The invention discloses a scanning method and apparatus suitable for scanning a pipeline or process vessel in which a beam of gamma radiation from a source is emitted through the vessel to be detected by an array of detectors which are each collimated to detect radiation over a narrow angle relative to the width of the emitted radiation beam.

A compression device for compressing image data generated by a computed tomography (CT) imaging system is described herein. The compression device is configured to compress the image data by implementing a method including receiving image data from the CT imaging system and requantizing the image data in a square root domain. The method further includes identifying a group of projections (GOP) in the image data, including a first projection and a plurality of subsequent projections, and performing spatial-delta encoding on the first projection and temporal-delta encoding on each of the plurality of subsequent projections. The method also includes identifying a signed value in the GOP, and converting the signed value to an unsigned value. The method further includes entropy coding the image data in the GOP, and packetizing the GOP for transmission or storage.

A controller for detecting objects moving in a first direction in a computed tomography (CT) imaging system is provided. The controller is configured to detect objects by assembling a plurality of segments based on a plurality of CT imaging slices. In response to receiving a stop request, the controller is configured to detect objects by causing the CT imaging system to cease a flow of objects, discarding the one or more of the plurality of CT imaging slices associated with a first segment and a second segment of the plurality of segments, causing the CT imaging system to move the objects in a second direction for an interruption distance in which the second direction is opposite the first direction, causing the CT imaging system to move the objects in the first direction, and reassembling the first segment and the second segment.

A method of detecting a material with a high atomic number, including positioning a test object in a muon detection apparatus; gathering a set of test data; reconstructing a set of test muon tracks; identifying a set of outlier muon tracks having large scattering events; identifying an outlier spatial domain region; determining outlier region scattering density estimates; determining if the outlier region scattering density estimates are indicative of the presence of the material with the high atomic number; generating a detector notification, when the outlier region scattering density estimates are indicative of the presence of the material with the high atomic number; and providing the detector notification to a user. A system for detecting a material with a high atomic number may include a muon detection apparatus and a processing system communicatively coupled to the muon detection apparatus and including at least one processor operable to generate a detector notification.

A calculation method for a dual-energy X-ray imaging system is provided. The calculation method for the dual-energy X-ray imaging system includes the following steps. A plurality of material attenuation coefficient ratio of the dual-energy projection image are established according to the reference materials with known material characteristics. The effective atomic number of each reference material and the material attenuation coefficient ratio are used to establish a calibration data set. A rational polynomial approximation method is adopted to obtain the characteristic model related to the material attenuation coefficient ratio of the reference material and the effective atomic number of the reference material. The material attenuation coefficient ratio of the dual-energy projection image of unknown material is established. The material attenuation coefficient ratio of the unknown material is substitute into the characteristic model to obtain the effective atomic number corresponding to the unknown material.

Described herein are a computed tomography scanning system for inspecting an object and methods incorporating the same. The system includes an imaging assembly including a frame positioned within an underground chamber below a ground surface, a platform coupled to and translatable with respect to the frame, and a stage coupled to and rotatable with respect to the platform. The platform is translatable to raise the object above the ground surface and lower the object below the ground surface when the object is on the stage. The imaging assembly also includes an X-ray source fixed with respect to the frame and configured to emit radiation that is attenuated by the object as the platform translates and the stage rotates, and an X-ray detector fixed with respect to the frame, the X-ray detector configured to detect the radiation transmitted through the object and generate a signal representative of the transmitted radiation.

A system and method is provided for performing material decomposition using a computed tomography (CT) system. The method includes acquiring CT imaging data of an object including data subsets corresponding to at least two different energy spectral bins and using the CT imaging data at each of the at least two different energy spectral bins to form a series of equations for basis material decomposition. The method also includes using a general physical constraint, which quantifies how each basis material in the object is mixed together to form the object, within the series of equations. The method also includes determining at least one basis material density of the object using the physical constraint and the CT imaging data and generating an image of the object using the CT imaging data and the mass densities of at least one basis material.

A sample inspection system contains a source of electromagnetic radiation and an apparatus that includes a beam former, a collimator and an energy resolving detector. The beam former is adapted to receive electromagnetic radiation from the source to provide a polygonal shell beam formed of at least three walls of electromagnetic radiation. The collimator has a plurality of channels adapted to receive diffracted or scattered radiation at an angle. The energy resolving detector is arranged to detect radiation diffracted or scattered by a sample upon incidence of the polygonal shell beam onto the sample and transmitted by the collimator.

A baggage screening module including a baggage screening device; and a transportable container for housing the baggage screening device. The baggage screening device is operable within the container to screen baggage, and the baggage screening module is moveable as a unit to a place of use.

A borehole muon detector for muon radiography or geotomography is provided, the borehole muon detector including a substantially cylindrical housing, which defines a bore, a pair of end caps, each end cap sealing an end of the cylindrical housing and a plurality of sealed drift tubes which are longitudinally disposed in the bore of the housing to form a bundle of drift tubes, wherein each sealed drift tube comprises: a centrally located anode wire disposed on a longitudinal axis; an inner surface which is coated with a cathode coating, the cathode coating divided into a first cathode pad and a second cathode pad by a Vernier pattern; and a timer in electrical communication with the anode wire for measuring a drift time. A system and a method are also provided.