Methods and Systems for Accurate Temporal Correlation of Non-Stationary X-Ray Beams with Detector Arrays for Enhanced Detection Capabilities

A method of inspecting an object placed within an inspection space, the method comprising:

• performing a calibration process before inspecting said object, wherein the calibration process comprises:
• activating at least one rotating collimated X-ray source in order to sweep an X-ray beam across the inspection space from a starting position to an end position;
• activating each of the plurality of segmented detectors, such that each of the plurality of segmented detectors is turned on concurrently and capable of recording data throughout the X-ray beam's sweep across the inspection space from the starting position to the end position;
• at each of the plurality of segmented detectors, recording data indicative of a peak X-ray signal and an associated initiation time and an associated termination time of the peak X-ray signal;
• and
• using a controller, acquiring said data from each of the plurality of segmented detectors, determining the peak X-ray signal, the associated initiation time and the associated termination time for each of the plurality of segmented detectors, and storing the associated initiation time and the associated termination time for each of the plurality of segmented detectors,
• inspecting the object by:
• activating the at least one rotating collimated X-ray source in order to sweep the X-ray beam across the inspection space from the starting position to the end position;
• activating each of the plurality of segmented detectors, such that each of the plurality of segmented detectors is turned on only at its associated initiation time and turned off only at its associated termination time.

An non-transient computer readable medium adapted to store programmatic instructions that, when executed, cause an inspection system to be calibrated and cause an object to be inspected within the inspection system by:

• performing a calibration process before inspecting said object, wherein the calibration process comprises:
• activating at least one rotating collimated X-ray source in order to sweep an X-ray beam across the inspection space from a starting position to an end position;
• activating each of the plurality of segmented detectors, such that each of the plurality of segmented detectors is turned on concurrently and capable of recording data throughout the X-ray beam's sweep across the inspection space from the starting position to the end position;
• at each of the plurality of segmented detectors, recording data indicative of a peak X-ray signal and an associated initiation time and an associated termination time of the peak X-ray signal;
• and
• using a controller, acquiring said data from each of the plurality of segmented detectors, determining the peak X-ray signal, the associated initiation time and the associated termination time for each of the plurality of segmented detectors, and storing the associated initiation time and the associated termination time for each of the plurality of segmented detectors;
• and
• inspecting the object by
• activating the at least one rotating collimated X-ray source in order to sweep the X-ray beam across the inspection space from the starting position to the end position;
• and
• activating each of the plurality of segmented detectors, such that each of the plurality of segmented detectors is turned on at its associated initiation time and turned off at its associated termination time.