JPS63260536A - X-ray ct scanner - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] [Purpose of the invention] (Industrial application field) The present invention relates to an X-ray CT scanner.

(Prior Art) FIG. 3 is an external perspective view of an X-ray CT scanner. As shown in the figure, the X-ray CT scanner has a pedestal 1 having a shadow hole 6 and a bed 3 that allows a subject to enter and exit the gantry shadow hole 6.

The gantry 1 has a rotating system rotatably supported by a stationary system, and this rotating system includes a gantry movable part 7 and an X-ray tube 8 supported by the movable part 7, as shown in FIG. And this X-ray tube 8
It has a heat exchanger 9 that radiates heat from the insulating oil to cool the insulating oil. Insulating oil is circulated between the heat exchanger 9 and the X-ray tube 8 by oil hoses 13A and 13B.

The high voltage used to generate X-rays from the X-ray tube 8 is supplied to the high-voltage transformer 1.
1, this high-voltage transformer 11 is constructed as a separate unit from the pedestal 1, and is connected to the X-ray tube 8 by a high-voltage cable 11.

Incidentally, in recent years, the high-voltage transformer 11 has been miniaturized by increasing the frequency of the downstream circuit of the high-voltage transformer 11, and attempts have been made to mount the high-voltage transformer 11 on the movable part 7 of the pedestal 1.

(Problem to be solved by the invention) However, even if the high-voltage transformer 11 is made smaller by increasing the frequency of the negative side circuit, there is a problem of heat generation in the high-voltage transformer, so there is a limit to miniaturization. However, it is not necessarily easy to mount the high-voltage transformer on the frame movable section 7 from the standpoint of increasing the weight of the entire rotating system.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention aims to eliminate the above-mentioned drawbacks and to provide an X-ray CT scanner that facilitates mounting of a high-voltage transformer on a movable part of the gantry.

[Structure of the Invention] (Means for Solving the Problems) The present invention provides an In an X-ray CT scanner that includes a heat exchanger that radiates heat from a cooling medium that cools the ray tube, a high-voltage transformer that generates a high voltage used for generating X-rays is mounted on the movable part, and a cooling medium conveyance path is mounted. This high-pressure transformer, the X-ray tube, and the heat exchanger are coupled together, and the X-ray tube and the high-pressure transformer can be cooled by the cooling medium flowing through the cooling medium conveyance path.

(Function) If the high-voltage transformer is cooled with a cooling medium, the problem of heat generation in the high-voltage transformer will be solved, but a device (heat exchanger) for cooling the high-voltage transformer will be required. Therefore, since this device must be mounted together with the high-voltage transformer on the movable part of the frame (rotating system), even if the high-voltage transformer is made smaller, the weight of the entire rotating system will inevitably increase.

Therefore, as described above, the high-pressure transformer, the X-ray tube, and the heat exchanger are connected through a cooling medium conveyance path, and the X-ray tube and the high-pressure transformer are cooled by the cooling medium flowing through the cooling medium conveyance path. That is, one heat exchanger is shared by the X-ray tube and the high-pressure transformer. Conventionally, cooling the X-ray tube has been essential, and a heat exchanger for cooling the X-ray tube has been installed in the rotating system. Compared to adding a new heat exchanger for cooling the high-pressure transformer, the weight increase of the entire rotating system is small. In addition, in the above configuration, if there are few heat generating ports of the high voltage transformer mounted on the movable part of the gantry, when the cooling medium whose temperature has increased due to cooling of the X-ray tube flows into the high voltage transformer, some heat is radiated here. As the heat exchanger, it is possible to use a heat exchanger with a smaller heat dissipation capacity (heat exchange capacity) than that used exclusively for X-ray tube cooling, that is, a compact one. Therefore, in this case, the weight increase of the entire rotating system is It requires even less than the above case.

By sharing one heat exchanger with the X-ray tube and high-voltage transformer in this way, it is possible to minimize the increase in the total weight of the rotating system when the high-voltage transformer is mounted on the movable part of the frame. , the high voltage transformer can be easily mounted on the movable part of the frame.

(Example) The present invention will be specifically explained below using examples.

