Systems and methods are used to increase the penetration and reduce the exclusion zone of radiographic systems. An X-ray detection method irradiates an object with X-ray fanlets including vertically moving fan beams, each fanlet having an angular range smaller than the angular coverage of the object. The fanlets are produced by modulating an X-ray beam, synchronizing the X-ray beam and the fanlets, detecting the fanlets irradiating the object, collecting image slices from the detector array corresponding to a complete scan cycle of the fanlets, and processing the image slices collected for combining into a composite image.

A drive-through scanning system comprises a radiation generating means arranged to generate radiation at two different energy levels and direct it towards a scanning volume, detection means arranged to detect the radiation after it has passed through the scanning volume, and control means arranged to identify a part of a vehicle within the scanning volume, to allocate the part of the vehicle to one of a plurality of categories, and to control the radiation generating means and to select one or more of the energy levels depending on the category to which the part of the vehicle is allocated.

A quick vehicle check system comprises a radiation source which produces a first X ray with a first dose and a second X ray with a second dose, wherein the first dose is smaller than the second dose, and the first X ray is used for checking a first part of a checked vehicle and the second X ray is used for checking a second part of the checked vehicle; a first sensor for detecting a set position of the checked vehicle; a second sensor for detecting a passing distance of the checked vehicle; and a control unit coupled with the first sensor and the second sensor, which receives the set position of the checked vehicle from the first sensor and receives the passing distance of the checked vehicle from the second sensor.

A method of creating a representation of the internal structure of a target object is provided. There is provided a method of creating a representation of the internal structure of a target object having the steps of accelerating a number of charged subatomic particles, guiding the particles to a plurality of emission sources on one side of a target object, emitting electromagnetic radiation from each specific emission source for a discrete period such that, during the discrete period, the specific emission source is associated with the discrete period, the electromagnetic radiation being generated by the conversion of the particles to electromagnetic radiation, detecting, on a side opposing the emission sources, a projection of penetration of the electromagnetic radiation from each emission source, and combining the projections from each source to create a representation of the internal structure of the target object.

An image processing apparatus comprises an acquisition unit for acquiring low-energy information and high-energy information from a plurality of images that are obtained by emitting radiation toward an object, a calculation unit for calculating an effective atomic number and a surface density from the low-energy information and the high-energy information, and a generation unit for generating an image that includes color information based on the effective atomic number and the surface density.

The present specification discloses a high speed scanning system for scanning cargo carried by rail. The system uses of a two-dimensional X-ray sensor array with, in one embodiment, a cone-beam X-ray geometry. The pulse rate of X-ray source is modulated based on the speed of the moving cargo to allow a distance traveled by the cargo between X-ray pulses to be equal to the width of the detector, for a single energy source, and to half the width of the detector for a dual energy source. This ensures precise timing between the X-ray exposure and the speed of the passing object, and thus accurate scanning of cargo even at high speeds.

A method for optimising detector performance in a dual-energy detector system including high-energy X-ray detection and low-energy X-ray detection. The method includes one or more steps from a group including: utilising different scanning rates for high-energy X-ray detection and low-energy X-ray detection; utilising different integration times for high-energy Xray detection and low-energy X-ray detection; and/or utilising different diode sizes for high-energy X-ray detection and low-energy X-ray detection.

An X-ray inspection system for scanning items is provided. The system includes: a stationary X-ray source extending around a rectangular scanning volume, and defining multiple source points from which X-rays can be directed through the scanning volume; an X-ray detector array also extending around the rectangular scanning volume and arranged to detect X-rays from the source points which have passed through the scanning volume; a conveyor arranged to convey the items through the scanning volume; and at least one processor for processing the detected X-rays to produce scanning images of the items.

The present specification discloses a covert mobile inspection vehicle with a backscatter X-ray scanning system that has an X-ray source and detectors for obtaining a radiographic image of an object outside the vehicle. The systems preferably include at least one sensor for determining a distance from at least one of the detectors to points on the surface of the object being scanned, a processor for processing the obtained radiographic image by using the determined distance of the object to obtain an atomic number of each material contained in the object, and one or more sensors to obtain surveillance data from a predefined area surrounding the vehicle.

A dual energy based X-ray scanning system has a linear detector array with high and low energy detectors. A signal processing method is employed that accounts for varying angles at which the transmitted X-rays impinge upon the detectors and also the varying order in which the transmitted X-rays pass through the high and low energy detectors. This yields both high resolution in the generated images and better penetration performance.