Patent ID: 6957913

Claim:
An x-ray technique-based nonintrusive inspection apparatus ( 8 ) which includes: a support frame ( 10 ); a CT scanner subsystem ( 38 ) rotatably mounted to the frame, the CT scanner subsystem having a gantry ( 148 ) defining at least one air passage ( 542 ), and a radiator ( 534 ) mounted to the gantry; a plenum ( 532 ) which is mounted to the frame so that the gantry rotates relative to the plenum, the plenum and the gantry jointly defining a confined volume; a housing ( 512 ) located over the CT scanner subsystem; an air conditioning unit ( 528 ); and a fan ( 538 ), wherein, when the fan is operated, air follows a recirculation path into the confined volume, from the confined volume into the air passage, from the air passage through the radiator which heats the air, from the radiator into the housing, from the housing to the air conditioning unit which cools the air, and back to the confined volume.