Decision Sciences International Corporation

Los Alamos National Security, LLC

National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC

National Security Technologies LLC

Michael James Sossong

Gary Blanpied

Christopher L Morris

Larry Joe Schultz

Konstantin N Borozdin

Shawn McKenney

Matthew Steiger

J Andrew Green

Robert David Penny

Alexei V Klimenko

Weidong Luo

Robert Whalen

Sankaran Kumar

Priscilla Kurnadi

Nicolas Hengartner

Alexander Saunders

Andrew Mcleod Fraser

Kolo Wamba

James J Hayes

Nedra D Bonal

Andre Lehovich

Leiph A Preston

David Schwellenbach

Wendi Dreesen

Young Woo Lee

Joel Kindem

Chuanyong Bai

Mark F Makela

Sean Simon

Richard A Smith

Young Kyo Lee

Gary E Scoggins

James M Colthart

David C Vineyard

Jesse Andrew Green

David C Klugh

Thomas Taylor

Craig Morgan

Dustin Dorroh

William Priedhorsky

John Christopher Orum

Young K Lee

Gary E Hogan

Brian Gallagher

Mark Saltus

Jeffrey Glover

Vladimir Tumakov

Shawn Mckenney

Nicolas W Hengartner

A volume interrogation system can use an accelerated beam of charged particles to interrogate objects using charged-particle attenuation and scattering tomography to screen items such as portable electronic devices, packages, baggage, industrial products, or food products for the presence of materials of interest inside. The exemplary systems and methods in this patent document can be employed in checkpoint applications to scan items. Such checkpoint applications can include border crossings, mass transit terminals (subways, buses, railways, ferries, etc.), and government and private-sector facilities.

Charged particle scanners

A volume interrogation system can use an accelerated beam of charged particles to interrogate objects using charged-particle attenuation and scattering tomography to screen items such as electronic devices, packages, baggage, industrial products, or food products for the presence of materials of interest inside. The apparatus, systems, and methods in this patent document can be employed in checkpoint applications to scan items. Such checkpoint applications can include border crossings, mass transit terminals (subways, buses, railways, ferries, etc.), and government and private-sector facilities.

A muon detector system capable of determining muon direction and flight trajectory or path is disclosed. The muon detector system includes scintillators for determining muon direction, and an array of muon detectors arranged in orthogonal layers for determining flight trajectory. The system can be used for tomographic and telescopic mode imaging, and may be used for imaging concealed and/or subterranean objects.

Muon detectors, systems and methods

Methods, systems, and devices are disclosed for charged particle tomography imaging. In one aspect, a system includes a charged particle tomography scanner (CPTS) unit to detect individual charged particles of an emitted charged particle beam delivered to a subject by a charged particle delivery (CPD) system, and a processing unit to determine the angular trajectory change (scattering) and energy loss of the charged particle beam based on detected trajectory information and produce an anatomical image. The CPTS unit includes two detectors, one positioned between the subject and the CPD system, and the other detector positioned opposite to the first detector to detect the trajectory information of the individual charged particles of the charged particle beam having passed through the first detector and the subject, and a motion control unit to move the detectors, in which the detectors' size covers an area at least that of the beam's cross-section.

Charged particle tomography for anatomical imaging

In one aspect, a charged particle tomography and radiation therapy system includes a charged particle tomography scanner (CPTS) unit to detect at least some of the charged particles of an emitted charged particle beam delivered to a region of interest of a subject. A processing unit can determine energy loss of the charged particle beam based on the detected trajectory information. An incoming detector is positioned to detect trajectory information of the at least some of the charged particles entering the subject. An outgoing detector is positioned to detect trajectory information of the at least some of the charged particles passing through and exiting the subject. A motion control unit can control movement of the incoming and outgoing detectors. The incoming and outgoing detectors are sized to cover at least an area substantially equivalent to the beam's cross-section. The processing unit can map radiation dose of the region of interest.

Charged particle tomography scanner for real-time volumetric radiation dose monitoring and control

Methods and systems are disclosed for the deployment and operation of shipping container scanning systems that enables scanning of containers passing through a modern, highly automated port without impeding the flow of commerce. Locating the scanners where container dwell time is already longest, and configuring scanners to scan up to several containers in parallel but under separate scanning control, minimizes any delay associated with scanning. Operationally integrating scanning systems with the automated logistical port systems ensures smooth, delay-free operation. Controlling the flow of information so that scanning results, including but not limited to images and assessments of the presence or absence of threat material or contraband, are sent only to government Customs and/or security facilities adjacent to but separate from the port insulates port operators from involvement in activities that could slow container throughput.

