Method and system are disclosed for determining sample composition from spectral data acquired by a charged particle microscopy system. Chemical elements in a sample are identified by processing the spectral data with a trained neural network (NN). If the identified chemical elements not matching with a known elemental composition of the sample, the trained NN is retrained with the spectral data and the known elemental composition of the sample. The retrained NN can then be used to identify chemical elements within other samples.

Method and system are disclosed for determining sample composition from spectral data acquired by a charged particle microscopy system. Chemical elements in a sample are identified by processing the spectral data with a trained neural network (NN). If the identified chemical elements not matching with a known elemental composition of the sample, the trained NN is retrained with the spectral data and the known elemental composition of the sample. The retrained NN can then be used to identify chemical elements within other samples.

Phase contrast and dark-field X-ray imaging enable imaging of objects that absorb or reflect very little X-ray light. Disclosed is a method and systems for performing coded-mask-based multi-contrast imaging (CMMI). The method includes providing radiation to a coded mask that has a known phase and absorption profile according to a pre-determined pattern. The radiation is then impingent upon a sample, and the radiation is detected to perform phase-reconstruction and image processing. The method and associated systems allow for the use of maximum-likelihood and machine learning methods for reconstruction images of the sample from the detected radiation.

Phase contrast and dark-field X-ray imaging enable imaging of objects that absorb or reflect very little X-ray light. Disclosed is a method and systems for performing coded-mask-based multi-contrast imaging (CMMI). The method includes providing radiation to a coded mask that has a known phase and absorption profile according to a pre-determined pattern. The radiation is then impingent upon a sample, and the radiation is detected to perform phase-reconstruction and image processing. The method and associated systems allow for the use of maximum-likelihood and machine learning methods for reconstruction images of the sample from the detected radiation.

In one example, there is provided a method for processing data associated with inspection of cargo with an inspection system, the inspection system including a radiation source configured to emit a plurality N of successive pulses irradiating the cargo at a frequency, and a matrix detector including a first column p.sub.1 of detectors and at least one second column p.sub.2 of detectors. The method includes obtaining data associated with a scanning of at least one part of the cargo with a current frequency f.sub.n, wherein the scanning includes displacing the cargo and the system with a relative scanning displacement; determining a pace δ, at a predetermined instant t; and determining whether the determined pace δ is reliable. If the pace is reliable, the current frequency is updated.

In one example, there is provided a method for processing data associated with inspection of cargo with an inspection system, the inspection system including a radiation source configured to emit a plurality N of successive pulses irradiating the cargo at a frequency, and a matrix detector including a first column p.sub.1 of detectors and at least one second column p.sub.2 of detectors. The method includes obtaining data associated with a scanning of at least one part of the cargo with a current frequency f.sub.n, wherein the scanning includes displacing the cargo and the system with a relative scanning displacement; determining a pace δ, at a predetermined instant t; and determining whether the determined pace δ is reliable. If the pace is reliable, the current frequency is updated.

A method for detecting the maximum potential presence of a material in an object. The method includes obtaining raw x-ray image data comprising a plurality of pixels for the object from an X-ray scanning device, wherein each pixel of the plurality of pixels has associated therewith an attenuation value and an effective atomic number (Z.sub.eff) for the pixel. The method further includes converting, for each pixel having a Z.sub.eff value greater than a threshold effective atomic number (Z.sub.eff-threshold), the Z.sub.eff at the pixel to the Z.sub.eff-threshold while applying a correction factor to the attenuation value for the pixel to bring the attenuation value into correspondence with the conversion of the Z.sub.eff value for the pixel and determining a maximum potential amount of the material present at each pixel based on the corrected attenuation value at the pixel. This renders material more apparent in visual display.

A method for detecting the maximum potential presence of a material in an object. The method includes obtaining raw x-ray image data comprising a plurality of pixels for the object from an X-ray scanning device, wherein each pixel of the plurality of pixels has associated therewith an attenuation value and an effective atomic number (Z.sub.eff) for the pixel. The method further includes converting, for each pixel having a Z.sub.eff value greater than a threshold effective atomic number (Z.sub.eff-threshold), the Z.sub.eff at the pixel to the Z.sub.eff-threshold while applying a correction factor to the attenuation value for the pixel to bring the attenuation value into correspondence with the conversion of the Z.sub.eff value for the pixel and determining a maximum potential amount of the material present at each pixel based on the corrected attenuation value at the pixel. This renders material more apparent in visual display.

The present specification provides a detector for an X-ray imaging system. The detector includes at least one high resolution layer having high resolution wavelength-shifting optical fibers, each fiber occupying a distinct region of the detector, at least one low resolution layer with low resolution regions, and a single segmented multi-channel photo-multiplier tube for coupling signals obtained from the high resolution fibers and the low resolution regions.

The present specification provides a detector for an X-ray imaging system. The detector includes at least one high resolution layer having high resolution wavelength-shifting optical fibers, each fiber occupying a distinct region of the detector, at least one low resolution layer with low resolution regions, and a single segmented multi-channel photo-multiplier tube for coupling signals obtained from the high resolution fibers and the low resolution regions.