Angled-beam detection system for container inspection

A method for non-intrusively inspecting a container used for the transportation of an item therein, the method comprising the steps of:

• (a) directing a first x-ray beam at a container having an item therein, wherein step (a) of directing includes the steps of guiding a charaed particle beam having multi-energy pulses from a single, stationary, multi-energy level particle accelerator at a first conversion target and moving the container through a first plane defined by the first x-ray beam;
• (b) collecting first data representative of at least a portion of the x-rays of the first x-ray beam directed at the container and within the first plane using a single, stationary detector array during a single pass of the container by the single, stationary detector array;
• (c) directing a second x-ray beam at the container and at an angle relative to the first x-ray beam, wherein step (c) of directing includes the steps of turning the charged particle beam having multi-energy pulses from the single, stationary, multi-energy level particle accelerator toward a second conversion target and moving the container through a second plane defined by the second x-ray beam;
• (d) collecting second data representative of at least a portion of the x-rays of the second x-ray beam directed at the container and within the second plane using the same single, stationary detector array during the same single pass of the container by the single, stationary detector array;
• and
• (e) analyzing the first data and the second data to ascertain an attribute of the item present in the container.

An apparatus for non-intrusively inspecting a container used for the transportation of an item therein, said apparatus comprising:

• a first device for causing a first x-ray beam to be directed in a first direction toward a container having an item therein, said first direction defining a first angle relative to said container, said first device including one multi-energy particle accelerator for emitting a charged particle beam having pulses of charged particles with multiple energy levels;
• a second device for causing a second x-ray beam to be directed in a second direction toward said container, said second direction defining a second angle relative to said container different from said first angle, said second device is adapted to receive the charged particle beam from said first device and to guide the received charged particle beam in said second direction;
• a single detector array for producing first data representative of at least a portion of said x-rays of said first x-ray beam and for producing second data representative of at least a portion of said x-rays of said second x-ray beam during a single pass of the container by said single detector array;
• and
• a controller communicatively connected to said single detector array for receiving said first and second data from said single detector array and for determining a characteristic of said item present in said container by manipulating said first and second data.