CN201203586Y - A device for checking prohibited items in an air cargo container - Google Patents

Abstract

The utility model discloses a device for inspecting contraband articles in an air freight container, which comprises: a turntable for carrying an object to be inspected and driving the object to be inspected to rotate; an object conveying system; a scanning system, which includes a radiation source and a detection The radiation source and the detector can move synchronously along the vertical direction; the turntable driving/control system drives and controls the rotation of the turntable so that the turntable can rotate continuously around its rotation axis or rotate to any predetermined angular position; a scanning drive/control system that drives and controls the synchronous movement of the radiation source and the detector along the vertical direction so that the radiation source and the detector can move continuously or move vertically to any predetermined vertical position. The device can scan and image the inspected object in various scanning modes, so as to meet different needs. The device of the utility model is a multifunctional comprehensive inspection system.

Description

A device for checking prohibited items in an air cargo container

technical field

The utility model relates to the field of cargo safety inspection, in particular to a device for inspecting contraband articles in air cargo.

Background technique

At present, in the field of air cargo (such as air container) inspection, manual inspection and X-ray machine (only through small air container) transmission are still the main inspection methods. There are also devices that use CT (computed tomography) technology for cargo inspection, such as products from Smith (which uses X-ray machines) and Hualixing (which uses radioactive sources). Due to the low penetrating ability of X-ray machines and the strict control on the use and management of radioactive sources, there are many limitations in the use of these two types of products. In particular, these devices all use horizontal pass scanning for CT imaging inspection, that is, the inspected article passes through horizontally, and the scanning system rotates around the passage path of the inspected article, which makes the goods passing rate of these CT inspection systems low. Moreover, this CT inspection system is strictly limited by structural size and penetrating ability, so it cannot inspect air containers of larger specifications. For example, existing devices cannot check the air containers whose length and width are more than 2 meters. Moreover, the above-mentioned horizontal pass-through scanning method needs to occupy an equal footprint on the left and right sides of the cargo channel, so such a device occupies a large space.

In addition, a variety of radiation imaging methods have been proposed in the prior art, such as perspective imaging, multi-view imaging, and CT imaging, etc. These different imaging methods usually correspond to different scanning methods of the cargo by the scanning system. The above-mentioned existing inspection devices can usually only implement one of the scanning modes, thus limiting the selection of imaging modes. However, in the cargo inspection process, it is sometimes necessary to scan and image the same cargo in different ways, and the existing inspection devices cannot meet this requirement.

Utility model content

The purpose of the present invention is to solve at least one of the above-mentioned drawbacks of the prior art.

In order to achieve the above purpose, the utility model provides a device for checking prohibited items in air freight containers, including:

The turntable, which is at the object detection position, is used to carry the object to be inspected and drive the object to be inspected to rotate;

An object conveying system, used to convey the inspected object to the turntable along the horizontal direction and convey the inspected object away from the turntable after the inspection is completed;

A scanning system, which is arranged around the turntable and is used to scan the object to be inspected and obtain imaging data, the scanning system includes a radiation source and a detector, and the radiation source and the detector can move synchronously along the vertical direction;

Turntable drive/control subsystem, the turntable drive/control subsystem drives and controls the rotation of the turntable, so that the turntable can rotate continuously around its axis of rotation or rotate to any predetermined angular position;

A scanning drive/control subsystem, which drives and controls the synchronous movement of the radiation source and the detector in the vertical direction, so that the radiation source and the detector can move continuously in the vertical direction or move to Arbitrary predetermined vertical position;

The main control computer provides a human-computer interaction interface, so as to control the work of the device according to the operator's instruction, and perform imaging and display according to the imaging data.

In the device of the present invention, the turntable can rotate continuously or to any predetermined angular position, and the scanning system (including radiation source and detector) can move continuously along the vertical direction or to any predetermined vertical position. Through the combination of different movement modes of the turntable and the scanning system, the device of the present invention can scan the inspected object in various scanning modes, and the operator can select one or more scanning modes to scan the inspected object according to the actual situation. Scan, and then cooperate with the corresponding algorithm to image the object in different ways to meet different needs. Therefore, the device of the present utility model is a multifunctional comprehensive inspection system.

Description of drawings

Figure 1 is a side view of the device of the present invention in one embodiment.

