WO2014031020A1

WO2014031020A1 - X-ray examination scanner

Info

Publication number: WO2014031020A1
Application number: PCT/RU2012/000680
Authority: WO
Inventors: Владимир Георгиевич СИЗЫХ
Original assignee: Sizykh Vladimir Georgievich
Priority date: 2012-08-20
Filing date: 2012-08-20
Publication date: 2014-02-27
Also published as: EA201400809A1; RU150622U1

Abstract

The invention relates to the field of transport safety and can be used for examining people with the aim of discovering dangerous objects or substances which are concealed on the body, or in the body, or in clothing, and are prohibited from being conveyed by air transport. What is claimed is: an X-ray examination scanner, comprising an X-ray protective cubicle, in which the following, which are arranged consecutively in the scanning plane, are mounted on a general platform: an X-ray radiation source, a slit collimator and an X-ray receiver which is connected to a data-processing and image-building device. What is novel is that the platform is in the form of a vertically mounted scanning frame in the form of a polygon with two parallel, vertically oriented sides forming vertical platform posts on which the X-ray radiation source and X-ray radiation receiver are respectively fixed, wherein the frame is mounted so as to be rotatable in a fan-shaped manner about a vertical axis coinciding with a vertical frame post on which the X-ray radiation source is mounted, said X-ray radiation source being in the form of one or more X-ray emitters which are distributed along the post and are adjacent to one or more linear X-ray receivers which are mounted on an opposite vertical frame post.

Description

Scanning X-ray Inspection Unit

Technical field

The invention relates to the field of transport safety and can be used to inspect people with the aim of detecting dangerous objects or substances prohibited from air transportation hidden on the body, or in the body, or in clothing.

State of the art

It is known that vehicles, for example, airplanes, are the most vulnerable both to terrorist attacks and to the emergence of man-made situations associated with the self-ignition of flammable liquids or gases in the baggage. To ensure flight safety at all airports, an instrumental inspection of the passenger and his baggage is carried out. It takes time (up to 2-3 hours) to complete this procedure, as well as the availability of special technical inspection means and a significant number of well-trained and technically competent service personnel. Thus, carrying out complex multi-stage passenger control significantly increases the cost of passenger transportation, increases the time spent at the airport and requires additional efforts to remove outer clothing and shoes, pass through control passages, etc.

It is also known that the most informative detection systems that allow detecting hidden objects on or inside a person’s body are radiographic installations that illuminate the object with X-ray radiation, not just an ordinary diverging beam, but a thin fan scanning beam that provides maximum resolution with a minimum irradiation dose on the object. Therefore, for production control at airports, such an inspection system is needed that could conduct a quick inspection of a passenger, ensuring at a minimum dose to the object that a high probability of detecting objects prohibited for transportation located on or in the passenger’s body or body clothes.

Known X-ray installation of the scanning type for monitoring the human body, designed for inspection of passengers (see RF patent N ° 2261465, MKI G03B42 / 02, 2005), containing a platform with a guard for placement and movement of the body in a vertical position through P- shaped frame a low-power X-ray detector with a flat vertical collimator, which is located in the U-shaped frame rack closest to the source, and a vertical X-ray detector located in another U-shaped frame rack, connected to the image processing and acquisition device. For control, the passenger is placed on a platform with a vertical guard, for which he holds so as not to fall, and is moved through the U-shaped frame. Due to the movement of the platform, the passenger’s body is scanned by a flat vertical fan beam of X-ray radiation, and the resulting image is displayed on the monitor screen.

The main disadvantage of the known installation is the task of obtaining high-quality images. This is due to the specifics of scanning an object - a person standing vertically on a moving platform. To obtain a high-quality image, the platform should move uniformly, and the control object placed on it should be motionless. Since there is not a rigidly fixed object on the platform, but a living person, it can swing during movement. A vertical guard is provided to prevent rocking. A strong and healthy person, holding the fence, due to his muscular efforts can really virtually eliminate the swing. However, control passes various categories of people, including people with disabilities, children, people using a cane, etc. The probability of missing small and not very contrasting objects for x-ray radiation, for example, swallowed drug capsules, becomes especially high.

