Patent ID: 7450686

Claim:
A contaminant detector ( 1 ) for detecting dense contaminants within a food product, the contaminant detector having an x-ray beam emitting vacuum tube ( 55 ) and a substantially horizontal conveyor belt ( 3 ) adapted to transport a food product through the x-ray beam characterized in that: the vacuum tube ( 55 ) has a longitudinal axis and emits a substantially planar x-ray beam ( 48 ) in an upward direction that is substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal axis ( 64 ) of the vacuum tube; the conveyor belt ( 3 ) is located above the x-ray generator; an array of photo diodes ( 28 ) is located above the conveyor belt, the array of photo diodes being adapted to intercept x-ray energy that has passed through the food product, wherein a first greatest distance ( 88 ) between the x-ray generator and the conveyor belt and a second greatest distance ( 89 ) between the conveyor belt and the array of photo diodes is approximately equal; a tank assembly ( 38 ), the tank assembly being adapted to enclose the vacuum tube ( 55 ), wherein the tank assembly comprises: a heat absorbing liquid; an impeller ( 51 ), the impeller being adapted to circulate the heat absorbing liquid within the tank assembly; a heat sink, the heat sink being mounted adjacent to the impeller and being isolated from the heat absorbing liquid; a fan ( 207 ), the fan being mounted adjacent to the heat sink and being isolated from the heat absorbing liquid such that heat is transferred from the vacuum tube to the heat absorbing liquid to the heat sink to atmospheric air being transported across the heat sink by the fan; a vortex cooler ( 198 ); a cabinet ( 9 ), the cabinet housing the tank assembly ( 55 ); and a vortex cooler adapter ( 199 ), the vortex cooler adapter being affixed to the cabinet, the vortex cooler adapter having a first end attached to the vortex cooler and a second end attached to a channel that directs relatively cool air entering the vortex cooler into an interior region of the cabinet, thereby maintaining a positive air pressure within the cabinet, wherein the array of photo diodes is mounted on a rigid arch ( 104 ) such that approximately two hundred seventy degrees of a perimeter of the food product residing within the substantially planar x-ray beam ( 48 ) resides between the x-ray generator ( 55 ) and at least one photo diode ( 91 , 92 , 93 , 94 ).