# US 12,222,301 B2 · X-ray inspection apparatus

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 12,222,301 B2
- Document ID: US12222301B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/160,139
- Filed: 2023-01-26
- Published: 2023-08-17
- Granted: 2025-02-11
- Earliest claimed: 2022-02-02
- Assignees: Ishida Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Ishida Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Ken Iwakawa; Akihiro Maenaka; Futoshi Yurugi
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12222301B2

## CPC

- G01N 23/04: and forming images of the material
- G01N 23/083: the radiation being X-rays
- G01N 23/18: Investigating the presence of flaws defects or foreign matter
- G01N 2223/04: and measuring absorption
- G01N 2223/424: energy substraction image processing (dual energy processing)
- G01N 2223/50: Detectors
- G01N 2223/646: flaws, defects
- G01N 2223/652: impurities, foreign matter, trace amounts
- G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q)

## Abstract

An X-ray inspection apparatus includes an X-ray source configured to irradiate an article with X-rays in a plurality of energy bands, an X-ray detection unit capable of detecting the X-rays by a photon counting method, an image generation unit configured to generate an overall transmission image corresponding to the X-rays in all of the plurality of energy bands and a transmission image corresponding to the X-rays in some of the plurality of energy bands on the basis of a detection result of the X-rays by the X-ray detection unit, and an inspection unit configured to inspect the article on the basis of the overall transmission image and the transmission image.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An X-ray inspection apparatus comprising:
an X-ray source configured to irradiate an article with X-rays in a plurality of energy bands;
an X-ray detection unit capable of detecting the X-rays by a photon counting method;
an image generation unit configured to generate an overall transmission image corresponding to the X-rays in all of the plurality of energy bands and a transmission image corresponding to the X-rays in some of the plurality of energy bands on the basis of a detection result of the X-rays by the X-ray detection unit; and
an inspection unit configured to inspect the article on the basis of each of the overall transmission image and the transmission image.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The X-ray inspection apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein the X-ray detection unit is a direct-conversion-type detection unit.

### Claim 3

An X-ray inspection apparatus comprising:
an X-ray source configured to irradiate an article with X-rays in a plurality of energy bands;
an X-ray detection unit capable of detecting the X-rays using a photon counting method;
an image generation unit configured to generate (1) an overall transmission image corresponding to the X-rays in all of the plurality of energy bands, (2) a first transmission image corresponding to the X-rays in a first energy band included in the plurality of energy bands, (3) a second transmission image corresponding to the X-rays in a second energy band which is included in the plurality of energy bands and is lower than the first energy band, and (4) a difference image obtained by a subtraction process between the first transmission image and the second transmission image on the basis of a detection result of the X-rays by the X-ray detection unit; and
an inspection unit configured to inspect the article on the basis of each of the difference image and at least one of the overall transmission image, the first transmission image, and the second transmission image.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The X-ray inspection apparatus according to claim 3,
wherein the inspection unit is configured to inspect the article on the basis of the difference image and at least the overall transmission image.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The X-ray inspection apparatus according to claim 3,
wherein the inspection unit is configured to inspect the article on the basis of the difference image and at least the first transmission image.

### Claim 6 (depends on 3)

The X-ray inspection apparatus according to claim 3,
wherein the inspection unit is configured to inspect the article on the basis of the difference image and at least the second transmission image.

### Claim 7 (depends on 3)

The X-ray inspection apparatus according to claim 3,
wherein the image generation unit is configured to generate the first transmission image on the basis of the overall transmission image and the second transmission image.

### Claim 8 (depends on 3)

The X-ray inspection apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a display unit configured to receive an operation from an outside,
wherein the display unit is configured to receive an operation of selecting an image used to inspect the article by the inspection unit.

### Claim 9 (depends on 3)

The X-ray inspection apparatus according to claim 3,
wherein the X-ray detection unit is a direct-conversion-type detection unit.