Millimeter wave imaging method and system to detect concealed objects

An imaging apparatus, comprising:

• a video imaging system configured to obtain a video image of an imaging zone;
• a scanner having a reflecting surface and an optical lens;
• a multi-channel radiometer comprising an array of pixels and coupled with the scanner;
• a processor coupled with the video imaging system, the scanner, and the multi-channel radiometer;
• and
• a monitor coupled with the processor;
• said scanner reflective surface configured to oscillate, said oscillating reflective surface arranged to sequentially reflect received millimeter wave energy radiating from a portion of the imaging zone to the array of pixels of said multi-channel radiometer through the optical lens,
• said processor configured to:
• correlate movement of the reflective surface in the scanner to coordinates in the imaging zone so as to determine the millimeter wave energy at specific coordinates of the imaging zone;
• calculate values for a grid of cells, the value of each cell representing millimeter wave energy received by one pixel of the array of pixels in the multi-channel radiometer;
• identify contrast cells from the grid of cells, the contrast cells identified as adjacent cells having values of the millimeter wave energy with a predetermined difference;
• form a discrete image of the identified contrast cells;
• synchronize the discrete image of contrast cells with the video image of the imaging zone;
• generate a composite image of the video image overlaid with the discrete image of contrast cells such that the specific coordinates of the video image of the imaging zone are overlaid with corresponding cells in the discrete image of the contrast cells;
• and
• display the composite image on said monitor.