JP3403790B2 - X-ray CT system - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an X-ray CT apparatus,
In particular, the present invention relates to an X-ray CT apparatus that efficiently exhausts heat generated by an X-ray tube or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art First, the configuration of a conventional X-ray CT apparatus is shown in FIG.
This will be described with reference to (a) to (c). 7A shows a front view, FIG. 7B shows a side view, and FIG. 7C shows a back view. The gantry 1 is supported by a base stand 3, and on the front side, as shown in FIG. 7A, a circular photographing opening 5 is provided at the center of a front panel 7 having a substantially rectangular shape so as to penetrate to the back side. Further, as shown in FIG. 7B, the opening 5 is composed of a front side opening 5a and a back side opening 5b. The front side opening 5a is formed integrally with the front panel 7, and the back side opening 5b is formed on the upper back panel 9.
When it is inspected or the like, it can be pivotally opened to the front side and the back side, respectively.

FIG. 8 is a view for explaining a heat exhausting method of a conventional X-ray CT apparatus, and is a cross-sectional view of the X-ray CT apparatus taken along the section line CC of FIG. 7B. is there. Referring to FIG. 8, a gantry control unit 91 and a rotation servo amplifier unit 93 are provided inside the gantry 1 at respective corners on both sides of the ceiling, and a plurality of fans for exhausting air are provided on the ceiling of the gantry 1. 95 and 97 are provided. Further, the X-ray detection unit 13 and the X-ray tube 15 are arranged so as to face the opening 5 (not shown) so as to face the center of the gantry 1, and the X-ray tube 15 is further cooled. An oil cooler 89 for cooling the cooling oil is provided. Further, a motor 49 for belt-driving the rotating portion 11 is provided at a corner below the gantry 1.

By rotating the fans 95 and 97, the air inside the gantry 1 is exhausted and a negative pressure is generated. Due to this negative pressure, air is sucked in from the gap between the lower part of the gantry 1 and the base stand 3, etc., and an air flow path is formed through the inside of the gantry 1 to the ceiling. With this air flow path, the gantry control unit 91, the rotation servo amplifier unit 93,
The heat generating parts such as the motor 49 and the oil cooler 89 are cooled.

[0005]

As described above, according to the conventional method of exhausting heat, air is sucked from the gap between the lower portion of the gantry and the base stand, or the gap between the gantry and the front panel and the upper back panel to the ceiling. The air was exhausted from the fan provided. That is, since the individual air flow paths are not set for the heat generating portion, the efficiency of exhausting heat is deteriorated, so that a large number of fans are required in the ceiling portion, and there is a problem that noise due to the large number of fans increases.

Further, depending on the formation state of the air flow path,
If the heat of the motor or oil cooler is discharged and stays in the internal space of the gantry, or if the exhaust heat flows around the gantry controller, rotation servo amplifier, or X-ray tube and escapes to the ceiling, In the case where continuous scanning is performed, the internal heat of the frame rises, a waiting time for cooling the X-ray tube becomes necessary, and a local temperature rise occurs, causing It was also assumed that problems such as unstable operation would occur.

Further, depending on the stop position, it is assumed that the exhaust heat of the oil cooler may directly hit the gantry control section and the rotation servo amplifier section and heat them.

The present invention has been made in view of the above, and an object thereof is to reduce the temperature rise in the gantry by improving the exhaust heat efficiency.

[0009]

In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 has a gantry fixing part, an X-ray tube for irradiating X-rays, and a cooling part for cooling the X-ray tube. X-ray C provided with a rotating part rotatable with respect to the gantry fixed part
In the T-apparatus, heat-discharging means provided on the gantry fixing part for radiating heat from the X-ray tube or the cooling part to the outside of the gantry, and a position at which the cooling part faces the heat-discharging means. And a control unit for stopping the rotating unit so as to achieve the above. In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 3 has a gantry fixing part, an X-ray tube for irradiating X-rays, and a cooling part for cooling the X-ray tube, with respect to the gantry fixing part. In an X-ray CT apparatus including a rotatable rotating unit, a separating unit that separates a circuit unit provided in the gantry fixing unit from an internal space of the gantry fixing unit, and the gantry fixing unit and the separating unit. It is characterized in that it is provided with an intake opening provided in the formed case and an exhaust means for exhausting the air sucked from the intake opening to the outside of the pedestal fixing part.

