US-12625095-B1 - X-ray scanner with blanking

US12625095B1US 12625095 B1US12625095 B1US 12625095B1US-12625095-B1

Abstract

An X-ray scanning system includes: an X-ray source configured to irradiate a target with source X-rays in the course of relative motion between the X-ray source and the target; a feature sensor configured to sense a feature of the target in the course of the relative motion; and a communication interface operatively coupled to the feature sensor and configured to output a blanking signal responsive to the feature sensor sensing the feature of the target.

Inventors

James P. Ryan
John P. O'Connor

Assignees

VIKEN DETECTION CORPORATION

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20240411

Claims (20)

1 . An X-ray scanning system comprising: an X-ray source configured to irradiate a target with source X-rays in the course of relative motion between the X-ray source and the target; a feature sensor configured to sense a feature of the target in the course of the relative motion; a radiation detector configured to detect passive radiation during the course of relative motion; and a communication interface operatively coupled to the feature sensor and configured to output a blanking signal, responsive to the feature sensor sensing the feature of the target, so as to pause an accumulation of passive radiation detector data from the radiation detector.
2 . The X-ray scanning system of claim 1 , wherein the feature sensor is selected from the group consisting of a camera system, a light source/receiver system, a mechanical sensor, and combinations thereof.
3 . The X-ray scanning system of claim 1 , wherein the radiation detector is configured to receive the blanking signal.
4 . The X-ray scanning system of claim 1 , wherein the radiation detector is a radiation portal monitor (RPM).
5 . The X-ray scanning system of claim 1 , wherein the radiation detector is selected from the group consisting of a personal radiation detector, a dosimeter, a radioisotope identifier, a gamma ray detector, a neutron detector, a radioactive contamination monitor, an alpha particle detector, a beta particle detector, a dirty bomb detector, a handheld detector, a radioactive material detector, a fissile material detector, and combinations thereof.
6 . The X-ray scanning system of claim 1 , wherein the target is a vehicle.
7 . The X-ray scanning system of claim 6 , wherein the feature of the target is selected from the group consisting of a bumper of the vehicle, a front edge of the vehicle, a rear edge of the vehicle, a front windshield of the vehicle, a rear windshield of the vehicle, a roof of the vehicle, a hood of the vehicle, a trunk of the vehicle, and combinations thereof.
8 . The X-ray scanning system of claim 1 , wherein the target is selected from the group consisting of a person, an article of luggage, a package, and combinations thereof.
9 . The X-ray scanning system of claim 1 , further including an X-ray beam-forming module of which the X-ray source forms a part, the X-ray beam-forming module configured to form the source X-rays into a beam selected from the group consisting of a scanning pencil beam, a stationary cone beam, a scanning cone beam, and a stationary fan beam.
10 . The X-ray scanning system of claim 9 , wherein the X-ray beam-forming module is selected from the group consisting of an undercarriage vehicle X-ray beam-forming module, a side-view vehicle X-ray beam-forming module, and an overhead vehicle X-ray beam-forming module.
11 . The X-ray scanning system of claim 1 , wherein the communication interface is selected from the group consisting of a wired communication interface and a wireless communication interface.
12 . The X-ray scanning system of claim 1 , wherein the communication interface forms a part of the feature sensor.
13 . The X-ray scanning system of claim 1 , wherein the communication interface is operatively coupled to the feature sensor through a controller that is configured to receive a feature sensor signal from the feature sensor and to cause the communication interface to output the blanking signal responsive to the feature sensor signal.
14 . An X-ray scanning system comprising: an X-ray source configured to irradiate a target with source X-rays in the course of relative motion between the X-ray source and the target; an X-ray detector configured (i) to detect resultant X-rays that result from interaction of the source X-rays with the target in the course of the relative motion, and (ii) to output an X-ray detector signal indicating a rate of detection of the resultant X-rays; a controller configured to receive the X-ray detector signal and to determine whether the rate of detection exceeds a threshold; a radiation detector configured to detect passive radiation during the course of relative motion; and a communication interface operatively coupled to the controller and configured to output a blanking signal, responsive to the rate of detection exceeding the threshold, so as to pause an accumulation of passive radiation detector data from the radiation detector.
15 . The X-ray scanning system of claim 14 , wherein the X-ray detector is selected from the group consisting of a backscatter imaging X-ray detector, a transmission imaging X-ray detector, and an auxiliary scattering X-ray detector.
16 . The X-ray scanning system of claim 14 , wherein the radiation detector is configured to receive the blanking signal.
17 . The X-ray scanning system of claim 14 , wherein the radiation detector is a radiation portal monitor (RPM).
18 . The X-ray scanning system of claim 14 , wherein the radiation detector is selected from the group consisting of a radioisotope identifier, a personal radiation detector, a dosimeter, a gamma ray detector, a neutron detector, a radioactive contamination monitor, an alpha particle detector, a beta particle detector, a dirty bomb detector, a handheld detector, a radioactive material detector, a fissile material detector, and combinations thereof.
19 . The X-ray scanning system of claim 14 , wherein the target is a vehicle.
20 . The X-ray scanning system of claim 19 , wherein the resultant X-rays are scattered from a feature of the target selected from the group consisting of a bumper of the vehicle, a front edge of the vehicle, a back edge of the vehicle, a front windshield of the vehicle, a rear windshield of the vehicle, a roof of the vehicle, a hood of the vehicle, a trunk of the vehicle, and combinations thereof.

