Screening method and apparatus
AssigneesMedNovus, Inc., Quantum Magnetics, Inc.
InventorsPeter V. Czipott, Sankaran Kumar, Stephen Wolff, Lowell J. Burnett
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Abstract
A method and apparatus to screen individuals specifically for paramagnetic or ferromagnetic objects they may be carrying or wearing, before they enter a controlled area. The device comprises a screening portal, including at least one magnetic gradiometer and its electronics. The device places all of the sensor arrays in close proximity to a subject's body, for screening purposes. The portal has at least one excitation coil oriented to cause the excitation field to have zero mutual inductance with the gradiometers.
Claims19
An apparatus for excluding objects from introduction into a controlled area, comprising:
- a portal structure adapted to scan a human subject;
- a substantially co-planar array of single axis magnetic field gradiometers mounted on said portal structure, each said gradiometer including a pair of magnetometers adapted to sense an induced magnetic field of an object, said magnetometers being oriented to have their sensitive axes parallel and in the plane of said gradiometer array;
- at least one excitation coil establishing a magnetic excitation field adapted to induce said magnetic field of said object, said at least one excitation coil being oriented to cause said excitation field to have zero mutual inductance with said gradiometer array;
- and
- a processor adapted to interpret signals from said gradiometer array to indicate the presence of said object.
A method for excluding objects from introduction into a controlled area, comprising:
- providing a co-planar array of single axis magnetic field gradiometers mounted on a portal structure, each said gradiometer including a pair of magnetometers oriented to have their sensitive axes parallel and in the plane of said gradiometer array;
- providing at least one excitation coil;
- energizing said at least one excitation coil to establish a magnetic excitation field, while orienting said excitation coil to cause said excitation field to have zero mutual inductance with said gradiometer array;
- scanning a subject with said gradiometer array;
- inducing a magnetic field in an object, with said excitation field;
- sensing said induced magnetic field of said object, with said gradiometer array;
- and
- interpreting signals from said gradiometer array, with a processor, to indicate the presence of said object.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.