In addition, it is known that in the process of irradiating an object with x-ray radiation, part of the radiation, the so-called secondary radiation, is reflected from the object into its surrounding space. Secondary radiation is an order of magnitude weaker than the main radiation of the X-ray tube, but with a long exposure time, the radiation dose, for example, for the operator and maintenance personnel can accumulate. Therefore, operators and other technical specialists must be reliably protected by special X-ray guards. This not only greatly complicates the operation of the known installation and increases the size of the required area for its placement. In some cases, especially in the buildings of old airport terminals, this may require a complete restructuring of the entire airport inspection complex

Closest to the claimed device is, taken as a prototype, a radiographic installation of the scanning type, including an X-ray protective cabin, in which on a common platform, made with the possibility of vertical X-ray source, slotted collimator and linear X-ray receiver connected to a data processing and imaging device (see RF patent jN ° 2257639, MKI HOI J47 / 02, 2005) .).

In contrast to the above analogue, the installation allows to obtain high-quality images due to the applied scanning system while maintaining a low dose of the object.

The main disadvantage of the known installation is the low scanning speed of the object. If in the previous analogue, the scanning zone was only 0.7 m (maximum width of the human body), then in this case it is more than 2 m (maximum height of the human body). Since a vertically movable scanning platform with a tube and a receiving device has a significant mass (at least 100 kg), ensuring uniform movement of such a platform, due to its inertia, especially in the initial section of the scan, becomes a difficult technical task. In this case, substantial mechanical forces begin to act on the X-ray tube itself, which, if accelerations occur, can lead to tube failure. The only reasonable way out of this situation is to reduce the scanning speed while increasing the inspection time spent per passenger. As a result, a situation may arise that will require an increase in the number of inspection cabins used and their technical staff

Another disadvantage of the known installation is the high probability of passage of low-contrast objects prohibited for transportation located in the unstable scanning zone (the initial part of the scanning zone) associated with the vibrations experienced by the moving massive platform at the time of acceleration.

In addition, in some cases, an image of an object, especially at the initial scan site, may not provide reliable detection of low-contrast objects.

The objective of the proposed technical solution is to eliminate these disadvantages, namely, increasing the scanning speed while increasing the uniformity of the scan, as well as improving the quality of the image, sufficient for reliable detection of low-contrast prohibited for transportation of objects, regardless of where they are being on the human body Disclosure of invention

The indicated problem in a scanning X-ray inspection installation, including an X-ray protection cabin, in which an X-ray source, a slotted collimator, and an X-ray receiver connected to a data processing and imaging device are sequentially located in the scanning plane are solved by the fact that the platform - in the form of a vertically mounted scanning frame in the form of a polygon with two parallel vertically oriented sides, which hold the vertical racks of the platform, on which the source and the X-ray receiver are respectively fixed, while the frame is mounted with the possibility of sector rotation around a vertical axis coinciding with the vertical rack of the frame on which the X-ray source is mounted, made in the form of or several emitters distributed along the rack coupled to one or more line receivers mounted on the opposite vertical frame rack.

Due to the presence of a vertically mounted frame, the installation can perform a sector rotation, thereby scanning a person standing vertically in an X-ray protection cabin. Since scanning is carried out along the width of the person’s body, the scanning area is almost three times smaller than in the prototype, while the person undergoing inspection as in the prototype it is in a cabin at rest, without experiencing any physical exertion.

In addition, since the bulk of the scanning frame of the inventive device falls on the rack on which the emitters are mounted, and the rack itself is supported by a thrust bearing, the x-ray tubes of the radiation sources practically do not experience mechanical loads, because during scanning, they make a slight angular rotation in the range of 15–25 angular degrees, which makes it possible to further increase the scanning speed.

To increase the information content of the image, several emitters distributed along the vertical rack are optically coupled to one linear receiver. The specified installation allows, if necessary, to quickly change the viewing angle of the object, which can be re-scanned when the frame is reversed back to its original position, which means that the operator can obtain more reliable information about the object. The presence of at least two fixedly mounted x-ray emitters on the vertical rack of the frame, and at least two parallel-mounted linear receivers optically paired with them on the opposite rack of the frame allows to simultaneously obtain two images taken from different angles in one scan of the object .

In order to achieve maximum image information with a minimum number of used X-ray emitting and receiving devices, the vertical frame rack is equipped with a mechanism for the vertical movement of the X-ray emitter along a curved or rectilinear guide. In the presence of only one X-ray emitter and one X-ray linear receiver, it becomes possible to obtain images of the object from various angles.

To simplify the scanning mechanism, the drive of the scanning frame is made in the form of a linear reversible electric motor connected by a leash to the frame.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Figure 1 is a side view drawing of the inventive installation, explaining the principle of obtaining a multi-angle image of an object using several emitters and one linear receiver mounted on a scanning rectangular frame.