[0010]

[0011]

[0012]

According to the first aspect of the invention, the heat from the cooling section is efficiently discharged by stopping the rotating section so that the cooling section for cooling the X-ray tube faces the heat discharging means. Can be heated. According to the invention of claim 3, the circuit section provided in the gantry fixing section is separated from the internal space of the gantry fixing section by the separating means, and a case for housing the circuit section by the gantry fixing section and the separating means is provided. Form. As a result, it is possible to reduce the influence of the heat of the X-ray tube and the cooling unit on the circuit unit, and conversely, the influence of the circuit unit on the cooling unit and the like. Then, the air sucked from the intake opening provided in the case is exhausted to the outside of the gantry fixing portion. As a result, the circuit section
Since the heat can be exhausted independently from the wire tube or the like, the heat exhaust efficiency can be improved, and consequently, the circuit malfunction due to the temperature rise of the circuit part can be prevented.

In the X-ray CT apparatus according to the second aspect of the present invention, the space including the circuit portion provided inside the gantry is thermally separated from the internal space of the gantry by the separating means. Further, each of the spaces separated by the separating means has a cooling means, for example, an intake opening and an exhaust fan for each space to cool each space, so that the gantry control section and the rotation servo amplifier section are provided. Even in the case where the circuit part such as is above the gantry, the circuit part can be cooled without being affected by the heat exhausted from the motor or the like installed below the gantry. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the heat exhaust from the heat generating portion from staying inside the gantry.

Further, in the third invention of the present application, since the pedestal and the rotating portion are small, the structure is hermetically sealed enough to form an airflow assumed in advance, so that wasteful entry and exit of air for cooling is prevented. The cooling efficiency by the fan or the like can be remarkably improved. Further, since the rotating unit rotates at a relatively high speed during image pickup, an air flow is relatively generated. Therefore, the generated airflow is positively utilized for cooling the cooling unit.

[0015]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of a heat exhausting method for an X-ray CT scanner device according to the present invention, and is a sectional view taken along the section line CC of FIG. 7B. In the figure, the same components as those shown in FIG. 8 are designated by the same symbols.

The external structure of the X-ray CT scanner device of this embodiment is substantially the same as that shown in FIG.
Is supported by a base stand 3, and on the front side, as shown in FIG. 7, a circular photographing opening 5 is provided at the center of a substantially square front panel 7 so as to penetrate to the back side.

Further, the rotating portion 11 has an X-ray emitting portion including an X-ray tube 15 and an oil cooler 17, and the X-ray tube 15
The X-ray detection unit 13 is provided so as to be opposed to the rotation unit 11. The rotation unit 11 is driven by the motor 49 and the belt 47, and rotates with the central axis of the opening 5 as the rotation axis.

Further, the X-ray tube 15 is arranged to cool the inside of the housing container accommodating the X-ray tube 15 by circulating oil, and the oil cooler 17 keeps the oil warmed up by the X-ray tube 15. The temperature of the X-ray tube 15 is prevented from rising by cooling it and returning it to the X-ray tube 15 again.

An exhaust opening 29 to which an exhaust duct 31 is connected is provided on the outer peripheral portion of the pedestal 1, for example, the ceiling, and the exhaust opening is also provided at a position facing the mounting position of the oil cooler 17 of the rotating portion 11. 37 is provided, and when the rotating unit 11 is stopped, a gantry rotation control unit 75 shown in FIG.
As a result, the exhaust opening 37 of the oil cooler 17 is controlled to stop at a position corresponding to the exhaust duct 31.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the oil cooler 17 of FIG. The oil cooler 17 has heat-radiating fins 3 for cooling the pipe in which the cooling oil flows back on the outer peripheral side in the rotation direction.
5 is provided, and an exhaust heat fan 33 for blowing air toward the heat radiation fins 35 for cooling is attached to the inner peripheral side. As a result, an airflow is generated by the exhaust heat fan 33, and the heat radiation fins 35 are cooled by this airflow,
The heat is exhausted to the outside of the gantry 1 directly from the exhaust opening 29 provided on the surface of the gantry 1 through the exhaust opening 37 and the exhaust duct 31.

At this time, the X-ray tube 15 and the oil cooler 17
X-ray tube 1 when the connection distance between
5 is also located near the exhaust duct 31, and X
The heat may be directly exhausted from the wire tube 15 to the outside.

