System for radiographically inspecting an object using backscattered radiation and related method

Claim 1

A system for radiographically inspecting an object disposed at a selected inspecting location along a radiation path, comprising: a source of radiation for directing a beam of radiation in a first direction along the radiation path; scanning area selecting means, interposed in the radiation path between the radiation source and the selected inspecting location, for sequentially selecting area portions of the beam of radiation and for transmitting the selected area portions to preselected area portions of the inspecting location; scanning-area determining means, responsive to said scanning area selecting means, for determining the area portions of the inspecting location selected by the scanning-area selecting means; an illuminator, disposed in the radiation path of the generated radiation, beyond the selected inspecting location, activated in response to the reception of radiation passing through the object disposed at the selected location, for backscattering the received radiation and providing a source of fluorescence in a second direction along the radiation path, opposite the first direction, through the object at the selected location, detection means, disposed in the radiation path between the selected inspecting location and the radiation source, operative to receive first backscattered and fluorescent radiation traveling in the second direction from the illuminator through the object at the inspecting location, and operative to receive second backscattered and fluorescent radiation interacting with the object at the inspecting location, the detection means generating signals responsive to the received first and second backscattered and fluorescent radiation, and including a data processing means responsive to the scanning-area determining means for processing the response signals corresponding to the first and second backscattered and fluorescent radiation to obtain a radiographic representation of the object.

Claim 2

A system for radiographically inspecting an object disposed at a selected inspecting location along a radiation path, comprising: a source of radiation for directing a beam of radiation in a first direction along the radiation path; scanning area selecting means, interposed in the radiation path between the radiation source and the selected inspecting location, for sequentially selecting area portions of the beam of radiation and for transmitting the selected area portions to preselected area portions of the inspecting location; scanning-area determining means, responsive to said scanning area selecting means, for determining the area portions of the inspecting location selected by the scanning-area selecting means; an illuminator, disposed in the radiation path of the generated radiation, beyond the selected inspecting location, activated in response to the reception of radiation passing through the object disposed at the selected location, for backscattering the received radiation and providing a source of fluorescence in a second direction along the radiation path, opposite the first direction, through the object at the selected location, detection means, disposed in the radiation path between the selected inspecting location and the radiation source, operative to receive first backscattered and fluorescent radiation traveling in the second direction from the illuminator through the object at the inspecting location, and operative to receive second backscattered and fluorescent radiation interacting with the object at the inspecting location, the detection means generating signals responsive to the received first and second backscattered and fluorescent radiation, and including a data processing means responsive to the scanning-area determining means for processing the response signals corresponding to the first and second backscattered and fluorescent radiation to obtain a radiographic representation of the object.

Claim 8

A system for radiographically inspecting an object disposed at a selected inspecting location along a radiation path, comprising: a source of radiation for directing a beam of radiation in a first direction along the radiation path; scanning area selecting means, interposed in the radiation path between the radiation source and the selected inspecting location, for sequentially selecting area portions of the beam of radiation and for transmitting the selected area portions to preselected area portions of the inspecting location; scanning-area determining means, responsive to said scanning area selecting means, for determining the area portions of the inspecting location selected by the scanning-area selecting means; an illuminator, disposed in the radiation path of the generated radiation, beyond the selected inspecting location, activated in response to the reception of radiation passing through the object disposed at the selected location, for backscattering the received radiation and providing a source of fluorescence in a second direction along the radiation path, opposite the first direction, through the object at the selected location, said illuminator comprising liquid-retaining means positioned adjacent the selected inspecting location and the object, and a liquid having a low atomic number, disposed within the liquid retaining means; and detection means, disposed in the radiation path between the selected inspecting location and the radiation source, operative to receive first backscattered and fluorescent radiation traveling in the second direction from the illuminator through the object at the inspecting location, and operative to receive second backscattered and fluorescent radiation interacting with the object at the inspecting location, the detection means generating signals responsive to the received first and second backscattered and fluorescent radiation, and including a data processing means responsive to the scanning-area determining means for processing the response signals corresponding to the first and second backscattered and fluorescent radiation to obtain a radiographic representation of the object.

