Identifying explosives or other contraband by employing transmitted or scattered X-rays

An X-ray inspection device for detecting a specific material of interest in items of baggage or packages, comprising:

• a conveyor constructed and arranged to move items of baggage or packages to an inspection region;
• an X-ray source system located at said inspection region and constructed to expose an examined item of baggage or package by a beam of X-ray radiation;
• an X-ray detection system located at said inspection region and constructed to detect X-ray radiation modified by said examined item;
• a dimension detector constructed to measure a selected dimension of said examined item;
• an interface system connected to and receiving from said X-ray detection system X-ray data and from said dimension detector dimension data, said interface system constructed to order said X-ray data and said dimension data;
• a computer operatively connected to and receiving from said interface system said ordered X-ray and dimension data, said computer programmed to identify, based on said ordered X-ray and dimension data, a region of said item emitting scattered radiation characteristic of said specific material of interest in said examined item.