Concentric Dual Drum Raster Scanning Beam System and Method

[0019] In accordance with preferred embodiments of the present invention, and as described with reference to FIG. 1, a cone of radiation, such as the x-ray cone produced by an x-ray source 14, may be collimated and scanned in two dimensions. Source 14 may be effective point source of radiation, including x-ray radiation. Cocentric cylindrical sleeves made of a material suitable for x-ray collimation (such as tungsten) are preferably used, as now described.

[0020] A first scanning element, such as inner sleeve 10, has helical slot 11 while a second scanning element, such as outer sleeve 12, has a horizontal slot 13. The end of a standard x-ray tube is shown as well. The respective slots provide for transmission of x-rays emitted from aperture 14 of x-ray source 15, typically an x-ray tube. One application of this invention is in the context of a portable machine capable of single-sided x-ray imaging of areas behind walls and the ceiling of a room. Inner 10 and outer 12 sleeves are rotat