Data Collection, Processing and Storage Systems for X-Ray Tomographic Images

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020103357-A1
Application number	US-201916376918-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 5, 2019
Priority date	Dec 16, 2005
Publication date	Apr 2, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

An X-ray imaging inspection system for inspecting items comprises an X-ray source 10 extending around an imaging volume 16, and defining a plurality of source points 14 from which X-rays can be directed through the imaging volume. An X-ray detector array 12 also extends around the imaging volume 16 and is arranged to detect X-rays from the source points which have passed through the imaging volume, and to produce output signals dependent on the detected X-rays. A conveyor 20 is arranged to convey the items through the imaging volume 16.

First claim

We claim:

1 . A data collecting system for collecting data from an X-ray scanner, the system comprising a memory having a plurality of areas each being associated with a respective area of an image, data input means arranged to receive input data from a plurality of X-ray detectors in a predetermined sequence, processing means arranged to generate from the input data X-ray transmission data and X-ray scattering data associated with each of the areas of the image, and to store the X-ray transmission data and the X-ray scattering data in the appropriate memory areas.

2 . A system according to claim 1 wherein the processing means is arranged to determine which area any part of the data is to be associated with at least partly on the basis of which detector it is received from.

3 . A system according to claim 1 wherein the processing means is arranged to determine which area any part of the data is to be associated with, at least partly on the basis of the position at which the X-ray was produced.

4 . A system according to claim 1 further comprising a look-up table having entries stored therein that associate each of the detectors with a respective area of the image.

5 . An X-ray imaging system comprising a data collection system according to claim 1 wherein the processing means is arranged to store image data in the memory for each of a plurality of tomographic scans of an object as the object moves through an imaging region, and to extract the image data from the memory after each of the scans so that image data for a subsequent scan can be stored in the memory.

6 . An X-ray imaging system according to claim 5 wherein the processing means is arranged to combine the image data from the tomographic scans to produce a three-dimensional image of the object.

7 . A system according to claim 1 further comprising a processing means for identifying a region of a digital image.

8 . A system according to claim 7 wherein said processing means is used to identify a region of a digital image by: defining an initial area of the region, identifying a pixel outside the initial area, determining a value associated with the pixel, determining a corresponding value of the initial area, comparing the values and, if a predetermined relationship is found between the two values, including the pixel in the region.

9 . A system according to claim 8 wherein the pixel is adjacent to the initial area.

10 . A system according to claim 9 further comprising defining an initial area of the region, identifying a pixel outside the initial area, determining a value associated with the pixel, determining a corresponding value of the initial area, comparing the values and, if a predetermined relationship is found between the two values, including the pixel in the region until all pixels adjacent to the region have been checked and none of them added to the region.

11 . A system according to claim 8 wherein the value is an intensity value.

12 . A system according to claim 8 wherein the predetermined relationship comprises the intensity of the pixel being within a predetermined range of an average intensity of the initial region.

13 . A system according to claim 7 further comprising a decision tree arranged to derive information from the parameters.

Assignees

• Rapiscan Systems Inc

Inventors

• Morton Edward James

Classifications

• G01N23/20083 Primary

  by using a combination of at least two measurements at least one being a transmission measurement and one a scatter measurement · CPC title

• G01N2223/401

  image processing · CPC title

• G06T7/187

  involving region growing; involving region merging; involving connected component labelling · CPC title

• G01N2223/639

  material in a container · CPC title

• G01N23/10

  the material being confined in a container, e.g. in a luggage X-ray scanners · CPC title