XRF analyzer for identifying a plurality of solid objects, a sorting system and a sorting method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10967404-B2
Application number	US-201716311290-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 21, 2017
Priority date	Jun 21, 2016
Publication date	Apr 6, 2021
Grant date	Apr 6, 2021

Abstract

The present invention discloses a novel XRF analyzer capable of simultaneously identifying the presence of a marking composition in a plurality of objects by modulating/varying the intensity of the excitation beam on the different objects and measuring the secondary radiation thereof. The XRF analyzer comprises a radiation emitter assembly adapted for emitting at least one X-Ray or Gamma-Ray excitation radiation beam having a spatial intensity distribution for simultaneously irradiating the plurality of objects; a radiation detector for detecting secondary radiation X-Ray signals arriving from a plurality of objects in response to irradiation of the objects by X-Ray or Gamma-Ray radiation, and providing data indicative of spatial intensity distribution of the detected data X-Ray signals on the plurality of objects; and a signal reading processor in communication with the detector, the processor being adapted for receiving and processing the detected response X-Ray signals to verify presence of the marking composition included at least one surface of each object of the plurality objects.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A XRF analyzer comprising:
an emitter assembly adapted for emitting at least one X-ray or Gamma-ray excitation beam having a spatial intensity distribution for irradiating simultaneously a plurality of solid objects;
an X-ray detector measuring secondary radiation emitted by the plurality of objects and generating signals indicative of spatial intensity distribution of detected X-ray data on the plurality of objects; and
a signal processor in communication with the detector for receiving and processing the detected response X-ray signals to identify a presence of a marking composition at least on one surface of each object of the plurality of solid objects.

2. The XRF analyzer of claim 1 , wherein said emitter assembly comprises at least one of: (i) a plurality of spaced-apart emitters, each emitter being adapted to generate an excitation beam with a different intensity with respect to each other, (ii) an emitter and a spatial intensity beam modulator coupled to said emitter configured for spatially modulating intensity of the excitation beam such that the intensity impinging on each of the objects is different and identifiable.

3. The XRF analyzer of claim 1 , wherein said signal processor is adapted to identify a concentration of a marking composition applied on at least one surface of each solid object.

4. The XRF analyzer of claim 3 , wherein said signal processor is adapted to compare the XRF signal indicative of a certain concentration of marking composition applied on at least one surface of each solid object with preselected data stored in a database.

5. A method comprising:
simultaneously irradiating a plurality of objects with at least one X-ray or Gamma-ray excitation beam having a spatially distributed modulated intensity; wherein the intensity of the beam arriving at each of the objects is different and identifiable;
detecting a secondary X-ray radiation arriving from the plurality of objects and generating signals indicative of the spatial intensity distribution on the plurality of objects; and
identifying which of the plurality of objects are marked by a marking composition according to the detected spatial intensity distribution.

6. The method of claim 5 , comprising spatially modulating the intensity of said at least one excitation beam such that the intensity impinging on each of the objects is different and identifiable.

7. A sorting system comprising:
at least one XRF analyzer of claim 1 for identifying presence of a marking composition on at least one surface of at least one solid object and generating data indicative thereof;
at least one sorter in communication with said XRF analyzer for diverting the object on which the concentration of the marking composition is below a preselected threshold towards a preselected direction.

8. The sorting system of claim 7 , wherein said XRF analyzer is adapted for identifying a certain concentration of a marking composition.

9. The sorting system of claim 7 , comprising at least one marking module for applying a marking composition to at least one surface of the solid object.

10. The sorting system of claim 9 , wherein said XRF analyzer is adapted to verify the operation of said marking module.

11. The sorting system of claim 7 , comprising a turning mechanism adapted to expose a second surface of the object to the XRF analyzer.

12. A method of sorting comprising:
simultaneously irradiating a plurality of solid objects with at least one X-ray or Gamma-ray excitation beam having a spatially distributed modulated intensity; wherein the intensity of the beam arriving at each of the objects is different and identifiable;
detecting a secondary X-ray radiation arriving from the plurality of objects and generating signals indicative of the spatial intensity distribution on the plurality of objects;
identifying which of the plurality of objects are marked by a marking composition according to the detected spatial intensity distribution;
detecting a presence of a marking composition on at least one surface of the object; and
sorting the object according to said presence of the marking composition.

13. The method of sorting of claim 12 , comprising the step of continuously marking a plurality of solid objects with a marking composition.

14. The method of sorting of claim 12 , comprising verifying the marking step.

15. The method of sorting of claim 12 , comprising detecting a presence of a marking composition on two surfaces of the object.

16. The method of sorting of claim 12 , comprising spatially modulating the intensity of said at least one excitation beam such that the intensity impinging on each of the objects is different and identifiable.

17. The sorting system of claim 7 , wherein said emitter assembly comprises at least one of: (i) a plurality of spaced-apart emitters, each emitter being adapted to generate an excitation beam with a different intensity with respect to each other, (ii) an emitter and a spatial intensity beam modulator coupled to said emitter configured for spatially modulating intensity of the excitation beam such that the intensity impinging on each of the objects is different and identifiable.

18. The sorting system of claim 7 , wherein said signal processor is adapted to identify a concentration of a marking composition applied on at least one surface of each solid object.

19. The sorting system of claim 18 , wherein said signal processor is adapted to compare the XRF signal indicative of a certain concentration of marking composition applied on at least one surface of each solid object with preselected data stored in a database.

20. The method of sorting of claim 13 , wherein said marking comprising applying at least one of printing and vacuum deposition processes.

Assignees

• Soreq Nuclear Res Ct
• Security Matters Ltd

Inventors

• Grof Yair
• Kislev Tzemah
• Yoran Nadav
• Alon Haggai
• Kaplinsky Mor

Classifications

• G01N23/223 Primary

  by irradiating the sample with X-rays or gamma-rays and by measuring X-ray fluorescence · CPC title

• B07C5/3427

  by changing or intensifying the optical properties prior to scanning, e.g. by inducing fluorescence under UV or x-radiation, subjecting the material to a chemical reaction · CPC title

• G01N2223/643

  object on conveyor · CPC title

• G01N2223/0766

  X-ray fluorescence with indicator, tags · CPC title

• B07C5/3412 Primary

  according to a code applied to the object which indicates a property of the object, e.g. quality class, contents or incorrect indication (sorting according to size measured by light-responsive means B07C5/10; sorting according to optical properties B07C5/342; for packages B65D79/02; for information carriers G06K7/00) · CPC title