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A system, method, apparatus, and means for controlling a portal imager includes operating a radiation therapy device to identify segment data defining a radiation therapy segment, identifying (from the segment data) portal position information, and positioning a portal imaging device based on the po

A system, method, apparatus, and means for controlling a portal imager includes operating a radiation therapy device to identify segment data defining a radiation therapy segment, identifying (from the segment data) portal position information, and positioning a portal imaging device based on the portal position information. The radiation therapy device may be further operated to identify field information identifying a radiation field to be delivered, position elements of the radiation therapy device to deliver the field, deliver the field, and capture a portal image on the portal imaging device.

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A system, method, apparatus, and means for controlling a portal imager includes operating a radiation therapy device to identify segment data defining a radiation therapy segment, identifying (from the segment data) portal position information, and positioning a portal imaging device based on the po

A system, method, apparatus, and means for controlling a portal imager includes operating a radiation therapy device to identify segment data defining a radiation therapy segment, identifying (from the segment data) portal position information, and positioning a portal imaging device based on the portal position information. The radiation therapy device may be further operated to identify field information identifying a radiation field to be delivered, position elements of the radiation therapy device to deliver the field, deliver the field, and capture a portal image on the portal imaging device. ; selecting each vector dot-product that exceeds a predetermined threshold value for the normalized reference spectrum corresponding to the vector dot-product; and determining which selected dot-product has an optimal value, wherein the reference spectrum for which the dot-product has the optimal value is the reference spectrum having the most similar spectral pattern. 4. The process of claim 3, wherein the optimal value is a highest value of the selected vector dot-products. 5. The process of claim 3, wherein the optimal value is a highest percentage greater than the predetermined threshold value for the normalized reference spectrum corresponding to the vector dot-product. 6. The process of claim 1, wherein a computer system receives a signal representing the fluoresced x-rays from the x-ray detector and performs the acts of determining, recognizing, and classifying. 7. The process of claim 1, wherein, by using a fast classification algorithm based on the recognition of the spectral pattern, by using the high intensity x-rays and by the making or lining of the one or more objects with the one or more materials to reduce the background noise caused by the high intensity x-rays, the acts of detecting, determining, recognizing and classifying are cumulatively performed in less than 500 ms. 8. The process of claim 1, wherein, by using a fast classification algorithm based on the recognition of the spectral pattern, by using the high intensity x-rays and by the making or lining of the one or more objects with the one or more materials to reduce the background noise caused by the high intensity x-rays, the acts of detecting, determining, recognizing and classifying are cumulatively performed in less than 100 ms. 9. The process of claim 1, wherein, by using a fast classification algorithm based on the recognition of the spectral pattern, by using the high intensity x-rays and by the making or lining of the one or more objects with the one or more materials to reduce the background noise caused by the high intensity x-rays, the acts of detecting, determining, recognizing and classifying, for each piece, are cumulatively performed in less than 50 ms. 10. The process of claim 1, wherein, by using a fast classification algorithm based on the recognition of the spectral pattern, by using the high intensity x-rays and by the making or lining of the one or more objects with the one or more materials to reduce the background noise caused by the high intensity x-rays, the acts of detecting, determining, recognizing and classifying, for each piece, are cumulatively performed in less than 15 ms. 11. The process of claim 1, further comprising an act of: flattening the piece of material prior to irradiation and detection. 12. The process of claim 1, wherein the x-ray source is an x-ray tube. 13. The process of claim 12, further comprising an act of: flattening the piece of material prior to irradiation and detection. 14. The process of claim 1, wherein a largest diameter of the piece in any dimension is less then 5/8 inch. 15. The process of claim 1, wherein the largest diameter of the piece in any dimension is approximately 1/4 inch. 16. The process of claim 1, further comprising acts of: conveying the piece of material on a conveyor and through the x-ray chamber where the irradiating x-rays irradiate the piece and the fluoresced x-rays are detected from the piece; and actuating an ejector corresponding to the classification of the piece such that the piece is ejected from the conveyor at a point downstream from the x-ray chamber. 17. The process of claim 1 further comprising an act of: filtering the irradiating x-rays to reduce a number of irradiating x-rays having an energy level too low to cause the piece to fluoresce x-rays having an energy level within the predefined range of the x-ray fluorescence spectrum. 18. The process of claim 1, further comprising an act of: aiming the irradiating x-rays at the piece o