Figure 2 is a top view of the device in the embodiment shown in Figure 1 .

Fig. 3 is a left side view of the device in the embodiment shown in Fig. 1 .

Detailed ways

Referring to FIG. 1 to FIG. 3 , it shows an embodiment of the device for inspecting contraband in air cargo containers of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the device includes a turntable 11, which is at the object detection position, and is used to carry the object to be inspected (not shown, such as an air container) and can drive the object to be inspected to rotate. The device also includes an object conveying system (not shown) for conveying the inspected object onto the turntable in the horizontal direction and conveying the inspected object away from the turntable after the inspection is completed, which is well known to those skilled in the art. The object conveying system and the turntable together may be referred to as a conveying system. The turntable 11 is on the conveying path of the object conveying system. In one embodiment, the turntable 11 is a compound rotary transfer table. The applicant's Chinese patent application No. 200610169797.3 describes such a composite rotary transfer table, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. The compound rotary table can not only transport the inspected object through the scanning channel, but also support and drive the inspected object to rotate in the scanning channel. In this way, when the object to be inspected is to be rotated and scanned, the scanning system (described in detail below) is allowed not to rotate around the object to be inspected, but to be rotated by the object to be inspected.

The apparatus also includes a turntable drive/control subsystem (not shown) for the turntable, which drives and controls the rotation of the turntable so that the turntable can rotate about its axis of rotation continuously or to any predetermined angle Location. The turntable drive/control subsystem typically includes a motor and a servo controller for the motor.

The device also includes a scanning system, which is arranged around the turntable and is used to scan the inspected object and acquire imaging data. As shown in the figure, the scanning system includes a radiation source 6 and a detector 17 arranged on both sides of the turntable 11. The radiation source 6 and the detector 17 can move synchronously along the vertical direction to ensure that the horizontal ray surface emitted by the radiation source 6 16 is always on the same level as the plane where the detector 17 is located. The radiation source 6 emits controllable X-rays or gamma rays, and can be an electron linear accelerator, an isotope source or an X-ray machine. The detector 17 is responsible for converting the radiation passing through the object to be inspected into an electrical signal, and can be a solid detector or a gas detector; in terms of structure, one or more linear or arc arrays can be used, and high and low energy detectors can also be used. The scanning system can also include a data collector, which is responsible for converting the electrical signal of the detector into a digital signal and transmitting it to the main control computer through the bus or Ethernet. The detector 17 itself may have the data collector.

The scanning system also includes a radiation source installation structure for installing the radiation source 6 and a detector installation structure for installing the detector 17 , the radiation source installation structure and the detector installation structure are arranged on both sides of the turntable 11 . The radiation source mounting structure or the detector mounting structure includes one or more column assemblies. In one embodiment, the radiation source mounting structure and the detector mounting structure each include one or more column assemblies. In one embodiment, each column assembly has substantially the same structure. In FIGS. 1 to 3 , the radiation source installation structure preferably includes a single column assembly, while the detector installation structure preferably includes two column assemblies, thereby forming a scanning structure in the form of three columns. Such a three-column structure minimizes the footprint while ensuring the stable installation of the detector and the radiation source. In addition, in order to further reduce the occupied area, the detectors arranged on the two column assemblies are preferably planar detector arrays, and the occupied area of the planar detector array is smaller than that of the curved detector array.

In FIGS. 1 to 3 , the column assembly includes columns 8 , 1 or 10 arranged vertically. Wherein, for the radiation source installation structure, the column assembly includes the column 8; for the detector installation structure, the two column assemblies include the column 1 and the column 10 respectively. On each column, a lifting mechanism is provided along the extending direction of the column, the lifting mechanism is supported by the column, and the radiation source or detector is installed on the lifting mechanism. The lifting mechanism includes a roller screw 12 arranged along the column and a lifting platform 7, 2 or 9, wherein, in FIGS. Reference numerals 2 and 9 denote the lifting platforms in the two column assemblies in the detector installation structure respectively. The elevating platform 7, 2 or 9 is installed on the lead screw 12 and is threadedly connected thereto, and the radiation source 6 or detector 17 is fixedly installed on the elevating platform accordingly. In this way, when the lead screw 12 rotates, the lifting platform 7, 2 or 9 can move up and down along the lead screw by interacting with the thread of the lead screw. In one embodiment, the elevating platform can be threadedly connected to the lead screw through a nut, wherein the nut is threadedly connected to the lead screw, and the elevating platform is fixedly connected to the nut. In another embodiment, the lifting platform itself may include a threaded passage therethrough, and the threaded passage is threadedly connected with the lead screw. The lifting mechanism can also include at least one guide rail arranged along the column, and the lifting platform can slide along the guide rail so as to guide the lifting movement of the lifting platform. As shown in the figure, the lifting mechanism preferably includes two guide rails 13 arranged on both sides of the lead screw 12 . In one embodiment, the lifting platform is slidably connected to the guide rail through a slider, wherein the slider is slidably connected to the guide rail, and the lifting platform is fixedly connected to the slider. In another embodiment, the lift platform may include a channel therethrough through which the guide rail extends.

