The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 17, 1998
Filed:
Jun. 05, 1997
Robert A Armistead, Los Altos Hills, CA (US);
Advanced Research and Applications Corporation, Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Abstract
An inspection system for detecting contraband in cargo containers, vehicles, rail cars, etc. having an X-ray source and X-ray imaging capability. A cargo container or vehicle is scanned with the beam to look for possible target objects, such as contraband. If the X-ray image shows the existence of targets or possible targets at specific sites, each site may be probed with neutrons by placing a beam converter plate in front of the same X-ray beam used for X-ray imaging, converting the beam to a neutron beam. The neutrons are quickly thermalized and captured by materials producing nuclear reactions with specific elements, yielding gamma rays whose energy is characteristic of particular specific elements. For special nuclear materials, the neutron probe beam can induce the emission of fission neutrons which can be detected. Disclosed are embodiments where the cargo container is fixed and the X-ray equipment is mobile and where the cargo container is mobile and the X-ray equipment is fixed.