Tray for assessing the threat status of an article at a security check point

Method for performing security screening at a checkpoint, including:

• a) providing an X-ray imaging system having a scanning area;
• b) providing a supporting device for supporting articles to be scanned in the scanning area, wherein the supporting device has at least two reference areas manifesting respective X-ray signatures when exposed to X-rays, the X-ray signatures being distinguishable from one another;
• c) placing an article to be scanned on the supporting device;
• d) introducing the article to be scanned in the scanning area while the article is supported by the supporting device;
• e) based at least in part on the X-ray imaging system, deriving the X-ray signatures of the reference areas and obtaining an X-ray image of the article while the article is supported on the supporting device;
• f) determining if the article is a security threat based at least in part on the X-ray signatures.

A method for performing security screening on a plurality of liquid products at a security checkpoint, comprising:

• a) providing an X-ray imaging system having a scanning area;
• b) providing a supporting device for supporting a liquid product during a scanning cycle performed with the X-ray imaging system on the liquid product, the supporting device including at least one reference material manifesting an X-ray signature in response to exposure to X-rays;
• c) using the supporting device to perform a succession of scanning cycles on respective ones of the liquid products;
• d) wherein each scanning cycle includes:
• i.) deriving the X-ray signature of the reference material;
• ii.) performing a self-calibration of the X-ray imaging system based at least in part on the X-ray signature;
• iii.)determining if the liquid product is a security threat.

A method for performing security screening on liquid products, comprising;

• a) scanning the liquid product, a first reference material and a second reference material with an X-ray imaging system, the first reference material and the second reference material manifesting respective X-ray signatures when exposed to X-rays, the X-ray signatures being distinguishable from one another, the scanning generating X-ray image data of the liquid product and of the first and second reference materials;
• b) deriving the X-ray signature from the X-ray image data;
• c) performing a self-calibration of the X-ray imaging system based at least in part on the X-ray signature;
• d) determining with the self-calibrated imaging system if the liquid product is a security threat.

A method for performing security screening of a liquid product at a security checkpoint, comprising;

• 1) placing the liquid product in a tray which has a reference area;
• 2) performing an X-ray inspection of the tray holding the liquid product;
• 3) comparing the X-ray signature of the liquid product to the X-ray signature of the reference area;
• 4) determining a threat status associated with the liquid product based at least in part on results obtained by comparing the X-ray signature of the liquid product to the X-ray signature of the reference area, the threat status conveying whether the liquid product is a security threat.

A security screening system suitable for determining if a liquid product presents a security threat, the liquid product being comprised of a container holding a liquid, the screening system comprising:

• 1) an input for receiving image data conveying an image depicting the liquid product and depicting a reference area, the image data being produced by subjecting the liquid product and the reference area to penetrating radiation;
• 2) a logic module for:
• i) deriving from the image data a signature to penetrating radiation of the liquid held in the liquid product;
• ii) processing the image data to derive a signature to penetrating radiation of the reference area;
• iii) comparing the derived signature to penetrating radiation of the liquid held in the liquid product to the derived signature to penetrating radiation of the reference area;
• iv) processing the image data at least in part based on results obtained in iii) to derive a threat status associated with the liquid product, the derived threat status conveying whether the liquid product poses a security threat.