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:
Mar. 22, 2016
Filed:
Sep. 14, 2012
Lee Grodzins, Lexington, MA (US);
Jeffrey R. Schubert, Somerville, MA (US);
Omar Al-kofahi, Chelmsford, MA (US);
Peter J. Rothschild, Newton, MA (US);
Lee Grodzins, Lexington, MA (US);
Jeffrey R. Schubert, Somerville, MA (US);
Omar Al-Kofahi, Chelmsford, MA (US);
Peter J. Rothschild, Newton, MA (US);
American Science and Engineering, Inc., Billerica, MA (US);
Abstract
An adjustable collimator for shaping a beam of particles, such as for purposes of inspecting contents of a container. The adjustable collimator has an obscuring element substantially opaque to passage of the particles in a propagation direction that is radial with respect to the axis of rotation of a ring of apertures. A gap in the obscuring element may be characterized by a length taken along a long dimension and a jaw spacing taken along narrow dimension, and at least one of the length of the gap and the jaw spacing is subject to adjustment, either manual or automatic. The adjustable collimator may be disposed either inside or outside the ring of apertures, and, in some embodiments, the jaw spacing may be a function of distance along the long dimension relative to an edge of the gap.