Patent ID: 6840120
Filing Date: 2005-01-11
Classification: G01N,H01J

Abstract:
1. An explosive detection system comprising: an X-ray inspection apparatus; moving means for moving an object to be inspected to said X-ray inspection apparatus; a sample introduction probe for sampling a gas sample from said object to be inspected, wherein said sample introduction probe includes an inner pipe for conducting the sampled gas, an outer pipe installed outside of said inner pipe, a member having a sample introduction port installed at one end of said inner pipe for enabling entry of the sampled gas into said inner pipe, a pump for introducing the sampled gas from said sample introduction port to said inner pipe, a probe tip heater for heating said member at said one end of said inner pipe, a heater, which is independent of said probe tip heater, for heating said inner pipe, a filter installed inside said inner pipe, and a clean-out port being formed at said member for cleaning said filter, and wherein said inner pipe is a flexible pipe and said outer pipe is a bendable pipe; a pipe for introducing the sampled gas into a corona discharge region and for subjecting the sampled gas to negative corona discharge to ionize the sampled gas and to generate negative ions; and a mass spectrometer to analyze the mass of the negative ions of the sampled gas and to provide results thereof; wherein the explosive detection system inspects whether or not an explosive is present in said object to be inspected, from the analysis results of the sampled gas.