New X-Ray Technique Could Help Detect Explosives, Tumors

Update, previously mentioned. 

New X-Ray Technique Could Help Detect Explosives, Tumors

By Adrianna Nine on September 15, 2022 at 1:02 pm

A new X-ray technique that combines conventional equipment with a deep-learning algorithm might find its way into both security settings and the healthcare industry.

Researchers from the United Kingdom’s University College London (UCL) recognized that X-ray security systems, though good at detecting shapes, weren’t so great at recognizing textures. Identifying textural abnormalities could be the key to locating explosives and other harmful items—especially those hidden away within larger objects. So they set about devising a system that could be paired with existing equipment to detect concerning textures.

Physically, this consisted of “masks,” or sheets of metal with tiny holes punched through them. These served to separate X-ray beams into smaller beamlets, which scattered at incredibly tight angles (as small as a microradian, or about one 20,000th of a degree). This resulted in a more defined image: a flat, dark image became sharp and nearly three-dimensional. The researchers then created an algorithm that could analyze the scattering. These scatter patterns would be used to recognize the textures of different materials.  .... '