X-ray backscattering safety inspection system having a distributed-type X-ray source and method using the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9846258-B2
Application number	US-201514792066-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 6, 2015
Priority date	Jul 4, 2014
Publication date	Dec 19, 2017
Grant date	Dec 19, 2017

Abstract

The present disclosure provides an X-ray backscattering safety inspection system, comprising: one or more backscattering inspection subsystem configured to inspect an object to be inspected by emitting X-ray beams towards the object to be inspected and inspecting scattering signals; and a control subsystem configured to adjust a distance between the backscattering inspection subsystem and locations on a side of the object to be inspected where are irradiated by the X-ray beams in real time according to a size of the object to be inspected such that the scattering signals inspected are optimized. The system may be adapted to objects to be inspected with different sizes or shapes while enhancing backscattering signals for imaging.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An X-ray backscattering safety inspection system, comprising:
a backscattering inspection subsystem, configured to inspect an object to be inspected by emitting X-ray beams towards the object to be inspected and inspecting scattering signals, wherein the backscattering inspection subsystem further comprises:
an X-ray source including a plurality of target spots each controllable individually to emit X-rays and the X-ray source configured to emit X-rays in sequence or simultaneously by the plurality of target spots, collimators configured to be respectively passed through the X-rays emitted from the plurality of target spots and each outputting N pencil-shaped X-ray beams, and the N pencil-shaped X-ray beams being irradiated onto N locations of an object to be inspected, and
N detectors configured to respectively receive scattering signals from the corresponding locations of the object to be inspected, in which N is a positive integer that is greater than or equal to 1; and

a control subsystem configured to adjust a distance between the backscattering inspection subsystem and locations on a side of the object to be inspected where are irradiated by the X-ray beams in real time according to a size of the object to be inspected such that the scattering signals inspected are optimized, wherein,
the control subsystem further comprises a distance measuring device configured to measure a distance between the backscattering inspection subsystem and the locations on the side of the object to be inspected where are irradiated by the X-ray beams in real time.

2. The X-ray backscattering safety inspection system according to claim 1 , wherein,
the control subsystem comprises a displacing device configured to displace the backscattering inspection subsystem in a direction orthogonal to a movement direction of the object to be inspected such that the distance between the backscattering inspection subsystem and the locations on the side of the object to be inspected where are irradiated by the X-ray beams is adjustable.

3. The X-ray backscattering safety inspection system according to claim 1 , wherein,
the displacing device comprises a guide rail, on which the backscattering inspection subsystem displaces.

4. The X-ray backscattering safety inspection system according to claim 1 , wherein,
the distance measuring device comprises a telemetering component.

5. The X-ray backscattering safety inspection system according to claim 1 , wherein,
N scans on the object to be inspected are performed by irradiating the N pencil-shaped X-ray beams from the respective collimators onto the object to be inspected during a scan period, thereby results of the N scans are integrated so as to obtain an enhanced inspection signals or increased inspection speed.

6. The X-ray backscattering safety inspection system according to claim 5 , wherein,
the control subsystem is configured to process the scattering signals received by the detector and integrate the scattering signals of the N scans on the object to be inspected, to obtain an enhanced inspection signals or increased inspection speed.

7. The X-ray backscattering safety inspection system according to claim 1 , wherein,
the collimator is configured such that at least two pencil-shaped X-ray beams are arranged in a horizontal plane, wherein an angle between the at least two pencil-shaped X-ray beams is ranged from 10 degree to 150 degree such that the corresponding detector receives the corresponding scattering signals simultaneously with no crosstalk or negligible crosstalk.

8. An X-ray backscattering safety inspection method, wherein,
using the X-ray backscattering safety inspection system according to claim 1 to perform a safety inspection.

9. A X-ray backscattering passage-typed safety inspection system, comprising:
a passage through which an object to be inspected passes;
a plurality of backscattering inspection subsystems disposed at least two sides of the passage, the plurality of backscattering inspection subsystems being arranged to define the passage and each of the plurality of backscattering inspection subsystems being configured to emit X-ray beams to the object to be inspected and inspect the object to be inspected by inspecting scattering signals from the object to be inspected, wherein the backscattering inspection subsystems each comprise:
an X-ray source having a plurality of target spots that are controllable individually to emit X-rays and the X-ray source being configured to emit X-rays in sequence or simultaneously by the plurality of target spots, collimators configured to be respectively passed through the X-rays emitted from the plurality of target spots and each outputting N pencil-shaped X-ray beams, and the N pencil-shaped X-ray beams being irradiated onto N locations of an object to be inspected, and
N detectors configured to respectively receive scattering signals from the object to be inspected that is irradiated by the N pencil-shaped X-ray beams, in which N is a positive integer that is greater than or equal to 1; and

a control subsystem configured to adjust a distance between the backscattering inspection subsystems and locations on sides of the object to be inspected where are irradiated by the X-ray beams in real time according to a size of the object to be inspected such that the scattering signal inspected is optimized, wherein,
the control subsystem further comprises a distance measuring device configured to measure distances between the backscattering inspection subsystems and the locations on sides of the object where are irradiated by the X-ray beams in real time.

10. The X-ray backscattering passage-typed safety inspection system according to claim 9 , wherein,
the control subsystem comprises a displacing device configured to displace the backscattering inspection subsystems in a direction orthogonal to a movement direction the object to be inspected such that the distances between the backscattering inspection subsystems and the locations on sides of the object to be inspected where are irradiated by the X-ray beams is adjustable.

11. The X-ray backscattering passage-typed safety inspection system according to claim 9 , wherein,
the displacing device comprises a plurality of guide rails, on which the backscattering inspection subsystems displace.

12. The X-ray backscattering passage-typed safety inspection system according to claim 9 , wherein,
the distance measuring device comprises a plurality of telemetering components.

13. The X-ray backscattering passage-typed safety inspection system according to claim 9 , wherein,
the plurality of backscattering inspection subsystems comprises two backscattering inspection subsystems that are configured to cooperatively and simultaneously scan and inspect at either side of the object in a vertical cross-section plane with respect to the object to be inspected by emitting X-ray beams in sequence in clockwise manner or in counter-clockwise manner around the periphery of the object to be inspected, and collect and integrate scattering signals so as to form a backscattering image for the object to be inspected.

14. The X-ray backscattering passage-typed safety inspection system according to claim 9 , wherein,
the plurality of backscattering inspection subsystems comprises four backscattering inspection subsystems located at top side, bottom side, right side and left side of the object and integrate and configured to be cooperated with each other to simultaneously scan respective parts of the object to be inspected, forming a backscattering image for the object to be inspected.

Assignees

• Nuctech Co Ltd

Inventors

• Chen Zhiqiang
• Li Yuanjing
• Zhao Ziran
• Wu Wanlong
• Jin Yingkang
• Tang Le
• Xu Chengcong
• Ruan Ming
• Ding Guangwei

Classifications

• G01N23/203

  Measuring back scattering · CPC title

• G01V5/0025 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic

• G01V5/0066

  Physics · mapped topic

• G01V5/222 Primary

  measuring scattered radiation · CPC title

• G01V5/232

  having relative motion between the source, detector and object other than by conveyor (G01V5/226 takes precedence) · CPC title