Patent Number: 
Section: claims

1. An inspection device for inspecting a voluminous object comprising:a high-energy source for generating a first set of pulsed beams of radiation, wherein the plurality of pulsed beams of radiation are transmitted substantially downward along an incident angle to a vertical axis extending through the voluminous object;means for discriminating against scattered radiation from the plurality of pulsed beams of radiation that are transmitted through the voluminous object;means for generating a radiographic image based on detected attenuation corresponding to the plurality of pulsed beams of radiation transmitted through the voluminous object; andmeans for determining that a high-z material exists in the voluminous object based a localized high attenuation in the radiographic image. 2. The inspection device of claim 1, wherein the high energy source produces the plurality of pulsed beams of radiation of maximum X-ray energy about 6-20 MeV having a mean energy X-ray energy about half the maximum. 3. The inspection device of claim 1, further comprising a means for collimating each of the plurality of pulsed beams of radiation into a fan beam of radiation prior to transmission through the voluminous object. 4. The inspection device of claim 3, wherein the fan beam of radiation is at least as wide as the width of the voluminous container. 5. The inspection device of claim 1, wherein the means for reducing scattering into the detecting means is placed between the voluminous container and the detecting means. 6. The inspection device of claim 1, wherein the incident angle is approximately 1° to 30° from the vertical axis. 7. The inspection device of claim 1, wherein the voluminous object is an intermodal container. 8. The inspection device of claim 1, further comprising a second set of pulsed beams of radiation generated from the high-energy source, wherein the second set of pulsed beams of radiation are transmitted substantially downward along a second incident angle to the vertical axis. 9. An inspection device for inspecting a voluminous object comprising:a high-energy source for producing a plurality of pulsed beams of radiation at an incident angle to a vertical axis extending through the voluminous object;one or more upper collimators for filtering the plurality of pulsed beams of radiation into a fan beam of radiation having a width approximate to the width of the voluminous object;one or more lower collimators for shielding scattered radiation from the fan beam of radiation that is scattered within the voluminous object; anda detector array for generating an attenuation signal based on radiation transmitted through the lower collimator, wherein the high-energy source is positioned above the voluminous object, the one or more upper collimators being positioned between the high-energy source and the voluminous object, the one or more lower collimators being positioned directly below the voluminous object and the detector array is positioned below the one or more lower collimators. 10. The inspection device of claim 9, wherein the one or more collimators have slots along the direction of the incident angle. 11. The inspection device of claim 9, wherein the lower collimator has slots along the direction of the incident angle. 12. The inspection device of claim 9, wherein the incident angle is approximately 1° to 30° from the vertical axis.