When the detector installation structure or the radiation source installation structure includes a plurality of column assemblies, in order to achieve structural stability between the column assemblies, the installation structure may further include a connecting beam connected between each pair of adjacent columns. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 , in the detector installation structure, a connecting beam 3 is connected between the columns 1 and 10 .

When the detector installation structure includes a plurality of column assemblies, the installation structure may also include beams connected between each pair of adjacent lifting platforms, wherein the detectors (preferably planar detector arrays) are fixedly mounted on the beams, and It is fixedly installed on the lifting platform via the beam. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 , in the detector installation structure, a beam 4 is connected between the lifting platforms 2 and 9 , and a detector 17 is connected to the beam 4 . Due to the rigidity of the mechanical structure, in order to reduce the manufacturing accuracy of the rigid structure, especially the requirements for installation accuracy, the beam 4 of the detector adopts a fixed hinge at one end and an elastic connection at the other end to connect the two ends of the beam 4 respectively. To the connection point of the detector lifting platform 2,9. This enables the detector beam 4 to operate normally and synchronously during the scanning operation.

The device of the present invention also includes a scanning drive/control subsystem, which drives and controls the synchronous movement of the radiation source and the detector along the vertical direction, so that the radiation source and the detector can move vertically Continuous movement or movement to any predetermined vertical position. The scanning drive/control subsystem includes: a servo drive motor 5 for driving the lead screw 12 in each column assembly; and a servo synchronous controller (not shown) for controlling the synchronous operation of each servo drive motor 5 . When the device of the present invention is a three-column structure, the servo synchronous controller is a three-axis servo synchronous controller.

The device of the present invention can also include a main control computer. For the control part in the turntable drive/control subsystem and the scan drive/control subsystem, it can be realized by a single control system during specific implementation. software to achieve. The active computer can also provide a human-computer interaction interface, so as to control the operation of the device according to the operator's instruction, and perform imaging and display according to the imaging data. For example, the operator can input some parameters to the turntable driving/control subsystem and scanning driving/control subsystem through the man-machine interface, such as the continuous rotation angle or predetermined angular position of the turntable, the continuous moving length of the radiation source and the detector Or predetermined vertical position, etc. In this way, the operator can control the device to scan the inspected object in different ways. Moreover, the main control computer can use the imaging data obtained by the scanning system to perform imaging according to a certain data processing algorithm.

As mentioned above, the device of the present invention can inspect the inspected object in various working modes. These patterns can include, for example:

(1) Perspective plane imaging mode, wherein the turntable drives the object under test to at least one predetermined angular position, and when the object under test is at each predetermined angular position, the radiation source and the detector scan synchronously along the vertical direction Once, the fluoroscopic image data at each predetermined angular position is obtained, and the device respectively forms a two-dimensional fluoroscopic image when the object under inspection is at each predetermined angular position according to the fluoroscopic image data at each predetermined angular position;

(2) Multi-view three-dimensional imaging mode, wherein the turntable drives the object to be inspected to a plurality of predetermined angular positions, and when the object to be inspected is at each predetermined angular position, the radiation source and the detector are aligned vertically Scan once synchronously to obtain perspective image data at each predetermined angle position, and the device reconstructs a three-dimensional image of the object under inspection according to the perspective image data at each predetermined angle position; wherein, the algorithm used in the multi-view three-dimensional imaging mode can be found in, for example, The applicant's Chinese patent application No. 200610076574.2, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