Claim 9

A system for radiographically inspecting an object disposed at a selected inspecting location along a radiation path, comprising: a source of radiation for directing a beam of radiation in a first direction along the radiation path; scanning area selecting means, interposed in the radiation path between the radiation source and the selected inspecting location, for sequentially selecting area portions of the beam of radiation and for transmitting the selected area portions to preselected area portions of the inspecting location; scanning-area determining means, responsive to said scanning area selecting means, for determining the area portions of the inspecting location selected by the scanning-area selecting means; an illuminator, disposed in the radiation path of the generated radiation, beyond the selected inspecting location, activated in response to the reception of radiation passing through the object disposed at the selected location, for backscattering the received radiation and providing a source of fluorescence in a second direction along the radiation path, opposite the first direction, through the object at the selected location, said illuminator comprising liquid-retaining means positioned adjacent the selected inspecting location and the object, and a liquid having a low atomic number, disposed within the liquid retaining means; and detection means, disposed in the radiation path between the selected inspecting location and the radiation source, operative to receive first backscattered and fluorescent radiation traveling in the second direction from the illuminator through the object at the inspecting location, and operative to receive second backscattered and fluorescent radiation interacting with the object at the inspecting location, the detection means generating signals responsive to the received first and second backscattered and fluorescent radiation, and including a data processing means responsive to the scanning-area determining means for processing the response signals corresponding to the first and second backscattered and fluorescent radiation to obtain a radiographic representation of the object.

Claim 10

A system for radiographically inspecting an object disposed at a selected inspecting location along a radiation path, comprising: a source or radiation for directing a beam of radiation in a first direction along the radiation path; scanning area selecting means, interposed in the radiation path between the radiation source and the selected inspecting location, for sequentially selecting area portions of the beam of radiation and for transmitting the selected area portions to preselected area portions of the inspecting location; scanning-area determining means, responsive to said scanning area selecting means, for determining the area portions of the inspecting location selected by the scanning-area selecting means; an illuminator, disposed in the radiation path of the generated radiation, beyond the selected inspecting location, activated in response to the reception of radiation passing through the object disposed at the selected location, for backscattering the received radiation and providing a source of fluorescence in a second direction along the radiation path, opposite the first direction, through the object at the selected location, said illuminator comprising liquid-retaining means positioned adjacent the selected inspecting location and the object, and a liquid having a high atomic number, disposed within the liquid retaining means; and detection means, disposed in the radiation path between the selected inspecting location and the radiation source, operative to receive first backscattered and fluorescent radiation traveling in the second direction from the illuminator through the object at the inspecting location, and operative to receive second backscattered and fluorescent radiation interacting with the object at the inspecting location, the detection means generating signals responsive to the received first and second backscattered and fluorescent radiation, and including a data processing means responsive to the scanning-area determining means for processing the response signals corresponding to the first and second backscattered and fluorescent radiation to obtain a radiographic representation of the object.

Claim 11

A system for radiographically inspecting an object disposed at a selected inspecting location along a radiation path, comprising: a source or radiation for directing a beam of radiation in a first direction along the radiation path; scanning area selecting means, interposed in the radiation path between the radiation source and the selected inspecting location, for sequentially selecting area portions of the beam of radiation and for transmitting the selected area portions to preselected area portions of the inspecting location; scanning-area determining means, responsive to said scanning area selecting means, for determining the area portions of the inspecting location selected by the scanning-area selecting means; an illuminator, disposed in the radiation path of the generated radiation, beyond the selected inspecting location, activated in response to the reception of radiation passing through the object disposed at the selected location, for backscattering the received radiation and providing a source of fluorescence in a second direction along the radiation path, opposite the first direction, through the object at the selected location, said illuminator comprising liquid-retaining means positioned adjacent the selected inspecting location and the object, and a liquid having a high atomic number, disposed within the liquid retaining means; and detection means, disposed in the radiation path between the selected inspecting location and the radiation source, operative to receive first backscattered and fluorescent radiation traveling in the second direction from the illuminator through the object at the inspecting location, and operative to receive second backscattered and fluorescent radiation interacting with the object at the inspecting location, the detection means generating signals responsive to the received first and second backscattered and fluorescent radiation, and including a data processing means responsive to the scanning-area determining means for processing the response signals corresponding to the first and second backscattered and fluorescent radiation to obtain a radiographic representation of the object.

