Area array detector, detection method and corresponding container / vehicle inspection system

Abstract

To solve problems of conventional technologies.SOLUTION: The present disclosure provides an area array detector, a detection method and a corresponding container / vehicle inspection system, and relates to the field of light beam scanning. The area array detector for the container / vehicle inspection system comprises: a plurality of detector assemblies arranged sparsely, where a first detector assembly is different from other second detector assemblies; and a backplane for supporting and mounting the plurality of detector assemblies, which enables the area array detector that supports a plurality of scanning modes.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] (Reference to Related Application) This disclosure claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202111422301.X, filed on November 26, 2021, the entire text of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] (Technical field) FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE The present disclosure relates to the field of ray scanning, and in particular to an area array detector for a container / vehicle inspection system, a container / vehicle inspection system using an area array detector, and a corresponding detection method. [Background technology]

[0003] Related technologies include detectors for DR (Digital Radiography) scanning and detectors for CT (Computed Tomography) scanning. Detectors for DR scanning are in fewer detector rows, and the detector rows are arranged contiguously. Detectors for CT scanning are smaller in overall size, and the detector rows use the same scintillator. Each type of detector supports one scanning mode. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, an area array detector for a container / vehicle inspection system is provided, the container / vehicle inspection system supports multiple sparsely arranged detector assemblies through a backplane, a first detector assembly is different from another second detector assembly, the detection data of the first detector assembly or the detection data of all the detector assemblies can be output according to the need of the scanning mode for imaging in a corresponding scanning mode, thereby enabling the area array detector to support multiple scanning modes.

[0005] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, an area array detector for a container / vehicle inspection system is provided, the area array detector including a plurality of sparsely spaced detector assemblies, where a first detector assembly is different from another second detector assembly, and a backplane for supporting and mounting the plurality of detector assemblies.

[0006] In some embodiments, the first detector assembly and the second detector assembly have different scintillator arrays.

[0007] In some embodiments, the scintillator arrays of the first detector assembly and the second detector assembly differ in at least one of pixel size or material.

[0008] In some embodiments, a preset number of adjacently arranged detector assemblies are arranged inside one detector housing to form one independent detector unit having an all-sealed structure, and the detector unit is sealed and mounted together with a backplane.

[0009] In some embodiments, the preset number includes two.

[0010] In some embodiments, the area array detector further includes a filler assembly, and the filler assembly and the detector assembly disposed adjacent to the filler assembly are all disposed inside one detector housing to form one independent detector unit having a sealed structure, and the detector unit is sealed and attached together with the backplane.

[0011] In some embodiments, the backplane is a planar backplane or a curved backplane.

[0012] In some embodiments, in the case of a curved backplane, the multiple detector assemblies are positioned on a curved surface of the curved backplane such that the detection sensitive surfaces of the multiple detector assemblies are curved and aligned with a light source positioned in a central area of ​​the curved surface.

[0013] In some embodiments, a first pixel size of the scintillator array of the first detector assembly is less than a second pixel size of the scintillator array of the second detector assembly.

[0014] In some embodiments, multiple area array detectors are spliced ​​together into a larger area array detector.

[0015] In some embodiments, the area array detector further includes a data acquisition circuit board configured to acquire detection data of the multiple detector assemblies and output, according to different scanning modes, the detection data of the first detector assembly or the detection data of all the detector assemblies for imaging in the corresponding scanning mode.

[0016] In some embodiments, the data acquisition circuit board is configured to output detection data of the first detector assembly for DR imaging in a digital radiography DR scanning mode, and to output detection data of all detector assemblies for CT imaging in a computed tomography CT scanning mode.

[0017] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, a container / vehicle inspection system is provided that includes an area array detector.

[0018] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, a detection method is provided, which includes acquiring detection data of a plurality of sparsely arranged detector assemblies, where a first detector assembly in the plurality of detector assemblies is different from another second detector assembly, and outputting the detection data of the first detector assembly or the detection data of all the detector assemblies for imaging in a corresponding imaging mode according to different scanning modes.

[0019] In some embodiments, in the DR scanning mode, the detection data of the first detector assembly is output for DR imaging, and in the CT scanning mode, the detection data of all the detector assemblies is output for CT imaging.