(3) CT planar (slice or tomography) imaging mode, wherein the radiation source and detector are positioned at at least one predetermined vertical position, and when the radiation source and detector are at each predetermined vertical position, The turntable drives the inspected object to rotate continuously to obtain CT projection data at each predetermined vertical position, and the device respectively reconstructs the inspected object at each predetermined vertical position according to the CT projection data at each predetermined vertical position 2D tomographic image of ;

(4) CT helical scanning imaging mode, wherein the radiation source and the detector move vertically from a first predetermined vertical position to a second predetermined vertical position, and at the same time, the turntable drives the object under inspection to rotate continuously, Thereby performing helical scanning on the object to be inspected to obtain CT helical scanning projection data of the object under inspection between the first predetermined vertical position and the second predetermined vertical position, and the device reconstructs according to the CT helical scanning projection data A three-dimensional tomographic (volume data) image of the inspected object between a first predetermined vertical position and a second predetermined vertical position.

The modes above are exemplary, not exhaustive. Note that the turntable can rotate continuously or to any predetermined angular position, while the scanning system (including radiation source and detector) can move continuously in the vertical direction or to any predetermined vertical position. Those skilled in the art can obtain various possible working modes of the device of the present invention by studying different combinations of the motion modes of the turntable and the scanning system in the device of the present invention. The operator can select one or more modes from various possible working modes to inspect the inspected object.

The device of the utility model can quickly detect large and medium-sized goods such as standard-sized air containers, and provide radiation images reflecting the shape and density distribution of the goods contained in the air boxes, such as perspective plane images, CT slice plane images, and three-dimensional volumes. Data image (using multi-view imaging method or helical CT method). By analyzing the characteristic information of the inspected object provided by the device, inspectors can finally quickly judge whether the goods conform to the declaration and whether there are contraband, so as to realize accurate and effective security inspection.

An exemplary working process of the utility model device is described below:

Step (1): Transfer the inspected object to the turntable 11 .

In steps (2)-(4), the device of the present invention is used to inspect the object to be inspected in the perspective plane imaging mode.

Step (2): The turntable 11 is stationary, and the radiation source 6 and the detector 17 scan vertically synchronously to obtain the perspective image data of the object under inspection at the current angular position.

Step (3): The turntable 11 is rotated by 90 degrees, and the step (2) is repeated once to obtain another perspective image data.

Step (4): Display the perspective images in steps (2) and (3) on the computer screen, and analyze them by the operator through these two perspective images. If a suspicious area is found, go to step (8).

In steps (5)-(7), the device of the present invention is used to inspect the inspected object in a multi-view three-dimensional imaging mode.

Step (5): The turntable 11 is rotated by a small angle, such as an angle between 10 degrees and 30 degrees, and step (2) is repeated once.

Step (6): Repeat step (5) ten times.

Step (7): Reconstruct the 3D image of the object through data processing through the 12 pieces of perspective image data obtained above, if a suspicious area is found, go to step (8), otherwise the object passes the detection.

In step (8), use the device of the present invention to scan the suspected area in CT plane (slice or slice) imaging mode or CT helical scanning imaging mode. Specifically, the radiation source 6 and the detector 17 are positioned at the height of the suspect area, and the turntable 11 drives the object to rotate continuously. For the CT planar (slice or tomography) imaging mode, the radiation source 6 and the detector 17 remain stationary, acquire CT projection data at the current position, and reconstruct a two-dimensional tomographic image through data processing. For the CT helical scan imaging mode, the radiation source 6 and the detector 17 scan in the vertical direction within the scope of the suspect area, thereby obtaining the CT projection data of the suspect area, and reconstructing a three-dimensional image through data processing. Image of fault volume data.

Step (9): The operator gives a final judgment through the tomographic image.

