Patent ID: 7606348

Claim:
A method for operating an inspection system, comprising steps of: (a) moving an item under inspection in a first direction relative to and at least partially between at least first and second radiation sources and at least some radiation detectors illuminated by the at least first and second radiation sources; (b) operating the at least first and second radiation sources and the at least some radiation detectors such that ray paths extending linearly between the at least first and second radiation sources and the at least some radiation detectors form acute angles with respect to a plane having a normal direction coinciding with the first direction that are substantially in excess of three degrees, the operating comprising illuminating at least some of the same radiation detectors of the at least some radiation detectors with each of first and second radiation sources; and (c) processing data accumulated by the at least some radiation detectors to form a three-dimensional tomographic data image of at least a portion of the item under inspection.