Invention:
This invention presents novel multiplexed measurement designs that improve X-ray CT imaging system’s performance. An imaging fidelity metric is employed to optimize multiplex measurement design. This considers the next generation Rectangular-Fixed-Gantry (RFG) CT system architecture containing several X-ray sources and detector arrays deployed in a fixed geometry. Such an RFG CT system architecture affords us the opportunity to explore non-standard multiplex measurement designs employing simultaneous illumination from multiple sources. The goal of the multiplexed measurement design is to minimize the bag reconstruction error.
Background:
X-ray Computed Tomography (CT) based systems are widely used for security and industrial inspection applications like passenger baggage and cargo screening at the airports, shipping container screening at ports, and industrial parts inspection. Typically, such CT systems employ a mechanical rotating gantry, with a X-ray source and detector array(s), to collect a large number of angularly diverse projections scans of an object. However, such a mechanical scanning mechanism adds to the system cost and maintenance.
This invention with optimized multiplexed measurement designs can significantly outperform the sequential measurement design employed in a traditional RFG CT system.
Applications:
- Security and industrial inspection applications
- Passenger baggage
- Cargo screening
Advantages:
- Higher system throughput
- Less complex
- Less expensive