[0020] In some embodiments, the DR scanning mode is performed first, and then switched to the CT scanning mode when a suspicious object that is difficult to identify is found.

[0021] The accompanying drawings which may be used in describing the embodiments or related art are briefly described below. The present disclosure will be more clearly understood according to the following detailed description which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0022] It is apparent that the drawings in the following description are merely some embodiments of the present disclosure, and that other drawings may be derived from these drawings by ordinary skills of those skilled in the art without creative efforts. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0023] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 shows a front view of an area array detector according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0024] [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 shows a side view of an area array detector according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0025] [Diagram 3]1 shows a schematic diagram of an area array detector having a detector assembly that differs from other detector assemblies according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0026] [Figure 4] 1 shows a schematic diagram of a detector unit according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Diagram 5] 1 shows a schematic diagram of a detector unit according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0027] [Figure 6] 1 shows a schematic diagram of a detector unit mounted with a backplane according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0028] [Figure 7] 1 shows a schematic diagram of multiple detector assemblies arranged on a curved backplane according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0029] [Figure 8] 1 shows a schematic diagram of multiple area array detectors spliced, combined, and arranged in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0030] [Figure 9] 1 shows a schematic diagram of a detection method according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0031] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure are clearly and completely described below with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0032] Unless otherwise specified, the descriptions "first," "second," etc. in this disclosure are used to distinguish between different objects and are not used to denote any sense such as size or timing.

[0033] FIG. 1 shows a front view of an area array detector according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0034] FIG. 2 shows a side view of an area array detector according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0035] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the area array detector of this embodiment includes, for example, a data acquisition circuit board 1, a backplane 2, a plurality of sparsely arranged detector assemblies 3, etc. The backplane 2 is used to support and mount the plurality of detector assemblies 3 and the data acquisition circuit board 1. The number of detector assemblies and the space between different detector assemblies can be configured and adjusted according to actual business needs.

[0036] In the sparsely arranged multiple detector assemblies 3, the first detector assembly 32 is different from the other second detector assemblies 31, for example, they have different scintillator arrays. The scintillator arrays of the first detector assembly 32 and each second detector assembly 31 are different in at least one of pixel size or material. For example, the first detector assembly 32 includes a scintillator array at a first pixel size and a matching optoelectronic device, and the second detector assembly 31 includes a scintillator array at a second pixel size and a matching optoelectronic device, and the first pixel size is less than the second pixel size, for example, the first pixel size is 1 / 4 of the second pixel size, so that higher resolution imaging is achieved by using the detector assembly at the smaller pixel size. The scintillator array of the first detector assembly 32 is, for example, a GAGG (Gadolinium Aluminum Gallium Garnet) scintillator array. The scintillator array of the second detector assembly 31 is, for example, a cesium iodide scintillator array. Referring to Figure 3, a schematic diagram is shown in which the first detector assembly 32 is arranged in a first row, but it is understood that the location of the first detector assembly 32 is not limited in this disclosure.

[0037] As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6 , a preset number (e.g., two) of adjacently arranged detector assemblies 3 are placed inside one detector housing 4 and sealed through uniformly distributed sealing mounting holes 6 to form one independent detector unit 5 with an all-sealed structure. The detector unit 5 is seal mounted with the backplane 2 through screw holes 7 with a sealed structure by using screws 8.

[0038] This sealed structure isolates the scintillator array, photodiodes and related electronic devices in the detector unit 5 from water, air, smoke, fog, etc. in the usage environment, which can improve the reliability of the area array detector, so that the area array detector can work reliably for a long time in places such as coastal ports, etc. The detector unit 5 has an independent sealed structure, can be added, reduced or replaced without affecting the function of the entire area array detector, and can be incorporated into different structures to apply to the needs of different business systems, so it is more flexible and economical in production and manufacturing.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 6, the area array detector further includes a filler assembly 9, and the filler can be a lighter material such as plastic. The filler assembly 9 and the detector assembly 3 disposed adjacent to the filler assembly are disposed inside one detector housing 4 to form one independent detector unit 5 having a fully sealed structure, and the detector unit 5 is also sealed and attached with the backplane 2. If two detector assemblies 3 are disposed adjacent to each other and the detector housing 4 forms one independent detector unit 5 having a fully sealed structure, when the number of detector assemblies 3 is odd, one filler assembly 9 can be provided, and the filler assembly 9 and the detector assembly 3 disposed adjacent to the filler assembly are disposed inside one detector housing 4 to form one independent detector unit 5 having a fully sealed structure.