Integration of inspection scanners to cargo container processing system for efficient processing and scanning of cargo containers at a port

Techniques and systems for two scanners to inspect objects based on an initial scanning of all objects and an additional scanning of objects that are determined by the initial scanning to potentially include one or more suspect regions. In one implementation, a system can include a primary scanner for performing the initial or primary scanning and a smaller secondary scanner for the additional or secondary scanning to provide efficient and accurate inspection of objects while maintaining a desired throughput of the inspection. In another implementation, a single scanner can be used to perform both the initial scanning and the additional scanning while maintaining a sufficient throughput of a line of objects under inspection.

Inspection of objects based on primary and secondary scanning

Techniques, systems and apparatus are described for operating a multimode passive detection system (MMPDS). System control settings including operating parameters for the multimode passive detection system are stored. Detector signals are processed to reconstruct an image of a scanned volume and identify an object in the scanned volume based on the reconstructed image. The operating parameters and the detector signals at different processing stages are recorded. An operational health of the multimode passive detection system is monitored. Monitoring the operational health includes receiving information representing the operational health of various components of the multimode passive detection system, and determining an operational health status of one or more of the various components of the multimode passive detection system based on the received information representing the operational health of the multimode passive detection system.

Data processing structure to enable tomographic imaging with detector arrays using ambient particle flux

Techniques, systems and apparatus are described for operating a multimode passive detection system (MMPDS). A multimode passive detection system includes charged particle tracking detectors to measure cosmic ray-based charged particle trajectories in a volume of interest. The multimode passive detection system includes fission product detectors to detect cosmic ray-based charged particle induced fission in a fissile material present in the volume of interest.

Sensor fusion with muon detector arrays to augment tomographic imaging using ambient cosmic rays

Techniques, systems, and devices are disclosed for constructing a scattering and stopping relationship of cosmic-ray charged particles (including cosmic-ray electrons and/or cosmic-ray muons) over a range of low-atomic-mass materials, and to detect and identify content of a volume of interest (VOI) exposed to cosmic-ray charged particles based on the constructed scattering and stopping relationship. In one aspect, a process for constructing a scattering-stopping relationship for a range of low-density materials exposed to cosmic-ray charged particles is disclosed. This technique first determines a scattering parameter and a stopping parameter for each material within the range of low-density materials exposed to charged particles from cosmic ray. The technique then establishes a scattering-stopping relationship of cosmic ray charged particles for the range of low-density materials based on the determined pairs of scattering and stopping parameters associated with the range of low-density materials.

Discrimination of low-atomic weight materials using scattering and stopping of cosmic-ray electrons and muons

Methods, systems, and devices are disclosed for inspecting materials in a vehicle or object. In one aspect, a system for muon tomography detection includes a first and second housing structure each including a first array and second array of muon detection sensors, respectively, the first housing structure positioned opposite the second at a fixed height to form a detection region to contain a target object, in which the muon detection sensors measure positions and directions of muons passing through the first array to the detection region and passing from the detection region through the second array; support structures to position the first housing structure at the fixed height; and a processing unit to receive data from the muon detection sensors and analyze scattering behaviors of the muons in materials of the target object to obtain a tomographic profile or spatial distribution of scattering centers within the detection region.

Muon detector array stations

An active radiation source portal monitoring system includes a particle accelerator to generate accelerated protons as a source of charged particles; a charged particles control unit to control the charged particles to enter into a volume to be scanned in a desired direction to interact with an object; a particle tracking unit to detect the charged particles exiting the volume after interacting with the object and generate signals indicative of information on the charged particles exiting the volume; and a signal processing unit communicatively coupled to the particle tracking unit. The signal processing unit can receive the generated signals and analyze scattering of the charged particles in one or more materials included in the object based on the received signals indicative of the information on the charged particles exiting the volume to obtain a tomographic profile or a spatial distribution of scattering centers within the object.

Active charged particle tomography

A charged particle detector array includes one or more pairs of super modules, one super module in a pair of super modules is positioned above a volume of interest (VOI), and the other super module in the pair of super modules is positioned below the VOI. This calibration technique first calibrates individual super modules in the one or more pairs of super modules while treating each super module being calibrated as a rigid body. Each super module in the one or more pairs of super modules further includes multiple vertically-stacked modules, and each module in the multiple vertically-stacked modules is composed of multiple layers of drift tubes. The calibration technique then calibrates individual modules in each of the super modules while treating each module being calibrated as a rigid body. Next, the calibration technique calibrates individual drift tubes in each layer of the modules.

Calibrating modular charged particle detector arrays

Growing community of inventors

Ramona, CA, United States of America

Michael James Sossong