Patent Number: 052241440
Section: claims

1. A method of creating image information corresponding to an object which is inspected with penetrating radiation comprising, scanning said object with a flying spot of penetrating radiant energy along arcuate lines,  detecting said radiant energy after interaction with said object, and as a result of said detecting, forming a detection signal,  producing pixels from said detection signal, wherein each pixel corresponds to an elementary frontal area of the object, and  feeding said pixels, or signals derived therefrom, to a utilization means in such manner that the pixels which correspond to a scan line of said object define an arcuate line in the utilization means.  means for scanning said object with a flying spot of penetrating radiant energy along arcuate lines,  radiant energy detecting means for receiving said radiant energy after interaction with said object and providing at least one detection signal,  means for producing pixels from at least one detection signal, wherein each pixel corresponds to an elementary frontal area of the object, and  means for feeding said pixels, or signals derived therefrom, to a utilization means.  a source of penetrating radiation,  an absorber plate having a fixed, arcuate slit therein,  a chopper wheel made in part of radiation absorbing material, the chopper wheel having at least one radially oriented slit therein,  the source of penetrating radiation, the absorber plate, and the chopper wheel being positioned with respect to each other so that radiation from the source passes through the fixed slit in the absorber plate and is incident upon the chopper wheel, and  means for rotating the chopper wheel.  scanning said object with a flying spot of penetrating radiant energy along curved scanning lines,  detecting said radiant energy after interaction with said object, and as a result of said detecting, forming a detection signal,  producing pixels from said detection signal, wherein each pixel corresponds to an elementary frontal area of the object, and  feeding said pixels, or signals derived therefrom, to a utilization means in such manner that the pixels which correspond to a scan line of said object define a curved line in said utilization means which has the same shape as said curved scanning lines. 2. The method of claim 1 wherein said utilization means comprises a memory. 3. The method of claim wherein said utilization means comprises a display device. 4. An apparatus for creating image information corresponding to an object which is inspected with penetrating radiant energy, comprising, 5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said means for feeding said pixels or signals derived therefrom to a utilization means comprises means for feeding said utilization means in such manner that the pixels which correspond to a scan line of said object define an arcuate line in said utilization means. 6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said radiant energy detecting means comprises a transmission detector having a shape which corresponds to said arcuate lines. 7. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said radiant energy detecting means comprises a detector of scattered radiation. 8. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said means for scanning said object with a flying spot of radiant energy comprises a source of penetrating radiation, an absorber plate having a fixed slit in the shape of an arc, and an absorbing chopper wheel having at least one radially oriented slit. 9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said means for scanning said object with a flying spot of radiant energy further comprises means for effecting relative translation movement between said and object and said fixed slit in said absorber plate. 10. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said utilization means comprises a storage means. 11. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said utilization means comprises a display means. 12. An apparatus for scanning a object with penetrating radiation, comprising, 13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the chopper wheel has an annular ring shaped portion of radiation absorbing material, and the radial slits are in such portion. 14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the radiation from the source which passes through the fixed slit in the absorber plate is projected substantially wholly upon the annular ring shaped absorbing portion of the chopper wheel. 15. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising means for effecting relative translation motion between said object and said fixed slit in said absorber plate. 16. A method of creating image information corresponding to an object which is inspected with penetrating radiation comprising,