[0040] In addition, the detector unit 5 may include a multi-channel current input analog-to-digital converter (ADC) for acquiring and digitizing detection signals from each detector assembly 3.

[0041] The backplane 2 shown in the above embodiment is all planar backplane, but the backplane 2 can also be curved backplane. As shown in Fig. 7, when the backplane 2 is a curved backplane, the multiple detector assemblies 31 and 32 are arranged on the curved surface of the curved backplane, and the detection sensitive surfaces of the multiple detector assemblies 31 and 32 are curved and aligned with a ray source located in the central area of ​​the curved surface. This allows the ray beam to be directly irradiated on the pixel center of each detection crystal, thereby reducing scattering crosstalk and improving imaging quality.

[0042] The data acquisition circuit board 1 is configured to acquire detection data of the multiple detector assemblies and output the detection data of the first detector assembly 32 or the detection data of all the detector assemblies 3 according to different scanning modes for imaging in the corresponding scanning modes.

[0043] For example, the data acquisition circuit board 1 is configured to output detection data of the first detector assembly 32 for DR imaging in a DR scanning mode, which can achieve high-speed, high-quality imaging and can be used for faster scanning, and to output detection data of all detector assemblies for CT imaging in a CT imaging mode, which can acquire more detection data in a shorter scanning time.

[0044] The scanning mode can be switched according to business needs. For example, DR scanning is performed first, and when there is a suspicious object in the image that is difficult to distinguish, the scanning is switched to CT mode to reconstruct the image and find a more detailed material structure. Therefore, the functions of two sets of instruments can be realized in one set of instruments, which can select the operating mode according to the characteristics of the detected object, and can simultaneously confirm and analyze the detected object from two dimensions and three dimensions to obtain more comprehensive material information from different dimensions, so that it has higher material identification ability.

[0045] If the scintillator arrays of the first detector assembly 32 and the second detector assembly 31 have different pixel sizes, the data acquisition circuit board 1 is further configured to process the detection data of the first detector assembly 32 and the second detector assembly 31 to the same pixel size by pixel division or pixel combination before outputting the detection data of all the detector assemblies.

[0046] For example, when the first pixel size of the scintillator array of the first detector assembly 32 is 1 / 4 of the second pixel size of the scintillator array of the second detector assembly 31, every four pixels corresponding to the detection data of the first detector assembly 32 are combined into one pixel for output so that the size matches each pixel corresponding to the detection data of the second detector assembly 31, thereby maintaining the integrity of the CT image data and making the imaging clearer due to the small pixel size when DR imaging outputs only pixels.

[0047] The data acquisition circuit board 1 can be implemented, for example, on the basis of a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) or other programmable devices.

[0048] In some embodiments, multiple area array detectors can also be used in combination, and multiple area array detectors are spliced ​​into a larger area array detector. As shown in Fig. 8, multiple area array detectors are seamlessly arranged horizontally to form a full-length area array. Thus, the detection is performed jointly to obtain more detection data in a shorter scan time with higher material discrimination ability.

[0049] The area array detector or combination thereof in the above embodiments can be used in large-scale products such as container / vehicle inspection systems, for example, CT / DR inspection equipment for X-ray / gamma-ray containers / vehicles. That is, the container / vehicle inspection system includes the area array detector or combination thereof in the above embodiments. In addition to the area array detector or combination thereof, the container / vehicle inspection system can further include an accelerator for generating X-rays or gamma rays with a specific dose and specific energy, and an image acquisition device for converting the electrical signal output from the area array detector into a digital image signal.