Description

RELATED APPLICATION This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/495,410, filed on Apr. 11, 2023. The entire teachings of the above application are incorporated herein by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD This application relates to X-ray scanning systems, and related methods, that can include use of a blanking mechanism, such as a blanking signal. The blanking signal can be responsive to sensing a particular feature of the target to be scanned using a feature sensor, or responsive to a certain threshold value for an X-ray detector signal provided by an X-ray detector used for X-ray imaging. The blanking function can cause a radiation detector to pause accumulation of radiation detection data to avoid spurious detection of X-rays scattered toward the radiation detector. The systems can include X-ray scanning apparatus intended to scan luggage, packages, shipping containers, vehicles (e.g., vehicle portals), people, etc. BACKGROUND X-ray scanning is used in a wide variety of settings, including in vehicle portals, in container scanning at ports, in airport luggage scanners, etc. Types of X-ray scanners include transmission X-ray scanning systems, backscatter X-ray scanning systems, and X-ray scanning systems that perform transmission scanning and backscatter scanning simultaneously. X-ray sources used in such system can include continuously operating X-ray sources (e.g., X-ray tubes) and linear accelerators (LINACs). Radiation portal monitors (RPMs) can be installed at border crossings and ports to detect the presence of illicit radioactive materials concealed within vehicles or shipping containers. SUMMARY In one aspect, this disclosure generally relates to a system and method to reduce interference of continuously operating X-ray scanning systems with radiation detectors such as radiation portal monitors (RPMs). Various aspects can include X-ray scanning systems for scanning targets (such as X-ray backscatter imaging systems, including X-ray detection systems in the form of undercarriage vehicle scanners, wherein an underside of a vehicle is the target), radiation detectors such as RPMs, and RPM radiation detector blanking. Vehicle X-ray scanning portals are one environment in which disclosed features can be used advantageously. In one aspect, RPM radiation detector blanking can include causing an radiation detector, such as an RPM, to cease or pause detection activity (or accumulation of radiation detector data, such as in software) while the X-ray detection systems is scanning a highly scattering target or portion of a target, such as a bumper or windshield of a vehicle. Blanking may result from a blanking signal sent to the RPM or other radiation detector. The blanking signal can come directly from a sensor that is configured to detect directly the highly scattering target or portion (feature) thereof. Alternatively, a sensor may provide a raw sensor signal to another part of the X-ray scanning system, such as a controller having a processor, and the controller can act on the sensor signal, and the blanking signal can be output from the X-ray scanning system to the RPM or other radiation detector. The blanking signal can be carried by wired or wireless means that are known. In accordance with a first particular embodiment, an X-ray scanning system includes: an X-ray source configured to irradiate a target with source X-rays in the course of relative motion between the X-ray source and the target; a feature sensor configured to sense a feature of the target in the course of the relative motion; and a communication interface operatively coupled to the feature sensor and configured to output a blanking signal responsive to the feature sensor sensing the feature of the target. In accordance with a second particular embodiment, an X-ray scanning system includes: an X-ray source configured to irradiate a target with source X-rays in the course of relative motion between the X-ray source and the target; an X-ray detector configured (i) to detect resultant X-rays that result from interaction of the source X-rays with the target in the course of the relative motion, and (ii) to output an X-ray detector signal indicating a rate of detection of the resultant X-rays; a controller configured to receive the X-ray detector signal and to determine whether the rate of detection exceeds a threshold; and a communication interface operatively coupled to the controller and configured to output a blanking signal responsive to the rate of detection exceeding the threshold. In accordance with a third particular embodiment, an X-ray scanning system includes: an X-ray source configured to irradiate a target with source X-rays in the course of relative motion between the X-ray source and the target; an X-ray detector configured (i) to detect resultant X-rays that result from interaction of the source X-rays with the target in the course of the relative motion, and (ii) to output an X-ray detector signal ind