Patent US3738963A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
Patent EP0597725A1 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0597725A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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System for scanning bodies
Assignee: DEBEX Pty Ltd
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Filing: 1993-11-12
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2013-11-12
Abstract
Abstract The invention concerns a method and apparatus for scanning bodies, typically human bodies (12) for security or medical purposes. In the method, the body (12) is scanned with a beam (20) of X-radiation of sufficiently low intensity that no physiological damage is suffered. The X-radiation transmitted by the body (12) is then converted into an optical image. The optical image is intensified and converted into an electronic image. The electronic image is manipulated to produce a scanned image of the body or a portion of the body. The scanned image is typically a video image.
Inventors
- 👤 David James Hammond
- 👤 Michael William Naughten Singer
- 👤 Rudolf Wilhem Glatthaar
- 👤 Gerhard Laniewski
- 👤 Sudhir Nundhlal Surujhlal
- 👤 Forrester Daniel De Beer
- 👤 Pieter Gerhard Roos
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 17:24
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01V; G01V5/00; G01V5/20; G01V5/22; G06; G06F; G06F17/00; A; A61; A61B; A61B6/00; A61B6/12; G01N; G01N23/00; G01N23/02; G01N23/04; G01N23/043; A61B6/42; A61B6/4208; A61B6/4225; G01N2223/00; G01N2223/40; G01N2223/413; G01N2223/42
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim
62 words
A method of scanning a body, the method comprising the steps of scanning the body with a beam of X-radiation, characterised by converting X-radiation transmitted by the body (12) into an optical image, intensifying the optical image, converting the optical image into an electronic image and manipulating the electronic image to produce a scanned image of the body or a portion thereof.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
30 words
A method according to claim 1 characterised in that the intensified optical image is converted to a digital electronic image using CCD array detectors (40) operated in drift scanning mode.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
29 words
A method according to claim 1 or claim 2 characterised in that the digital electronic image is manipulated to produce a visual image of the body or portion thereof.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
26 words
A method according to any one of the preceding claims characterised in that the transmitted X-radiation is converted to an optical image by scintillator means (26).
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
36 words
A method according to claim 4 characterised in that the optical image is intensified by an optical image intensifier (34) in combination with one or more fibre-optic tapers (30, 38) used to convey the optical image.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
91 words
A method according to claim 5 characterised in that a first series of fibre-optic tapers (30) is used to convey an optical image from the scintillator means (26) to an optical image intensifier (34) which intensifies the image, and a second series of fibre-optic tapers (38) conveys the intensified optical image to a corresponding series of CCD array detectors (40), operated in drift scanning mode, for conversion to an electronic image, the first and second series of fibre-optic tapers (30 and 38) serving also to demagnify the image which they convey.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
90 words
A method according to any one of the preceding claims characterised in that an X-ray source (18) and imaging apparatus (22) are located in opposition to one another on opposite sides of a scanning station (10), the X-ray source (18) and imaging apparatus (22) are supported by a carrier (14) which is caused to move relative to a stationary body (12), and the source (18) of X-radiation is caused to emit a fanned beam of X-radiation (20) which is collimated in the direction of relative movement of the carrier (14).
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
38 words
A method according to claim 7 characterised in that the body is a human body (12) and the carrier (14) is caused to move vertically relative to a standing, stationary human body (12) at the scanning station (10).
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
35 words
A method according to claim 8 characterised in that the X-ray beam (20) has a sufficiently low intensity for the human body (12) to absorb an equivalent dose of 10 x 10⁻⁶ sievert or less.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
29 words
A method according to any one of claims 1 to 6 characterised in that the body is caused to move between a stationary X-ray source and opposing imaging apparatus.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
81 words
Apparatus for scanning a body, the apparatus comprising an X-ray source for scanning the body with a beam of X-radiation, and imaging apparatus which includes means for converting X-radiation transmitted by the body into an optical image, characterised by means (30, 34, 38) for intensifying the optical image, means (40) for converting the intensified optical image into an electronic image and means (50) for manipulating the electronic image to produce a scanned image of the body (12) or a portion thereof.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
27 words
Apparatus according to claim 11 chjaracterised by CCD array detectors (40), operated in drift scanning mode, to convert the intensified optical image to a digital electronic image.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
28 words
Apparatus according to either one of claims 11 or 12 characterised by means (50, 52) for producing a scanned video image of the body or a portion thereof.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
24 words
Apparatus according to any one of claims 11 to 13 characterised by scintillator means (26) to convert the transmitted X-radiation to an optical image.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
33 words
Apparatus according to claim 14 characterised by an optical image intensifier (34) in combination with one or more fibre-optic tapers (30, 38), used to convey the optical image, to intensify the optical image.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
87 words
Apparatus according to claim 15 characterised by a first series of fibre-optic tapers (30) to convey an optical image from the scintillator means (26) to an optical image intensifier (34) which intensifies the image, and a second series of fibre-optic tapers (38) which conveys the intensified-optical image to a corresponding series of CCD array detectors (40), operated in drift scanning mode, for conversion to an electronic image, the first and second series of fibre-optic tapers (30 and 38) serving also to demagnify the image which they convey.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
93 words
Apparatus according to any one of claims 11 to 16 characterised by an X-ray source (18) and imaging apparatus (22) which are located in opposition to one another on opposite sides of a scanning station (10), a carrier (14) supporting the X-ray source (18) and imaging apparatus (22), and means for causing the carrier to move relative to a stationary body (12) at the scanning station (10) with the source of X-radiation (18) emitting a fanned beam (20) of X-radiation which is collimated in the direction of relative movement of the carrier (14).
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
34 words
Apparatus according to claim 17 characterised by an X-ray source in the form of a line-focus X-ray tube (18) orientated in the direction of movement of the carrier (14) relative to the body (12).
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
22 words
Apparatus according to claim 17 or claim 18 characterised by a parallel plate collimator( 24) for collimating the beam (20) of X-radiation.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
40 words
Apparatus according to any one of claims 17 to 19 characterised in that it is used to scan a human body (12), the carrier (14) being movable vertically relative to a human body (12) standing at the scanning station (10).
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
35 words
Apparatus according to claim 20 characterised in that the beam (20) of X-radiation has a sufficiently low intensity for the human body (12) to absorb an equivalent dose of 10 x 10⁻⁶ sievert or less.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
33 words
Apparatus according to any one of claims 11 to 16 characterised by a stationary X-ray course and opposing imaging apparatus, and means for moving the body between the X-ray source and imaging apparatus.
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