System and method for x-ray inspection
Methods and systems for x-ray inspection are provided. The system can include a source of radiant energy configured so that the radiant energy traverses a scanning volume. The system can further include a filter between the source and the scanning volume, a conveying apparatus configured to impart relative motion between an exposure-limited subject and the scanning volume, a conveyance monitor configured to generate conveyance data reflecting a conveyance state of the exposure-limited subject, a radiant energy sensing apparatus configured to sense radiant energy from the source and to generate source radiant energy data, and a dose controller configured to acquire conveyance data, source radiant energy data, and a signal related to subject dose data, and to generate a measure that a portion of the exposure-limited subject has acquired a dose of radiant energy above a dose threshold.
1. A system configured to expose a target to x-ray radiation, the system comprising:
at least one source of radiant energy, where at least a first portion of the radiant energy lies within an x-ray spectrum, and where the source is configured so that the first portion of the radiant energy traverses at least a portion of a scanning volume;
a filter situated between the source and the portion of the scanning volume;
a conveying apparatus configured to impart relative motion between an exposure-limited subject and the portion of the scanning volume;
a conveyance monitor configured to generate conveyance data reflecting at least a conveyance state of the exposure-limited subject;
a first radiant energy sensing apparatus configured to sense radiant energy from the source and to generate source radiant energy data;
a dose controller configured to acquire conveyance data, source radiant energy data, and a signal related to subject dose data, and to generate a measure that at least a portion of the exposure-limited subject has acquired a dose of radiant energy above a dose threshold; and
wherein the dose of radiant energy is representative of an amount of radiant energy absorbed by the exposure-limited subject.
2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising: a second radiant energy sensing apparatus configured to sense at least a portion of radiant energy attenuated by the exposure-limited subject and configured to generate the signal related to subject dose data.
3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the at least one source comprises a first source and a second source.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the dose controller is configured to produce a radiographic image based on the signal related to subject dose data and the measure.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the radiant energy is collimated into a thin fan-shaped beam of radiant energy.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the source of radiant energy produces high-energy and low-energy x-ray radiation.
7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the filter is configured to separate the first portion of the radiant energy into at least a transmit portion and a limit portion.
8. The system of claim 7 , wherein an energy level of the x-ray spectrum associated with the limit portion is less than an energy level of the x-ray spectrum associated with the transmit portion.
9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the filter comprises an effective filter.
10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the at least one source of radiant energy has an energy of approximately 160 kV, and the effective filter has an aluminum equivalent greater than approximately 1.5 mm.
11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the effective filter comprises at least one material selected from the set of: glass, oil, epoxy, titanium, aluminum, polyethylene, and stainless steel.
12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the conveyance data includes conveyance apparatus fault data, where upon initiation of conveyance apparatus fault data the conveyance apparatus is configured to cease operation.
13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the conveyance state include direction and conveyance speed data of the exposure-limited subject.
14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the source radiant energy data includes information indicative of an energy level of the x-ray spectrum associated with the source.
15. The system of claim 1 , wherein the source radiant energy data includes at least one of source fault data and subject dose fault data.
16. The system of claim 15 , wherein upon initiation of at least one of source fault data and subject dose fault data, the source is configured to cease operation.
17. The system of claim 2 , wherein the second radiant energy sensing apparatus is further configured to sense at least one of stereoscopic gamma radiation and neutron radiation.
18. The system of claim 1 , wherein the dose controller is further configured to generate dose instructions for altering at least one of the source, the filter, and the conveyance apparatus, where the dose instructions are based on at least one of the conveyor data, the source radiant energy data, the signal related to subject dose data, the measure, and a user input.
19. The system of claim 1 , wherein the dose controller is further configured to generate conveyance instructions for altering the at least one of a conveyance direction and a conveyance speed of the conveyance apparatus, where the conveyance instructions are based on least one of the conveyor data, the source radiant energy data, the signal related to subject dose data, the measure, and a user input.
