# US 10,871,591 B2 · Image quality test article set > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,871,591 B2 - Document ID: US10871591B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/514,247 - Filed: 2015-09-25 - Published: 2017-09-28 - Granted: 2020-12-22 - Earliest claimed: 2014-09-26 - Assignees: Battelle Memorial Institute - Applicants: Battelle Memorial Institute - Inventors: Eric Atherton; Matthew Aderholdt; Joseph Regensburger; Lucinda Flaherty; Joseph Cochran - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10871591B2 ## CPC - G01V 5/226: using tomography - G01T 1/02: Dosimeters (G01T1/15 takes precedence) - G01V 5/20: Detecting prohibited goods, e.g. weapons, explosives, hazardous substances, contraband or smuggled objects - G01V 13/00: Manufacturing, calibrating, cleaning, or repairing instruments or devices covered by groups G01V1/00 – G01V11/00 - G01T 7/005: {calibration techniques (stabilization of spectrometer G01T1/40)} - G01V: GEOPHYSICS; GRAVITATIONAL MEASUREMENTS; DETECTING MASSES OR OBJECTS; TAGS (means for indicating the location of accidentally buried, e.g. snow-buried, persons A63B29/02) - G01T: MEASUREMENT OF NUCLEAR OR X-RADIATION (radiation analysis of materials, mass spectrometry G01N23/00; tubes for determining the presence, intensity, density or energy of radiation or particles H01J47/00) ## Abstract Systems, methods, and apparatuses are provided for evaluating an image quality of an image produced by an x-ray computed tomography (CT) system. The system includes at least one test article configured to support one or more test objects within an inner volume. The test article includes an exterior shell assembly, a base assembly, a support structure. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for assessing and evaluating an image producing x-ray computed tomography system containing a test object to be scanned with x-rays to produce an image, the system for assessing and evaluating comprising: at least one test article, the at least one test article configured to support one or more test objects within an inner volume, the at least one test article comprising: (1) an exterior shell assembly surrounding an inner volume, wherein the exterior shell assembly and the base assembly comprise a composite structure, the composite structure further comprises a hollow core structure, a resin matrix, and a reinforcement material, wherein the reinforcement material is a fiberglass cloth; (2) a base assembly comprising a flat base portion; (3) a support structure comprising one or more partitions configured to support one or more test objects, and one or more brackets configured to attach to at least one of: a partition and the flat base portion; wherein the exterior shell assembly is configured to attach to the flat base portion of the base assembly such that the inner volume of the exterior shell assembly is bounden in part by the flat base portion of the base assembly; and wherein the base assembly is configured to attach to the exterior shell assembly, and the flat base portion is configured to support and attach to the support structure; and wherein the support structure is configured to attach to the flat base portion of the base assembly and to be positioned within the inner volume of the exterior shell assembly. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the hollow core structure is of an open cell hexagonal honeycomb design. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the hollow core structure is of a polypropylene material. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the hollow core structure is of a thickness of 0.20 inches. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the hollow core structure further comprises a scrim cloth barrier on both open sides of the hollow core structure. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the reinforcement material is multi-plied and a warp of each ply is arranged substantially orthogonal to a warp of an overlapping ply. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the reinforcement material is multi-plied and each ply of the reinforcement material is laminated to another ply by the resin matrix to form a multi-plied lamination. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein plies of the reinforcement material are laminated to both open sides of the hollow core structure with the resin matrix. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the resin matrix is a low density resin matrix. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the exterior shell assembly and the base assembly are formed by vacuum bag molding the composite structure. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein at least one end of the exterior shell assembly comprises a polyhedral frustum. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein at least one end of the exterior shell assembly comprises a handle assembly. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein a portion of the base assembly exterior and at least one corner of the exterior shell assembly are coated with a flex coat. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one test article further comprises a dosimeter assembly, the dosimeter assembly comprising: a dosimeter shelf; a dosimeter window; an access panel; and a connection interface. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein one of the one or more test objects is an acetal cylinder used to evaluate computed tomography (CT) and effective atomic number (Zeff). ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising a transport case sized and shaped to carry and store two test articles. ### Claim 17 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5, wherein the scrim cloth barrier is of a polyester material. ### Claim 18 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5, wherein the scrim cloth barrier is thermo-fused to the hollow core structure. ### Claim 19 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein a ratio of reinforcement material to resin matrix is 70% reinforcement material to 30% resin matrix. ### Claim 20 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein the multi-plied lamination is of a thickness of 0.018 inches. ### Claim 21 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein an addition of silicon dioxide to the resin matrix decreases a density of the resin matrix. ### Claim 22 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein an addition of calcium carbonate to the resin matrix decreases a density of the resin matrix. ### Claim 23 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein the handle assembly extends into the inner volume and further comprises a handle cover and a handle cup. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The system of claim 23, wherein the handle cover comprises at least four ergonomic notches. ### Claim 25 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein the flex coat is a two-part flexible polyurethane spray application. ### Claim 26 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein the dosimeter shelf is operably mounted to a portion of the base assembly. ### Claim 27 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein a portion of the exterior shell assembly comprises the dosimeter window. ### Claim 28 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein the access panel is operably mounted to a portion of the base assembly. ### Claim 29 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, wherein the acetal cylinder is divided into two or more acetal cylinder portions, each of the two or more acetal cylinder portions operable to interconnect to another of the two or more acetal cylinder portions. ### Claim 30 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, wherein at least one portion of the acetal cylinder is undercut such that an annular metal device is sized to fit over the at least one undercut portion such that the at least one undercut portion prevents movement of the annular metal device along a longitudinal axis of the acetal cylinder. ### Claim 31 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, wherein the acetal cylinder comprises at least one blind hole, the at least one blind hole oriented along a longitudinal axis of the acetal cylinder and configured to support a streak artifact test object. ### Claim 32 (depends on 29) The system of claim 29, wherein each of the two or more acetal cylinder portions is configured to support at least one annular metal device. ### Claim 33 (depends on 29) The system of claim 29, wherein at least one portion of the two or more acetal cylinder portions is undercut such that an annular metal device is sized to fit over the at least one undercut portion such that the at least one undercut portion prevents movement of the annular metal device along a longitudinal axis of the acetal cylinder when each of the two or more interconnected acetal cylinder portions are joined to each other. ### Claim 34 (depends on 32) The system of claim 32, wherein the at least one annular metal device is a copper ring. ### Claim 35 (depends on 32) The system of claim 32, wherein the at least one annular metal device is an aluminum ring. ### Claim 36 (depends on 32) The system of claim 32, wherein the at least one annular metal device is a lead foil ring. ### Claim 37 (depends on 32) The system of claim 32, wherein the at least one annular metal device is a tin foil ring. ### Claim 38 (depends on 33) The system of claim 33, wherein the annular metal device is an aluminum ring. ### Claim 39 (depends on 33) The system of claim 33, wherein the annular metal device is a copper ring. ### Claim 40 (depends on 31) The system of claim 31, wherein the streak artifact test object is a tungsten pin.