Claim 12

A system for radiographically inspecting an object having a plurality of sections disposed at a selected inspecting location along a radiation path, comprising: a source of radiation for directing a beam of radiation in a first direction along the radiation path; scanning area selecting means, interposed in the radiation path between the radiation source and the selected inspecting location, for sequentially selecting area portions of the beam of radiation and for transmitting the selected area portions to preselected area portions of the inspecting location; scanning-area determining means, responsive to said scanning area selecting means, for determining the area portions of the inspecting location selected by the scanning-area selecting means; an illuminator comprising a plurality of sections each having liquid retaining means, each of said liquid-retaining means being positioned immediately beyond a successive one of the plurality of sections of the object at the selected inspecting location, and a liquid, disposed within one of the liquid retaining means, said illuminator being activated in response to the reception of radiation passing through the object disposed at the selected location, for backscattering the received radiation and providing a source of fluorescence in a second direction along the radiation path, opposite the first direction, through the object at the selected location; and detection means, disposed in the radiation path between the selected inspecting location and the radiation source, operative to receive first backscattered and fluorescent radiation traveling in the second direction from the illuminator through the object at the inspecting location, and operative to receive second backscattered and fluorescent radiation interacting with the object at the inspecting location, the detection means generating signals responsive to the received first and second backscattered and fluorescent radiation, and including a data processing means responsive to the scanning-area determining means for processing the response signals corresponding to the first and second backscattered and fluorescent radiation to obtain a radiographic representation of the sections of the object located between the radiation source and the illuminator.

Claim 13

A system for radiographically inspecting an object having a plurality of sections disposed at a selected inspecting location along a radiation path, comprising: a source of radiation for directing a beam of radiation in a first direction along the radiation path; scanning area selecting means, interposed in the radiation path between the radiation source and the selected inspecting location, for sequentially selecting area portions of the beam of radiation and for transmitting the selected area portions to preselected area portions of the inspecting location; scanning-area determining means, responsive to said scanning area selecting means, for determining the area portions of the inspecting location selected by the scanning-area selecting means; an illuminator comprising a plurality of sections each having liquid retaining means, each of said liquid-retaining means being positioned immediately beyond a successive one of the plurality of sections of the object at the selected inspecting location, and a liquid, disposed within one of the liquid retaining means, said illuminator being activated in response to the reception of radiation passing through the object disposed at the selected location, for backscattering the received radiation and providing a source of fluorescence in a second direction along the radiation path, opposite the first direction, through the object at the selected location; and detection means, disposed in the radiation path between the selected inspecting location and the radiation source, operative to receive first backscattered and fluorescent radiation traveling in the second direction from the illuminator through the object at the inspecting location, and operative to receive second backscattered and fluorescent radiation interacting with the object at the inspecting location, the detection means generating signals responsive to the received first and second backscattered and fluorescent radiation, and including a data processing means responsive to the scanning-area determining means for processing the response signals corresponding to the first and second backscattered and fluorescent radiation to obtain a radiographic representation of the sections of the object located between the radiation source and the illuminator.

Claim 15

A system for radiographically inspecting an object having a plurality of sections disposed at a selected inspecting location along a radiation path, comprising: a source of radiation for directing a beam of radiation in a first direction along the radiation path; scanning area selecting means, interposed in the radiation path between the radiation source and the selected inspecting location, for sequentially selecting area portions of the beam of radiation and for transmitting the selected area portions to preselected area portions of the inspecting location; scanning-area determining means, responsive to said scanning area selecting means, for determining the area portions of the inspecting location selected by the scanning-area selecting means; an illuminator having a plurality of sections each comprising a a high atomic number element uniformly interspersed in a bonding material, each of the plurality of sections of the illuminator being distributed at a junction between successive sections of the object at the selected inspecting location, said illuminator being activated in response to the reception of radiation passing through the object disposed at the selected location, for backscattering the received radiation and providing a source of fluorescence in a second direction along the radiation path, opposite the first direction, through the object at the selected location; and detection means, disposed in the radiation path between the selected inspecting location and the relative source, operative to receive first backscattered and fluorescent radiation traveling in the second direction from the illuminator through the object at the inspecting location, and operative to receive second backscattered and fluorescent radiation interacting with the object at the inspecting location, the detection means generating signals responsive to the received first and second backscattered and fluorescent radiation, and including a data processing means responsive to the scanning-area determining means for processing the response signals corresponding to the first and second backscattered and fluorescent radiation to obtain a radiographic representation of the distribution of the bonding material between the successive section of the object.

