Gamma Ray Tomography for Continuous Diamond Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current tomographic radiography methods are inefficient in creating accurate representations of the internal structure of target objects, particularly in detecting diamonds in mining operations, as they often require batch processing and are limited by the use of lower energy radiation.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the acceleration of charged subatomic particles, such as electrons, to emit gamma rays from multiple sources, detecting their penetration, and combining projections to create a three-dimensional representation of the target object's internal structure, allowing for continuous processing and enhanced material differentiation using high-energy gamma rays.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If batch processing is used for tomographic radiography, then measurement precision is improved, but productivity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by accelerating charged particles and preparing gamma ray bursts in advance before the actual tomographic measurement begins. The particle accelerator prepositions high-energy particles ready for immediate emission, allowing the detection system to capture data during continuous object motion without batch processing interruptions.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention implements continuous useful action by maintaining constant particle acceleration and gamma ray emission during the entire scanning process. Multiple particle beams continuously emit gamma rays as the target object moves through the scanner, eliminating the start-stop batch processing cycles and enabling uninterrupted data acquisition for real-time internal structure mapping.
2Device complexity
If lower energy radiation is used, then device complexity is reduced, but measurement precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the energy parameter of the radiation by accelerating charged particles to high energies (producing gamma rays with energies exceeding 200 keV). This parameter change enables the radiation to penetrate deeper into materials and provides enhanced contrast between different material compositions, significantly improving the precision of internal structure representation and material identification.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces conventional mechanical radiation sources with a particle acceleration system that converts kinetic energy of charged particles into high-energy gamma rays. This substitution provides more controllable and higher energy radiation compared to traditional radioactive sources, improving measurement precision while allowing flexible adjustment of radiation characteristics through electrical control of the accelerator.
3Productivity
If continuous motion of target object is maintained, then productivity is improved, but measurement precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system embraces the dynamic nature of continuous object motion by designing a scanning system that synchronizes particle beam emission and detector positioning with the object's movement. The particle accelerator and detector array dynamically adjust their operation to match the object's velocity and trajectory, ensuring that projection data is accurately captured at each position along the motion path without requiring the object to stop or be held stationary.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces an intermediary coordinate transformation system that maps the dynamically captured projection data from moving object coordinates to stationary reconstruction coordinates. This intermediary processing step compensates for motion effects by mathematically correcting the projection data based on the object's known motion trajectory, thereby maintaining measurement precision even during continuous motion.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method enables the creation of accurate, three-dimensional representations of target objects, facilitating the detection of diamonds by providing maximum contrast between different materials and allowing for continuous processing without interrupting normal object motion, thereby improving detection efficiency and accuracy.
Implementation Method 1
accelerating a number of charged subatomic particles
Implementation Method 2
The electrons may be converted to gamma rays by interaction of the beam of high energy electrons with matter through bremsstrahlung off an appropriate material such as tungsten
Implementation Method 3
The radiation may be generated by coherent bremsstrahlung or inverse Compton scattering
Implementation Method 4
detecting, on a side opposing the emission sources, a projection of penetration of the electromagnetic radiation from each emission source
Implementation Method 5
Tomographic radiography refers to a technique used to calculate the internal structure of an object in higher dimensions based on information from multiple data sets of lower dimensionality
Data Source
AI summary
A method of creating a representation of the internal structure of a target object is provided. There is provided a method of creating a representation of the internal structure of a target object having the steps of accelerating a number of charged subatomic particles, guiding the particles to a plurality of emission sources on one side of a target object, emitting electromagnetic radiation from each specific emission source for a discrete period such that, during the discrete period, the specific emission source is associated with the discrete period, the electromagnetic radiation being generated by the conversion of the particles to electromagnetic radiation, detecting, on a side opposing the emission sources, a projection of penetration of the electromagnetic radiation from each emission source, and combining the projections from each source to create a representation of the internal structure of the target object.