FIG. 1 shows a rotating system configuration of an X-ray CT scanner which is an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 shows a rotating system configuration which is a premise of the present invention.

As mentioned above, if the high-pressure transformer is cooled, the high-pressure transformer can be made smaller, but in this case, as shown in FIG. 2, the heat exchanger for cooling the high-pressure transformer 11A is 9A must be mounted on the gantry movable section 7, which inevitably increases the weight of the entire rotating system including the gantry movable section 7.

Therefore, as shown in FIG.
The X-ray tube 8 and the heat exchanger 12 are connected by a cooling medium conveyance path, such as oil hoses 13G, 13D, and 13E, and the X-ray tube 8 is
And the high voltage transformer 11A is cooled. Generally, high-voltage transformers use insulating oil for internal insulation, but the same insulating oil can be used as a cooling medium.

In the above configuration, the insulating oil as a cooling medium flows from the heat exchanger 12 into the X-ray tube 8 via the oil hose 13E, and after cooling the X-ray tube 8, flows into the high-pressure transformer 11A via the oil hose 13G. After cooling the high pressure transformer 11A, the oil returns to the heat exchanger 12 via the oil hose 13D. The X-ray tube 8 and the high voltage transformer 11A are cooled by the circulation of this insulating oil. X-ray tube 8 and high voltage transformer 11
Since the same heat exchanger 12 will be shared with A,
Although the heat radiation capacity of the heat exchanger 9 is slightly larger than that in the case where the heat exchanger 9 is used only for cooling the X-ray tube 8, it can still be used for cooling the X-ray tube 8 and the high-pressure transformer 11A as shown in FIG. Compared to installing heat exchangers 9 and 9A, respectively, the weight increase due to the rotational system suspension is small. Furthermore, when the amount of heat generated by the high-voltage transformer 11A is small, the heat exchanger 12
may be small.

Note that a high frequency inverter is used as the primary side circuit of the high voltage transformer 11A. The high frequency inverter may be mounted on the gantry movable section 7 together with the high voltage transformer 11A, or may be placed on a stationary system.

In this embodiment, one heat exchanger 12 is shared by the X-ray tube 8 and the high-voltage transformer 11A, so that the rotation system when the high-voltage transformer 11A is mounted on the gantry movable part 7 is reduced. Increase in total weight can be kept to a minimum,
The high voltage transformer 11A can be easily mounted on the frame movable section 7. In addition, the high voltage transformer 11A is connected to the X-ray tube 8.
By arranging the high voltage cable 10 in the vicinity of the Another advantage is that the downhill time can be significantly shortened. Furthermore, since the high voltage transformer 11A is installed in the rotating system, power can be transmitted from the stationary system to the rotating system at low voltage. Another advantage is that only a low-pressure slip ring is required. Note that the present invention can also be applied when power is transmitted by a cable without using a slip ring.

Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment and can be implemented in various modifications.

[Effects of the Invention] As described in detail above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide an X-ray CT scanner in which a high voltage transformer can be easily mounted on a movable part of the gantry.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of the main parts of an X-ray CT scanner that is an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the main parts of an X-ray CT scanner that is the premise of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of the main parts of an X-ray CT scanner that is an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is an external perspective view of a tcT scanner, and is an explanatory view of the main parts of a conventional X-ray CT scanner. 7... Frame movable part, 8... X-ray tube, 11A... High pressure transformer, 12... Heat exchanger, 13C, 13D, 1
3E...Oil hose (cooling medium conveyance path).

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) An X-ray tube that is mounted on a movable part that is rotatably supported by a stationary system and generates X-rays by applying a high voltage, and a heat exchanger that radiates heat from a cooling medium that cools the X-ray tube. In an X-ray CT scanner that obtains X-ray transmission information of a subject, a high-voltage transformer that generates a high voltage used for generating X-rays is mounted on the movable part, and the high-voltage transformer is An X-ray CT scanner, characterized in that the X-ray tube and the heat exchanger are coupled together, and the X-ray tube and the high-pressure transformer can be cooled by a cooling medium flowing through the cooling medium conveyance path. (2) The X-ray CT scanner according to claim 1, wherein insulating oil is used as the cooling medium.