Penetrating radiant energy imaging system with multiple resolution

A penetrating radiant energy imaging system comprising:

• a source of penetrating radiant energy,
• sweeping means for forming a pencil beam of penetrating radiant energy for repeatedly sweeping said pencil beam across a detector field;
• beam cross-section control means to control the cross-section of said pencil beam between at least a first smaller cross-section and a second larger cross-section in a fixed pattern, as said beam illuminates an object,
• detector means located at the detector field for generating signals related to the intensity of said beam impinging on said detector means,
• processor means responsive to said signals from said detector means for separately identifying sets of signals produced by beams of different cross-section and for developing from said signals an image array corresponding to each of said pencil beams of different cross-section,
• whereby an image array is developed for each pencil beam cross-section,
• display means for developing an image in response to said processor means, and
• amplifying means for relatively amplifying signals produced by said beam of smaller cross-section with respect to signals produced by said beam of larger cross-section.