Method and apparatus for the quantitative mass determination of the content of closed foil packages

An apparatus for the quantitative mass determination of the content of closed foil packages, wherein the foil packages each have filling spaces having a base area and an edge region outside the base area and at least one metallic foil layer, the apparatus comprising:

• an X-ray station having an X-ray source and an X-ray imaging device and having a control unit;
• said control unit being configured to:
• x-ray, in a calibration routine, at least one closed first reference package without content using said X-ray source and produce a first set of initial X-ray recordings thereof;
• derive a mass calibration signature from the first set of initial X-ray recordings;
• x-ray at least one closed second reference package with a reference content using said X-ray source and produce a second set of initial X-ray recordings thereof;
• derive an initial reference signature from the second set of initial X-ray recordings;
• derive a reference measurement value from the initial reference signature and the mass calibration signature by way of subtraction;
• quantitatively ascertain the mass of the reference content of the at least one second reference package as a reference mass by weighing and assigning the reference mass to the reference measurement value;
• terminate the calibration routine, wherein an ongoing measurement operation follows;
• x-ray, in the ongoing measurement operation, closed foil packages each with a content using said X-ray source and produce at least one set of measuring X-ray recordings thereof;
• derive a measurement signature from the at least one set of measuring X-ray recordings, wherein a first sum signal is ascertained within the base area, a second sum signal is ascertained in the edge region, and the measurement signature is ascertained by subtraction between the first and the second sum signals;
• derive measurement values for the individual closed foil packages from the measurement signature and the mass calibration signature by way of subtraction;
• and,
• quantitatively determine the masses of the contents of the closed foil packages from the measurement values taking into consideration the assignment of the reference mass to the reference measurement value.