High-energy X-ray inspection system
OwnerMartin Annisinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A high-energy X-ray inspection system comprises an X-ray source for generating high energy X rays for inspecting the contents of large objects. The source is contained within an enclosure having an integrally-formed precollimator device that limits the radiation emitted from the source to form a "fan-beam" of X rays. A novel rotating cylindrical collimator converts the fan-beam into a pencil-beam of X rays, which is further limited by a fixed-slit collimator. The high-energy pencil-beam penetrates the entire area of an object and is intercepted by a detector, which transforms the X rays into image data for presentation on a display screen.
Claims8
A high-energy X-ray inspection system for inspecting the contents of a container, said inspection system comprising:
- a pulsed high-energy source for radiating a cone of X rays, said source contained within an enclosure having an integrally-formed precollimator that limits said radiated cone to a fan-beam of X rays;
- and
- a rotating cylindrical collimator for converting said fan-beam into a pencil-beam of X rays, said rotating cylindrical collimator having a helical slit extending along an outer surface thereof, said fan-beam intersecting said helical slit along a chord of said outer surface to generate a line of pencil-beams for penetrating the container.
A high-energy X-ray inspection system for inspecting the contents of a container, said inspection system comprising:
- a pulsed linear accelerator for radiating a cone of X rays, said accelerator contained within an enclosure having an integrally-formed precollimator that limits said radiated cone to a fan-beam of X rays;
- a rotating cylindrical collimator for converting said fan-beam into a pencil-beam of X rays, said rotating cylindrical collimator having a helical slit extending along an outer surface thereof, said fan-beam intersecting said helical slit along a chord of said outer surface to generate a sweeping line of pencil-beams for penetrating the container;
- a detector for intercepting said sweeping line of pencil-beams penetrating the container and for transforming said sweeping line of pencil-beams into image data;
- and
- a fixed-slit collimator situated between said rotating cylindrical collimator and detector, said fixed-slit collimator further limiting said sweeping line of pencil-beams prior to penetrating the container.
A method for efficiently inspecting the contents of a container, said method comprising the steps of:
- generating a cone of high-energy X rays using a pulsed linear accelerator;
- limiting said cone to a fan-beam of X rays with a precollimator;
- converting said fan-beam of X rays into a pencil-beam of X rays in response to said fan-beam of X rays intersecting a helical slit of a rotating cylindrical collimator;
- collimating said pencil-beam of X rays with a fixed-slit collimator and directing said pencil-beams of X rays through the container;
- intercepting said pencil-beams of X rays with a plurality of scintillating screens of a detector and producing visible light in response to said intercepting of said pencil-beams;
- and
- activating a selected group of photo-multipliers disposed along said detector to detect the visible light and to produce image data, the activation of said selected group of photo-multipliers reducing noise and improving the quality of said image data.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.