Abstract: A contraband detection and article reclaim system includes at least one article inspection system configured to derive inspection data from an article and compare the inspection data to target object data to detect contraband, and to assign matching information to each article in which contraband was detected that matches the article to its inspection data. The at least one article inspection system is connected to a server and the inspection data and the matching information are transferred to the server. An article tagging system is configured to generate a tag for each article in which contraband was detected. The tag includes the matching information about the article and at least one workstation coupled to said server and configured to permit entry of the matching information so that the inspection data of an article in which contraband was detected can be transferred to the workstation and to display the inspection data.

Abstract: A multiview X-ray based inspection system detects contraband such as explosives, weapons, drugs and money in packages such as baggage. Each bag moves through at least three stationary, fan-shaped beams of x-rays that are in parallel planes spaced from each other in the direction of bag travel, to produce three projection views of the bag taken from different angles. These projection views are processed to extract two-dimensional outlines of likely individual objects in the bag, and the two-dimensional outlines are matched between different projection views to extract three-dimensional outlines of likely objects in the bag. The system uses these three-dimensional outlines to estimate effective atomic numbers and mass densities of material in these objects, and then to determine the presence of likely contraband in the baggage by testing these estimates against windows in a multi-dimensional space in which one dimension is effective atomic number and another is mass density.

Abstract: An X-ray inspection device (10) for detecting a specific material of interest in items of various sizes and shapes (24A, 24B, 24C) includes an X-ray source system located at an inspection region and constructed to expose the examined item to at least one beam of X-ray radiation, and one or more X-ray detection systems (60, 80, 100). The X-ray inspection device also includes one or more dimension detectors (120) constructed to measure a selected dimension of the examined item, an interface system connected to receive X-ray data and dimension data, and a computer programmed to utilize the data for recognition of the specific material of interest and to indicate its presence in the examined item. Each detection system includes one or more arrays of X-ray detectors arranged in a linear, circular or semi-spherical geometry.

Abstract: The present invention provides an inspection system having a scanner system coupled to an operator console. The scanner system is preferably an x-ray based system that has an x-ray source to emit, for example, dual energy x-rays, a detector or an array of detectors that detect the emitted x-rays, and a conveyor system. The conveyor system has a conveyor belt that moves the article to be inspected through the emitted x-rays. The operator console includes a display device, an operator input device and a controller. The operator console is configured to provide information and control capabilities to an operator all within the same viewing field or arc. The operator console is configured to permit customization by individual operators and/or customization for a specific location where the inspection system is deployed (e.g., an airport or office building) without changing components.

Abstract: The present invention provides an inspection system having a scanner system coupled to an operator console. The scanner system is preferably an x-ray based system that has an x-ray source to emit, for example, dual energy x-rays, a detector or an array of detectors that detect the emitted x-rays, and a conveyor system. The conveyor system has a conveyor belt that moves the article to be inspected through the emitted x-rays. The operator console includes a display device, an operator input device and a controller. The operator console is configured to provide information and control capabilities to an operator all within the same viewing field or arc. The operator console is configured to permit customization by individual operators and/or customization for a specific location where the inspection system is deployed (e.g., an airport or office building) without changing components.

Abstract: An inspection system for detecting a specific material of interest in items of baggage or packages includes a multi-view X-ray inspection probe and one or more material sensitive probes. The multi-view X-ray inspection probe employs X-ray radiation transmitted through or scattered from an examined item to identify a suspicious region inside the item. An interface is used to receive from said X-ray inspection probe X-ray data providing spatial information about the suspicious region and to provide this information to a selected material sensitive probe. The material sensitive probe then acquires material specific information about the previously-identified suspicious region and provides it to a computer. The computer uses a high level detection algorithm to identify presence of the specific material in the suspicious region. The material sensitive probe may be a directional probe such as a coherent scatter probe, or a non-directional probe such as a Compton scatter probe or an NQR probe.

Abstract: An X-ray inspection device for detecting a specific material of interest (typically contraband, for example, weapons, drugs, money, explosives) in items of various sizes and shapes includes an X-ray source system located at an inspection region and constructed to expose the examined item to at least one beam of X-ray radiation, one or more x-ray detection systems located at the inspection region and constructed to detect x-ray radiation modified by the examined item. The X-ray inspection device also includes one or more dimension detectors constructed to measure a selected dimension of the examined item, an interface system connected to receive X-ray data and dimension data, and a computer programmed to utilize the data for recognition of the specific material of interest and to indicate its presence in the examined item. The X-ray detection systems detect transmitted and/or scattered X-ray radiation utilizing several different geometries.

Abstract: A device and method is provided for finding a specific material superimposed on an unknown background when the locations of the specific material and the background are unknown, for example, inside an item of baggage. The invention comprises exposing an area of an item to be inspected to x-rays of two substanitally different energies, making effective use of the characteristic material specific differences in photoelectric effect scattering and Compton scattering, and comparing the pairwise differential attenuation of the x-rays at nearby exposed subareas to determine whether differences in attenuation can be attributed to the presence of different amounts of the specific material overlying the respective subareas. The most probable subareas are indicated on a standard image on a monitor as being the most likely location of the overlying specific material.

Abstract: A device and method is provided for finding a specific material superimposed on an unknown background when the locations of the specific material and the background are unknown, for example, inside an item of baggage. The invention comprises exposing an area of an item to be inspected to x-rays of two substanitally different energies, making effective use of the characteristic material specific differences in photoelectric effect scattering and Compton scattering, and comparing the pairwise differential attenuation of the x-rays at nearby exposed subareas to determine whether differences in attenuation can be attributed to the presence of different amounts of the specific material overlying the respective subareas. The most probable subareas are indicated on a standard image on a monitor as being the most likely location of the overlying specific material.