Claims (18)

1. A device for checking prohibited items in an air cargo container, characterized in that it comprises: The turntable, which is at the object detection position, is used to carry the object to be inspected and can drive the object to be inspected to rotate; An object conveying system, used to convey the inspected object to the turntable along the horizontal direction and convey the inspected object away from the turntable after the inspection is completed; A scanning system, which is arranged around the turntable and is used to scan the object to be inspected and obtain imaging data, the scanning system includes a radiation source and a detector, and the radiation source and the detector can move synchronously along the vertical direction; Turntable drive/control subsystem, the turntable drive/control subsystem drives and controls the rotation of the turntable, so that the turntable can rotate continuously around its axis of rotation or rotate to any predetermined angular position; A scanning drive/control subsystem, which drives and controls the synchronous movement of the radiation source and the detector in the vertical direction, so that the radiation source and the detector can move continuously in the vertical direction or move to Arbitrary predetermined vertical position. 2. The device for inspecting prohibited items in air cargo containers according to claim 1, wherein the turntable is a compound rotary transfer workbench. 3. The device for inspecting contraband items in an air cargo container according to claim 1, wherein the scanning system also includes a radiation source installation structure for installing the radiation source and a radiation source installation structure for installing the detector. Detector installation structure. 4. The device for inspecting prohibited items in an air freight container according to claim 3, wherein the radiation source installation structure or the detector installation structure includes at least one column assembly; or The radiation source installation structure and the detector installation structure respectively include at least one column assembly. 5. The device for inspecting prohibited items in an air cargo container according to claim 4, wherein each column assembly includes: Columns arranged in the vertical direction; A lifting mechanism arranged along the column, the lifting mechanism is supported by the column, and the radiation source or detector is installed on the lifting mechanism. 6. The device for inspecting prohibited items in an air cargo container according to claim 5, wherein said lifting mechanism comprises: Lead screw arranged along the column; A lifting platform, the lifting platform is installed on the lead screw and is threadedly connected with the leading screw, and the radiation source or detector is fixedly installed on the lifting platform; Wherein, when the lead screw rotates, the lifting platform can move up and down along the lead screw by interacting with the threads of the lead screw. 7. The device for checking prohibited items in an air freight container according to claim 6, wherein the lifting platform is threadedly connected to the lead screw through a nut, and the nut is threaded to the lead screw, The lifting platform is fixedly connected to the nut; or The lifting platform includes a threaded passage running through it, and the threaded passage is threadedly connected with the lead screw. 8. The device for inspecting prohibited items in an air freight container according to claim 6, wherein the lifting mechanism further comprises at least one guide rail arranged along the column, and the lifting platform can slide along the guide rail, so that The lifting movement of the lifting platform is guided. 9. The device for inspecting prohibited items in an air freight container according to claim 8, wherein the lifting platform is slidably connected with the guide rail through a slider, and the slider is slidably connected with the guide rail, and the The lifting platform is fixedly connected to the slider; or The lift platform includes a channel therethrough for receiving the guide rail. 10. The device for inspecting contraband in an air cargo container according to claim 4, wherein the radiation source mounting structure comprises a single column assembly. 11. The device for inspecting prohibited items in air freight containers according to claim 4 or 10, wherein the detector installation structure comprises a plurality of column assemblies. 12. The device for inspecting prohibited items in an air freight container according to claim 11, wherein the detector installation structure further comprises a plurality of columns connected to each pair of adjacent columns in the plurality of column assemblies. connecting beams between. 13. The device for inspecting contraband items in an air cargo container according to claim 11, wherein the detector installation structure further comprises a pair of adjacent lifting platforms connected to the plurality of column assemblies. The crossbeam between the lifting platforms, the detector is fixedly installed on the crossbeam, and fixedly installed on the lifting platform via the crossbeam. 14. The device for inspecting prohibited articles in air freight containers according to claim 13, wherein one end of the beam is fixedly hinged on one of the adjacent lifting platforms, and the other end is elastically connected to the other said lifting platform. on the other of the adjacent lifting platforms. 15. The device for inspecting prohibited articles in air cargo containers according to claim 11, wherein the detector installation structure comprises two column assemblies. 16. The device for checking prohibited items in an air freight container according to claim 6, wherein the scanning drive/control subsystem comprises: Servo drive motors are used to drive the lead screws in each column assembly; The servo synchronous controller is used to control the synchronous operation of each servo drive motor. 17. The device for inspecting contraband in air cargo containers according to claim 1, further comprising a main control computer, which provides a human-computer interaction interface, so as to control the work of the device according to the operator's instruction, and according to the imaging Data is imaged and displayed. 18. The device for inspecting prohibited items in air freight containers according to claim 1, wherein the detector is a planar detector array.

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