Patent ID: 7368717

Claim:
A linear detector array system for use in a target inspection system for detecting a contents of the target, the linear detector array comprising: a plurality of vertical rows of staggered photon detectors, each of the plurality of vertical rows being vertically staggered from each other vertical row, such that a pitch between any two closest adjacent staggered photon detectors is smaller than a diameter of the staggered photon detectors; and a counter configured to count photons received by each photon detector, wherein at least some of the photons received by each photon detector passed through the contents of the target; a center vertical row of staggered detectors and one or more side vertical rows of staggered photon detectors; a processor comprising an image-generating program, the processor receiving photon counting data from each of the one or more side vertical rows and from the center vertical row; the image-generating program further including: adjustment means for determining an adjustment for a horizontal displacement k of the one or more side vertical rows from the center vertical row, wherein the adjustment is used to correlate the photon counting data from the side vertical rows with photon counting data from the center vertical row so as to form undistorted images for multiple planes within the target.