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The first large-area, high-X-ray energy phase contrast prototype for enhanced detection of threat objects in baggage screening

Astolfo, A; Endrizzi, M; Price, B; Haig, I; Olivo, A; (2016) The first large-area, high-X-ray energy phase contrast prototype for enhanced detection of threat objects in baggage screening. In: Burgess, D and Owen, G and Bouma, H and Carlysle-Davies, F and Stokes, RJ and Yitzhaky, Y, (eds.) Proceedings of SPIE 9995. Society of Photo Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE): Edinburgh, UK. Green open access

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Abstract

X-ray imaging is the most commonly used method in baggage screening. Conventional x-ray attenuation (usually in dual-energy mode) is exploited to discriminate threat and non-threat materials: this is essentially, a method that has seen little changes in decades. Our goal is to demonstrate that x-rays can be used in a different way to achieve improved detection of weapons and explosives. Our approach involves the use of x-ray phase contrast and it a) allows much higher sensitivity in the detection of object edges and b) can be made sensitive to the sample’s microstructure. We believe that these additional channels of information, alongside conventional attenuation which would still be available, have the potential to significantly increase both sensitivity and specificity in baggage scanning. We obtained preliminary data demonstrating the above enhanced detection, and we built a scanner (currently in commissioning) to scale the concept up and test it on real baggage. In particular, while previous X-ray phase contrast imaging systems were limited in terms of both field of view (FOV) and maximum x-ray energy, this scanner overcomes both those limitations and provides FOVs up to 20 to 50 cm2 with x-ray energies up to 100 keV.

Type: Proceedings paper
Title: The first large-area, high-X-ray energy phase contrast prototype for enhanced detection of threat objects in baggage screening
Event: Optics and Photonics for Counterterrorism, Crime Fighting, and Defence XII
Location: Endinburgh
Dates: 26 September 2016 - 27 September 2016
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.1117/12.2239556
Publisher version: http://dx.doi.org/10.1117/12.2239556
Language: English
Additional information: Copyright © 2016 Society of Photo Optical Instrumentation Engineers. One print or electronic copy may be made for personal use only. Systematic reproduction and distribution, duplication of any material in this paper for a fee or for commercial purposes, or modification of the content of the paper are prohibited.
Keywords: security, baggage screening, x-ray phase contrast, edge-illumination, dark-field imaging, multimodal imaging
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Engineering Science
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Engineering Science > Dept of Med Phys and Biomedical Eng
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/1524245
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