20. The system of claim 1 , wherein the dose threshold is about 4.5 μSv.
21. The system of claim 1 , wherein the dose threshold is about 2.0 μSv.
22. The system of claim 1 , wherein the dose threshold is less than about 0.1 μSv.
23. A method for scanning an exposure-limited subject comprising:
producing at a source, radiant energy within a defined x-ray spectrum;
providing the radiant energy in a direction that traverses at least a portion of a scanning volume;
filtering the radiant energy with a filter to produce filtered radiant energy;
applying at least a portion of the filtered radiant energy to the scanning volume;
conveying the exposure-limited subject to the scanning volume and generating conveyance data indicative of at least a conveyance state of the exposure-limited subject;
applying at least a portion of the filtered radiant energy to the exposure-limited subject;
sensing the radiant energy produced from the source and generating source radiant energy data;
acquiring conveyance data, source radiant data, and a signal related to subject dose data at a dose controller and generating a measure indicative of the dose of radiant energy acquired by the exposure-limited subject, where the measure indicates when the dose of radiant energy acquired by the exposure-limited subject is above a dose threshold; and
adjusting at least one of the production of radiant energy, the filtering of radiant energy, and the conveying in response to at least one of the conveyance data, the source radiant data, and the signal related to subject dose data, and the measure.
24. The method of claim 23 , further comprising sensing the radiant energy attenuated by the exposure-limited subject and generating the signal related to subject dose data.
25. The method of claim 23 , wherein producing radiant energy at a source is initiated by entry of the exposure-limited subject into the scanning volume and ceases upon exit of the exposure-limited subject from the scanning volume.
26. The method of claim 23 , wherein producing radiant energy includes producing high-energy and low-energy radiation.
27. The method of claim 23 , wherein producing radiant energy further comprises collimating the radiant energy into a thin fan-shaped beam of radiant energy.
28. The method of claim 23 , wherein filtering the radiant energy comprises separating the radiant energy into a transmit portion and a limit portion, where the transmit portion is applied to the exposure-limited subject.
29. The method of claim 23 , wherein an energy level of the x-ray spectrum associated with the limit portion is less than an energy level of the x-ray spectrum associated with the transmit portion.
30. The method of claim 23 , wherein the filter comprises an effective filter.
31. The method of claim 30 , wherein the source has an energy of approximately 160 kV, and the effective filter has an aluminum equivalent greater than approximately 1.5 mm.
32. The method of claim 31 , wherein the effective filter comprises at least one material selected from the set of: glass, oil, epoxy, titanium, aluminum, polyethylene, and stainless steel.
33. The method of claim 23 , wherein generating conveyance data includes generating conveyance fault data.
34. The method of claim 23 , wherein generating conveyance data includes determining at least one of the conveyance direction and speed.
35. The method of claim 23 , wherein conveying the exposure-limited subject to the scanning volume includes tracking a position of the exposure-limited subject relative to the scanning volume.
36. The method of claim 23 , wherein applying a least a portion of the filtered radiant energy to the exposure-limited subject further includes applying low dose of radiant energy.
37. The method of claim 36 , wherein the dose threshold is about 4.5 μSv.
38. The method of claim 36 , wherein the dose threshold is about 2.0 μSv.
39. The method of claim 36 , wherein the dose threshold is less than about 0.1 μSv.
40. The method of claim 23 , wherein generating source radiant energy data includes determining a produced energy level of the defined x-ray spectrum associated with the source.
41. The method of claim 23 , wherein generating the source radiant energy data and generating the signal related to subject dose data further includes generating radiant energy fault data and subject dose fault data.
42. The method of claim 24 , wherein sensing the radiant energy attenuated by the exposure-limited subject further includes sensing at least one of stereoscopic gamma radiation and neutron radiation.
43. The method of claim 23 , wherein adjusting the production of radiant energy further includes adjusting at least one of the energy level and the direction of the radiant energy.
44. The method of claim 43 , wherein adjusting at least one of the energy level and the direction of the radiant energy includes providing radiant energy at various energy levels and various directions.
45. The method of claim 23 , wherein adjusting the filtering of radiant energy further comprises adjusting at least one of the energy, intensity, and direction of the radiant energy.
46. The method of claim 23 , wherein adjusting the filtering of radiant energy further comprises adjusting a portion of the scanning volume.
47. The method of claim 23 , wherein adjusting the conveying further includes adjusting at least one of the conveyance direction and speed.
48. The method of claim 23 , wherein adjusting further includes ceasing all production, filtering, and conveying upon initiation of at least one of conveyance fault data, energy fault data, and subject dose fault data.
49. The method of claim 23 , further comprising producing a radiographic image based on the signal related to subject dose data and the measure.
50. The method of claim 49 , wherein producing a radiographic image further comprises processing the signal related to subject dose data to enhance the radiographic image.
51. The method of claim 49 , further comprising storing the radiographic image in a database and retrieving the radiographic image from the database.