Figure 2 presents a top view drawing of the inventive installation shown in figure 1, explaining the principle of scanning an object.

FIG. 3 is a side view drawing of the inventive installation, explaining the principle of obtaining a two-way image of an object using two emitters and two linear receivers mounted on a scanning rectangular frame.

Fig. 4 is a drawing of a top view of the inventive installation shown in Fig. 3, explaining the principle of simultaneously obtaining a two-view image.

Fig. 5 is a side view drawing of the inventive installation, explaining the principle of obtaining a multi-angle image of an object using a single emitter installed with the possibility of moving along a curved guide on a movable carriage. The installation contains one emitter and one linear receiver, which are mounted on a trapezoidal scanning frame. Figure 6 shows a cross-sectional drawing of a movable carriage realizing the movement of the emitter along a curved guide.

Fig. 7 is a drawing of a plan view of the guide along which the movable carriage moves.

On Fig presents a cross-sectional drawing of the guide with the driven track rollers and the drive gear.

Fig. 9 is a side view drawing of the inventive installation, explaining the principle of obtaining a multi-angle image of an object using a single emitter mounted with the possibility of moving along a straight guide on a movable carriage. The installation contains one emitter and one linear receiver, which are mounted on a trapezoidal scanning frame.

Figure 10 shows a cross-sectional drawing of a movable carriage moving the emitter along a straight guide (the straight guide design is similar to the curved guide shown in Figs. 7 and 8).

11 is a drawing of a turntable that rotates the emitter in a vertical plane.

12 is a drawing of a turntable explaining the principle of counter-clockwise rotation of the emitter.

Presented in figure 1 and 2 of the inventive installation, includes: x-ray cabin 1 with the object of inspection 2, standing on the inspection site 3; a scanning frame (movable platform) 4, with x-ray emitters 5a, 56, 5p installed on it with collimators 6a, 66, bp, vertical fan beams 7a, 76, 7p and a linear x-ray receiver 8; a linear electric motor 9, the leash 10 of which carries out the reverse rotation of the frame 4 within the scanning zone.

The installation shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 includes two disjoint fan rays 11a and 116, each of which is received by its linear receiver - 12a and 126.

The installation shown in FIG. 5 includes a curved guide 13 along which the emitter 15 moves in the vertical direction on the movable carriage 14.

The figure presented in Fig. 6 illustrates the principle of moving the movable carriage 14 along the guide 13. The carriage includes eight driven rollers that clearly position the position of the carriage on the guide 13: four spring-loaded 16 on one side of the guide 13 and four rigidly mounted rollers 17 on the other side of the guide 13. The movement of the carriage 14 is carried out by the drive gear 18, driven by its gear motor (it is not shown conditionally in the figure).

The guide 13 shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 includes: four longitudinal grooves

19, on which the driven rollers 16 and 17 move; one longitudinal groove 20, with a gear rack 21 mounted therein, with which the gear wheel 18 interacts.

The installation shown in FIG. 9 includes: a straight guide 22, along which the emitter 15 moves in the vertical direction on the movable carriage 23 and the turntable 24.

Presented in figure 10, the figure explains the principle of moving the movable carriage 23 with the turntable 24 along the guide 22.

The figures 11 and 12 illustrate the principle of rotation of the emitter 15 mounted on the turntable 24. The turntable includes: a fixed lower base 25, a movable upper base 26, a central eccentric shaft 27 and four spring-loaded bearings 28, pressing the upper base 26 to the fixed lower base 25.

The best embodiment of the invention

Consider the operation of the device shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Before the start of the inspection, the passenger enters the cabin 1 and stands on the inspection platform 3 at a specially marked place. After that, the cabin is closed by an X-ray protective door (it is not shown conventionally in the figures) and the operator selects based on the person’s height, complexion, etc. necessary shooting angle, which will be as informative as possible. For example, he chose an x-ray emitter 5a, which with the help of a collimator 6a forms a fan beam 7a. It is known that for shooting a person with a heavier complexion, a greater radiation energy is needed. Different emitters can be tuned not only to certain angles, but also to different x-ray energies.

