Patent ID: 7738631

Claim:
A specimen inspection system comprising: means for outputting photons along a transmission path; means for translating a specimen completely through the transmission path; a first set of photon detectors positioned at a first angle with respect to the transmission path; a second set of photon detectors positioned at a second angle with respect to the transmission path, wherein: the first and second sets of photon detectors are positioned to detect coherent and Compton scattered photons, respectively, scattered from the transmission path in response to interaction with the specimen passing therethrough, wherein the coherent and/or Compton scattered photons do not pass through a collimator prior to detecting the scattered photons by the first and/or second sets of photon detectors, respectively; and means for determining from the detected scattered photons that a first material is present in the specimen, wherein: the specimen comprises a plurality of material at least two of said plurality of materials, including the first material, block the passage of photons on the transmission path to approximately the same extent whereupon discrimination between said at least two materials based on photons exiting the specimen on the transmission path is prevented; and the detected scattered photons are scattered in response to interaction with the first material.