XRD-based false alarm resolution in megavoltage computed tomography systems

US7844027B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Morpho Detection, LLC · US

Inventors

• Geoffrey Harding · Hamburg, DE
• Joseph Bendahan · San Jose, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Feb 6, 2009
• Grant date: Nov 30, 2010
• Expiry date: Feb 6, 2029

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G21K2207/00
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

System and method for XRD-based false alarm resolution in computed tomography (“CT”) threat detection systems. Following a scan of an object with a megavoltage CT-based threat detection system, a suspicious area in the object is identified. The three dimensional position of the suspicious area is used to determine a ray path for the XRD-based threat detection system that provides minimal X-ray attenuation. The object is then positioned for XRD scanning of the suspicious area along this determined ray path. The XRD-based threat detection system is configured to detect high density metals (“HDMs) as well as shielded Special Nuclear Materials (“SNMs”) based on cubic or non-cubic diffraction profiles.