[0050] As shown in FIG. 9, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, a corresponding detection method is further provided, which includes: acquiring detection data of a plurality of sparsely arranged detector assemblies, where a first detector assembly in the plurality of detector assemblies is different from another second detector assembly (S91); and outputting the detection data of the first detector assembly or the detection data of all detector assemblies for imaging in the corresponding scanning mode according to different scanning modes (S92). For example, in the case of DR scanning mode, the detection data of the first detector assembly is output for DR imaging, and in the case of CT scanning mode, the detection data of all detector assemblies is output for CT imaging. In addition, as mentioned above, the scanning mode can be switched according to business needs. For example, DR scanning is performed first, and when there is a suspicious object that is difficult to distinguish in the image, it is switched to CT mode for scanning.

[0051] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure, and is not used to limit the present disclosure, and any modifications, equivalent replacements, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present disclosure should be included in the protection scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. 1. An area array detector for a container / vehicle inspection system, comprising: a plurality of sparsely spaced detector assemblies, each of which is different from a first detector assembly of the plurality of sparsely spaced detector assemblies; a backplane for supporting and mounting the plurality of detector assemblies; A predetermined number of adjacently arranged detector assemblies are arranged inside one detector housing to form one independent detector unit having a sealed structure, and the detector unit is sealed and attached together with the backplane. Area array detector.

2. 10. The area array detector of claim 1, wherein the first detector assembly and the second detector assembly have different scintillator arrays.

3. The area array detector of claim 2 , wherein the scintillator arrays of the first detector assembly and the second detector assembly differ in at least one of pixel size or material.

4. 2. The area array detector of claim 1, wherein the preset number is two.

5. 2. The area array detector of claim 1, further comprising a filler assembly, the filler assembly and a detector assembly disposed adjacent to the filler assembly being all disposed inside one detector housing to form one independent detector unit having a sealed structure, the detector unit being sealed and attached together with the backplane.

6. The area array detector according to claim 1 , wherein the backplane is a flat backplane or a curved backplane.

7. 7. The area array detector of claim 6, wherein in the case of the curved backplane, the multiple detector assemblies are arranged on a curved surface of the curved backplane, so that the detection sensitive surfaces of the multiple detector assemblies are curved and aligned with a light source arranged in a central area of ​​the curved surface.

8. 4. The area array detector of claim 3, wherein a first pixel size of the scintillator array of the first detector assembly is less than a second pixel size of the scintillator array of the second detector assembly.

9. 10. The area array detector of claim 1, wherein a plurality of area array detectors are spliced ​​together into a larger area array detector.

10. 2. The area array detector of claim 1, further comprising: a data acquisition circuit board configured to acquire detection data of the plurality of detector assemblies and output, according to different scanning modes, the detection data of the first detector assembly or the detection data of all the detector assemblies for imaging in a corresponding scanning mode.

11. the data acquisition circuit board is configured to output the detection data of the first detector assembly for digital radiography (DR) imaging in a digital radiography (DR) scan mode, and to output the detection data of all the detector assemblies for computed tomography (CT) imaging in a computed tomography (CT) scan mode; or 11. The area array detector of claim 10, wherein the data acquisition circuit board is configured to process the detection data of the first detector assembly and the second detector assembly to have the same pixel size by pixel division or pixel combination before outputting the detection data of all the detector assemblies.

12. A container / vehicle inspection system comprising an area array detector according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

13. acquiring detection data of a plurality of sparsely-spaced detector assemblies, a first detector assembly in the plurality of detector assemblies being different from a second detector assembly; outputting the detection data of the first detector assembly or the detection data of all the detector assemblies according to different scanning modes for imaging in corresponding imaging modes; A predetermined number of adjacently arranged detector assemblies are arranged inside one detector housing to form one independent detector unit having a sealed structure, and the detector unit is sealed and mounted with a backplane for supporting and mounting the plurality of detector assemblies. Detection methods.

14. The detection method according to claim 13, characterized in that in a DR scanning mode, the detection data of the first detector assembly is output for DR imaging, and in a CT scanning mode, the detection data of all the detector assemblies is output for CT imaging.

15. The detection method according to claim 14, characterized in that the DR scanning mode is performed first, and when a suspicious object that is difficult to identify is found, the CT scanning mode is switched to.

Images