Patent ID: 7060981

Claim:
A system for detecting embedded objects in a plurality of specimens comprising: a transport system that uses a conveyer apparatus to provide continuous movement of the plurality of specimens relative to an imaging zone along a transport path; at least three detector systems arranged to operably image each specimen in the imaging zone, each detector system comprising an emitter and detector that are stationary with respect to the transport path with a primary axis defined between the emitter and the detector that crosses the transport path and along which an energy from the emitter is directed at and transmitted to a unique detector to produce a succession of images of at least a portion of the specimen as the specimen moves relative to the imaging zone, wherein the primary axis for each of the at least three detector systems intersect one another when projected along the transport path onto a common plane defined perpendicular to the transport path; and at least one computer system operably connected to the at least three detector systems that receive the succession of images from the detectors and combines the images to produce a plurality of image slices that are combined as a representation of each specimen for use in detecting embedded objects in the plurality of specimens, wherein each emitter is oriented at a different angle with respect to the transport path and each emitter is separated from adjacent emitters by an angular spacing.