Patent ID: 7561666
Filing Date: 2009-07-14
Classification: G01T,G01V

Abstract:
1. A backscatter scan system for imaging a subject having a maximum width, said system comprising: (a) in order from back to front, an x-ray source, an x-ray blocking sheet with a slit, an x-ray blocking disk rotating about an axis perpendicular to said slit and having a plurality of radial slots that traverse said slit as said disk rotates, an x-ray detector, and an area for said subject; (b) the distance from said x-ray source to the plane of said subject maximum width being approximately one half said subject area maximum width; (c) said x-ray source emitting an x-ray cone beam to said sheet; (d) said slit emitting a 90° x-ray fan beam to said disk; (e) a slot of said plurality of radial slots emitting an x-ray pencil beam as said slot traverses said slit; (f) said pencil beam passing through said x-ray detector and impinging on said subject, said pencil beam having a flux magnitude at said plane; (g) said pencil beam traversing completely across said maximum width of said subject area; (h) said subject causing x-ray backscatter, a portion of said backscatter impinging on said detector to form a signal for each pencil beam; and (i) a processor that forms a line image from said signals from each of said pencil beams.