acquisition trajectory, e.g. helical or spiral
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2223/419 computed tomograph
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2223/639 material in a container
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 23/046 using tomography, e.g. computed tomography [CT]
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2235/068 Multi-cathode assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 35/04 Electrodes ; Mutual position thereof; Constructional adaptations therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 35/045 Electrodes for controlling the current of the cathode ray, e.g. control grids

Abstract

The present specification discloses an X-ray scanning system with a non-rotating X-ray scanner that generates scanning data defining a tomographic X-ray image of the object and a processor executing programmatic instructions where the executing processor analyzes the scanning data to extract at least one parameter of the tomographic X-ray image and where the processor is configured to determine if the object comprises a liquid, sharp object, narcotic, currency, nuclear materials, cigarettes or fire-arms.

Claims

1. An X-ray scanning system comprising:

a. a non-rotating X-ray scanner that generates scanning data defining a tomographic X-ray image of the object; and

b. a processor executing programmatic instructions wherein said executing processor analyzes the scanning data to extract at least one parameter of the tomographic X-ray image and wherein said processor is configured to determine if said object is a bottle containing a liquid.

2. The X-ray scanning system of claim 1 wherein said processor executes programmatic instructions to allocate the object to one of a plurality of categories on the basis of the at least one parameter.

3. The X-ray scanning system of claim 2 wherein said programmatic instructions comprise at least one parameter extractor for identifying at least one predefined feature in the tomographic X-ray image wherein said predefined feature comprises a plurality of low level parameters of the X-ray image.

4. The X-ray scanning system of claim 3 wherein said programmatic instructions comprise at least one decision tree for constructing high level parameters based upon the identified low level parameters of the X-ray image.

5. The X-ray system of claim 4 wherein said high level parameters include a contiguous volume, a predetermined shape, or a mean reconstructed density of the contiguous volume.

6. The X-ray scanning system of claim 4 further comprising a database search tool for mapping the constructed high level parameters of the X-ray image to predefined data stored in a database.

7. The X-ray scanning system of claim 6 further comprising an alarm system for activating an alarm based on a result of said mapping, wherein said alarm defines an object as being a potential threat or not a potential threat.

8. The X-ray scanning system as claimed in claim 3 wherein the at least one parameter extractor is configured to operate on one 2-dimensional images, 3-dimensional images or sinogram image data.

9. An X-ray scanning system comprising:

a. a non-rotating X-ray scanner that generates scanning data defining a tomographic X-ray image of the object; and

b. a processor executing programmatic instructions wherein said executing processor analyzes the scanning data to extract at least one parameter of the tomographic X-ray image and wherein said processor is configured to determine if said object comprises a sharp object.

10. The X-ray scanning system of claim 9 wherein said processor executes programmatic instructions to allocate the object to one of a plurality of categories on the basis of the at least one parameter.

11. The X-ray scanning system of claim 10 wherein said programmatic instructions comprise at least one parameter extractor for identifying at least one predefined feature in the tomographic X-ray image wherein said predefined feature comprises a plurality of low level parameters of the X-ray image.

12. The X-ray scanning system of claim 11 wherein said programmatic instructions comprise at least one decision tree for constructing high level parameters based upon the identified low level parameters of the X-ray image.

13. The X-ray system of claim 12 wherein said high level parameters include a structure having a predefined length to width aspect ratio or a predefined repeating structure.

14. The X-ray scanning system of claim 12 further comprising a database search tool for mapping the constructed high level parameters of the X-ray image to predefined data stored in a database.

15. The X-ray scanning system of claim 14 further comprising an alarm system for activating an alarm based on a result of said mapping, wherein said alarm defines an object as being a potential threat or not a potential threat.

16. The X-ray scanning system as claimed in claim 11 wherein the at least one parameter extractor is configured to operate on one 2-dimensional images, 3-dimensional images or sinogram image data.

17. An X-ray scanning system comprising:

a. a non-rotating X-ray scanner that generates scanning data defining a tomographic X-ray image of the object; and

b. a processor executing programmatic instructions wherein said executing processor analyzes the scanning data to extract at least one parameter of the tomographic X-ray image and wherein said processor is configured to determine if said object comprises a narcotic, currency, nuclear materials, cigarettes or fire-arms.

18. The X-ray scanning system of claim 17 wherein said processor executes programmatic instructions to allocate the object to one of a plurality of categories on the basis of the at least one parameter.

19. The X-ray scanning system of claim 17 wherein said programmatic instructions comprise at least one parameter extractor for identifying at least one predefined feature in the tomographic X-ray image wherein said predefined feature comprises a plurality of low level parameters of the X-ray image.

20. The X-ray scanning system of claim 19 wherein said programmatic instructions comprise at least one decision tree for constructing high level parameters based upon the identified low level parameters of the X-ray image.

21. The X-ray system of claim 20 wherein said high level parameters include structures having a predefined length to width aspect ratio or a predefined repeating structure.

22. The X-ray scanning system of claim 20 further comprising a database search tool for mapping the constructed high level parameters of the X-ray image to predefined data stored in a database.

23. The X-ray scanning system of claim 22 further comprising an alarm system for activating an alarm based on a result of said mapping, wherein said alarm defines an object as being a potential threat or not a potential threat.

24. The X-ray scanning system as claimed in claim 19 wherein the at least one parameter extractor is configured to operate on one 2-dimensional images, 3-dimensional images or sinogram image data.