Multi-element detector systems
The invention provides methods, systems and detector arrangements for scanning an object moving in a first direction that includes the steps of irradiating the object with radiation having a peak energy of at least 900 keV, providing a first detector region having a thickness of at least 2 mm and a second detector region having a thickness of at least 5 mm where the second detector region is arranged to receive radiation that has passed through the first detector region, and detecting the radiation after it has interacted with or passed through the object in order to provide information relating to the object.
1. A detector system configured for use in an X-ray scanning system comprising:
a detector comprising:
a first detector element having a first side extending in a first direction and a second side opposing the first side;
a second detector element having a first side extending in a second direction and a second side opposing the first side of the second detector element, wherein the second direction is opposite the first direction;
a circuit card comprising a first side and an opposing second side, wherein the first side of the circuit card is coupled to the second side of the first detector and wherein the opposing second side of the circuit card is coupled to the second side of the second detector element; and
a data connection configured to connect the circuit card with a data acquisition system.
2. The detector system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first detector element or second detector element comprises at least one of cadmium, tellurium, zinc, CsI, NaI, BGO, CdWO4, LSO, GSO, LYSO, LaBr3, CdTe, CdZnTe, or HgI.
3. The detector system of claim 1 , wherein the first detector element is configured to generate a first data set representative of a first range of energies and wherein the second detector element is configured to generate a second data set representative of a second range of energies, wherein the first range of energies is different from the second range of energies.
4. The detector system of claim 3 , further comprising the data acquisition system, wherein the data acquisition system is configured to interleave and format the first data set and the second data set.
5. The detector system of claim 4 , wherein the data acquisition system is configured to compare the first data set and the second data set.
6. The detector system of claim 1 , wherein the first detector element is configured to detect a first range of energies, wherein the second detector element is configured to detect a second range of energies, and wherein the first range of energies is different from the second range of energies.
7. The detector system of claim 6 , further comprising the data acquisition system, wherein the data acquisition system is configured to compare a first data set, representative of the first range of energies, from the first detector element with a second data set, representative of the second range of energies, from the second detector element to determine a material characteristic.
8. The detector system of claim 6 , further comprising the data acquisition system, wherein the data acquisition system is configured to generate a ratio of a first data set, representative of the first range of energies, from the first detector element with a second data set, representative of the second range of energies, from the second detector element to determine a function of material thickness for high atomic number materials and low atomic number materials.
9. The detector system of claim 6 , further comprising the data acquisition system, wherein the data acquisition system is configured to determine a function of a first data set, representative of the first range of energies, from the first detector element with a second data set, representative of the second range of energies, from the second detector element to determine a radiological thickness of an object being scanned.
10. A scanning system for scanning an object, wherein the scanning system comprises:
a radiation source;
a conveyor configured to move the object in a first direction through the radiation emitted by the radiation source;
a data acquisition system; and
a detector configured to detect the radiation after it has interacted with the object, wherein the detector comprises:
a first detector element having a first side extending in a first direction and a second side opposing the first side;
a second detector element having a first side extending in a second direction and a second side opposing the first side of the second detector element, wherein the second direction is opposite the first direction;
a circuit card comprising a first side and an opposing second side, wherein the first side of the circuit card is coupled to the second side of the first detector and wherein the opposing second side of the circuit card is coupled to the second side of the second detector element; and
a data connection configured to connect the circuit card with the data acquisition system.
11. The scanning system of claim 10 , wherein at least one of the first detector element or second detector element comprises at least one of cadmium, tellurium, zinc, CsI, NaI, BGO, CdWO4, LSO, GSO, LYSO, LaBr3, CdTe, CdZnTe, or HgI.
12. The scanning system of claim 10 , wherein the first detector element is configured to generate a first data set and wherein the second detector element is configured to generate a second data set.
13. The scanning system of claim 12 , wherein the data acquisition system is configured to interleave and format the first data set and the second data set.
14. The scanning system of claim 13 , wherein the data acquisition system is configured to compare the first data set and the second data set.
15. The scanning system of claim 10 , wherein the first detector element is configured to detect a first range of energies, wherein the second detector element is configured to detect a second range of energies, and wherein the first range of energies is different from the second range of energies.
16. The scanning system of claim 15 , wherein the data acquisition system is configured to compare a first data set, representative of the first range of energies, from the first detector element with a second data set, representative of the second range of energies, from the second detector element to determine a material characteristic.
17. The scanning system of claim 10 , wherein the radiation source is an X-ray source having a peak value of at least 900 keV.
18. The scanning system of claim 10 , wherein the scanning system is adapted to cause the detector system to be sampled in a first mode or a second mode.
19. The scanning system of claim 18 , wherein the first mode is a vertical sampling mode and wherein the second mode is a horizontal sampling mode.
20. The scanning system of claim 10 , further comprising a sensor configured to detect movement of the object.
21. The scanning system of claim 20 , further comprising a controller, wherein the controller is configured to time an emission of the radiation based upon data from the sensor configured to detect movement.
22. The scanning system of claim 10 , wherein the radiation source comprises at least one of X-rays, thermal neutrons or fast neutrons.
23. The scanning system of claim 10 , wherein the data acquisition system is configured to generate a ratio of a first data set, representative of a first range of energies, from the first detector element with a second data set, representative of a second range of energies, from the second detector element to determine a material thickness for high atomic number materials and low atomic number materials.
24. The scanning system of claim 23 , wherein the first range of energies is different from the second range of energies.
25. The scanning system of claim 10 , wherein the data acquisition system is configured to determine a function of a first data set, representative of a first range of energies, from the first detector element with a second data set, representative of a second range of energies, from the second detector element to determine a radiological thickness of an object being scanned.
26. The scanning system of claim 25 , wherein the first range of energies is different from the second range of energies.