Claim 16

A system for radiographically inspecting an object having a plurality of sections disposed at a selected inspecting location along a radiation path, comprising: a source of radiation for directing a beam of radiation in a first direction along the radiation path; scanning area selecting means, interposed in the radiation path between the radiation source and the selected inspecting location, for sequentially selecting area portions of the beam of radiation and for transmitting the selected area portions to preselected area portions of the inspecting location; scanning-area determining means, responsive to said scanning area selecting means, for determining the area portions of the inspecting location selected by the scanning-area selecting means; an illuminator having a plurality of sections each comprising a a high atomic number element uniformly interspersed in a bonding material, each of the plurality of sections of the illuminator being distributed at a junction between successive sections of the object at the selected inspecting location, said illuminator being activated in response to the reception of radiation passing through the object disposed at the selected location, for backscattering the received radiation and providing a source of fluorescence in a second direction along the radiation path, opposite the first direction, through the object at the selected location; and detection means, disposed in the radiation path between the selected inspecting location and the relative source, operative to receive first backscattered and fluorescent radiation traveling in the second direction from the illuminator through the object at the inspecting location, and operative to receive second backscattered and fluorescent radiation interacting with the object at the inspecting location, the detection means generating signals responsive to the received first and second backscattered and fluorescent radiation, and including a data processing means responsive to the scanning-area determining means for processing the response signals corresponding to the first and second backscattered and fluorescent radiation to obtain a radiographic representation of the distribution of the bonding material between the successive section of the object.

Claim 18

A method for radiographically inspecting an object disposed at a selected inspecting location along a radiation path, comprising the steps of: transmitting a radiation beam along a radiation path in a first direction toward the selected inspecting location; sequentially selecting area portions of the beam of radiation and transmitting the selected area portions to preselected area portions of the inspecting location; determining the area portions of the inspecting location to which the sequentially selected area portions of the beam of radiation are being transmitted; backscattering radiation passing along the radiation path in the first direction and through an object at the inspecting location, in a second direction along the radiation path, opposite the first direction, through the object at the selected location; detecting radiation traveling through an object at the inspecting location and backscattered in the second direction and detecting radiation interacting with the object and backscattered in the second direction; generating signals in response to the detected radiation; and processing the response signals for the sequentially selected area portions of the inspecting location to obtain a radiographic representation of the object at the inspecting location.

Claim 19

A method for radiographically inspecting an object disposed at a selected inspecting location along a radiation path, comprising the steps of: transmitting a radiation beam along a radiation path in a first direction toward the selected inspecting location; sequentially selecting area portions of the beam of radiation and transmitting the selected area portions to preselected area portions of the inspecting location; determining the area portions of the inspecting location to which the sequentially selected area portions of the beam of radiation are being transmitted; backscattering radiation passing along the radiation path in the first direction and through an object at the inspecting location, in a second direction along the radiation path, opposite the first direction, through the object at the selected location; detecting radiation traveling through an object at the inspecting location and backscattered in the second direction and detecting radiation interacting with the object and backscattered in the second direction; generating signals in response to the detected radiation; and processing the response signals for the sequentially selected area portions of the inspecting location to obtain a radiographic representation of the object at the inspecting location.

Claim 22

A method for radiographically inspecting an object disposed at a selected inspecting location along a radiation path, the object including a plurality of sucessive sections with bonding material distributed between the successive sections for bonding the successive sections of the object, the method comprising the steps of: transmitting a radiation beam along a radiation path in a first direction toward the selected inspecting location; sequentially selecting area portions of the beam of radiation and transmitting the selected area portions to preselected area portions of the inspecting location; determining the area portions of the inspecting location to which the sequentially selected area portions of the beam of radiation are being transmitted; backscattering radiation passing along the radiation path in the first direction and through an object at the inspecting location, in a second direction along the radiation path, opposite the first direction, through the object at the selected inspecting location; detecting first radiation traveling through an object at the inspecting location and backscattered in the second direction and detecting second radiation interacting with the object and backscattered in the second direction; generating signals in response to the detected first and second radiation; and processing the response signals for the sequentially selected area portions of the inspecting location to obtain a radiographic representation of the distribution of the bonding material between the successive sections of the object.

Claim 23

A method for radiographically inspecting an object disposed at a selected inspecting location along a radiation path, the object including a plurality of sucessive sections with bonding material distributed between the successive sections for bonding the successive sections of the object, the method comprising the steps of: transmitting a radiation beam along a radiation path in a first direction toward the selected inspecting location; sequentially selecting area portions of the beam of radiation and transmitting the selected area portions to preselected area portions of the inspecting location; determining the area portions of the inspecting location to which the sequentially selected area portions of the beam of radiation are being transmitted; backscattering radiation passing along the radiation path in the first direction and through an object at the inspecting location, in a second direction along the radiation path, opposite the first direction, through the object at the selected inspecting location; detecting first radiation traveling through an object at the inspecting location and backscattered in the second direction and detecting second radiation interacting with the object and backscattered in the second direction; generating signals in response to the detected first and second radiation; and processing the response signals for the sequentially selected area portions of the inspecting location to obtain a radiographic representation of the distribution of the bonding material between the successive sections of the object.