Before starting the inspection, the scanning frame 4 is, for example, in the lower position (see figure 2). Simultaneously with turning on the source 5a, the linear electric motor 10 is turned on and the scanning frame 4 begins to move counterclockwise to its highest position, where the scanning of object 2 ends, and the source 5a turns off. If the x-ray image of the object does not suit the operator for any reason, he can repeat the scan, choosing another radiation source, for example, 56. The indicated repeated scanning of the object can be performed in the reverse mode of the electric motor 9. Thus, two images from different angles can be taken during the forward and reverse motion of the scanning frame 4. During the scanning process, the linear receiver 8 in one pass of the scanning frame 4 (there and back) forms a plurality of vertical image lines, from which the data processing and image building device (not shown in the figure) directly generates one or two X-ray image of the object.

The installation shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 works in a similar way. The difference is that emitters 5a and 56 are simultaneously operating, and the data processing and image-building device simultaneously generates two images of object 2 independent of each other, receiving simultaneously information from receivers 12a and 126.

Similarly, the installation shown in Fig. 5 works. Its difference is that to change the shooting angle, one emitter 15 is used, which, if necessary, change the angle, can be moved along a curved guide 13. Before starting shooting an object, set the desired shooting angle, for which the emitter 15 is moved using a movable carriage 14 to a predetermined position. The carriage is moved (see Fig. 6) due to the drive gear 18, which engages with the gear rack 21. The gear 18 is driven by a gear motor (it is not shown conditionally in the figure). The presence of eight driven rollers (four rollers 16 and four rollers 17) makes it possible to reliably fix the position of the carriage strictly in the vertical plane. Due to the use of a single movable source, the weight and dimensions of the installation can be significantly reduced, which is quite suitable for creating a mobile mobile inspection cabin.

Similar to that described above, the installation shown in Fig.9. Its difference is that one emitter 15 is also used to change the shooting angle, which can be moved along a straight guide 22. To move the emitter, a movable carriage 23 is used, the schematic design of which is shown in FIG. The principle of operation of the carriage 23 is similar to the principle of the carriage 14, moved along a curved guide 13. A feature of this installation is the presence of a rotary platform 24. The principle of operation of the rotary platform is illustrated in figures 11 and 12. In the initial position, the lower base 25 and the movable upper base 26, on which the emitter 15 is fixed, are parallel to each other. The specified position is ensured by four spring-loaded supports 28, tightening them together. If it is necessary to rotate the emitter 15, for example, counterclockwise (see Fig. 12), the eccentric shaft 27 rotates counterclockwise, driven by a gear motor (it is not shown conditionally in the figure), which changes the position of the moving upper base 26 relative to the stationary lower base 25. In this case, the emitter 15 and its fan beam irradiating the object changes its position in the vertical plane.

Technical applicability

A mock device was created that fully confirmed the advantages of the claimed device over the prototype.

A prototype installation allows you to search the object with a resolution of 0.25 pairs of lines per mm, while the installation has the following characteristics:

- dimensions of the scanning rectangular frame - 2000 x 2000 mm;

- size of the scanning zone - 2000 x 900 mm;

- detecting ability - 0.12 mm copper wire;

- penetration - 22 mm steel;

- maximum scan time - 5 s;

- throughput - 3 people / min;

- the dose for one examination is 0.25 microsievert, which is equivalent to the dose received by the passenger for 5 minutes of flight at an altitude of 10,000 m.

Thus, the inventive device allows you to create a new class of scanning low-dose x-ray installations for inspection of passengers.

Claims

Claim

1. Scanning X-ray inspection installation, comprising an X-ray protective cabin, in which an X-ray source, a slit collimator, and an X-ray receiver connected to a data processing and imaging device, successively arranged in the scanning plane, are installed, characterized in that the platform is made in the form of a vertically mounted scanning frame in the form of a polygon with two parallel vertically oriented sides forming the vertical racks of the platform on which the source and the X-ray receiver are respectively mounted, the frame being mounted with the possibility of sector rotation around a vertical axis coinciding with the vertical rack of the frame on which the X-ray source is mounted, made in the form of one or more distributed along the rack of X-ray emitters, coupled to one or more X-ray linear receivers mounted on the opposite vertical rack of the frame.

2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that several emitters distributed along the vertical strut are optically coupled to one x-ray linear receiver.

3. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that at least two x-ray emitters are installed on the vertical rack of the frame, and at least two x-ray linear receivers optically paired with them are mounted on the opposite rack of the frame.

4. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the vertical strut of the frame is equipped with a mechanism for the vertical movement of the x-ray emitter along a curved or rectilinear guide.

5. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the scanning frame drive is made in the form of a linear reversible electric motor connected by a leash to the frame.