Exhaust heat from the oil cooler 17 occupies most of the heat generated in the gantry 1 and the rotating part 11. By preventing this exhaust heat from staying in the gantry 1,
The temperature rise in the gantry 1 can be effectively suppressed.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of an X-ray CT scanner device showing a second embodiment of the method for exhausting heat of the X-ray CT scanner device according to the present invention. The cross section seen from C is shown.

In the figure, the same components as those shown in FIG. 1 are designated by the same symbols. The difference from the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 is that an oil cooler 57, in which the exhaust heat fan 33 is removed from the oil cooler 17, is used, and an exhaust heat fan 59 is mounted in the exhaust duct 31. It is a point.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the oil cooler 57 of FIG. 3, in which the oil cooler 57 is provided with a heat radiation fin 35 having a plurality of heat radiation elements arranged in a direction intersecting with the rotation direction, and is rotated. Is the oil cooler 57 when cooling the heat radiation fins 35 with the air passing through the heat radiation element and stopping them.
The heat radiation fins 35 are stopped so as to come to a position facing the exhaust duct 31, and the exhaust heat fan 59 provided in the exhaust duct 31 is rotated, so that the exhaust opening provided in the rotating portion 11 An air flow path for sucking air is generated in the exhaust duct 31 via 37, the fins 35 are cooled by this air flow path, and the exhaust opening 29 provided on the surface of the gantry 1 via the opening 37 and the exhaust duct 31. The heat is directly exhausted to the outside of the gantry 1.

Therefore, similarly to the above-described embodiment, by preventing the exhaust heat of the oil cooler 57 from staying in the gantry 1, the temperature rise in the gantry 1 can be suppressed. As a third embodiment of a method for exhausting heat of an X-ray CT scanner device according to the present invention, as shown in FIG. 1 or 3, a gantry controller provided in a left corner of the ceiling in the gantry 1 The case 91 is covered with a case 19 so as to be separated from the internal space of the gantry 1, an intake opening 23 is provided in a side surface of the case 19, and an exhaust fan 25 is provided on the ceiling. .

By rotating the fan 25, an air flow path for generating the air sucked from the intake opening 23 to the outside of the gantry 1 by the fan 25 is generated, and a substrate installed upright in the gantry controller 91 is provided. 21 is cooled by the air flow path, and the heat from the electric components attached to the substrate 21 is blown by the fan 2
At 5, the heat is directly exhausted to the outside of the gantry 1.

Therefore, the heat from the other heating elements in the gantry 1 does not stay and flow around, and the inside of the case 19 can be exhausted, so that the temperature rise of the circuit provided on the substrate 21 is prevented and the circuit operation is prevented. Can be prevented from becoming unstable.

Similarly, the rotation servo amplifier section 93 provided on the right corner of the ceiling inside the gantry 1 is covered with a case 39 so as to be separated from the internal space of the gantry 1, so that the inside of the case 39 is separated. Intake opening 4 on the side of
3 and the exhaust fan 45 is provided on the ceiling.

By rotating the fan 45, an air flow path for discharging the air sucked from the intake opening 43 to the outside of the gantry 1 by the fan 45 is generated, and the rotation servo amplifier 41 in the rotation servo amplifier section 93 is operated as described above. It is designed to be cooled in the air flow path.

Therefore, the heat from the other heating elements in the gantry 1 does not stay and go around, and the inside of the case 39 can be exhausted, so that the temperature rise of the rotation servo amplifier 41 is prevented and the circuit operation becomes unstable. Can be prevented.

FIGS. 5A to 5C are explanatory views showing the hermetically sealed structure of the X-ray CT scanner device according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1 or FIG. 3, a cover 53 is provided in the lower portion of the gantry 1, a heat exhaust fan 27 is provided on the ceiling of the gantry 1, and the fan 27 is rotated to cause a gap between the gantry 1 and the base stand 3. 55, or air is drawn from the opening 51 in the gap near the mounting portion of the motor 49, and an air flow path for exhausting air to the outside of the gantry 1 via the fan 27 is generated. As shown in c), the gantry 1 has a closed structure.

FIG. 5A is a partially enlarged top view of the gantry 1. As shown in FIG. 5, the gantry 1, the gantry 1 and the hinges 6 are provided.
3, a front panel 7 that can be opened / closed, a back panel 9 that can be opened / closed similarly by the pedestal 1 and a hinge 67, and a side panel 6
1 and a side panel (not shown) similarly provided on the opposite side together form an X-ray CT scanner device.

A packing 65 is inserted between the panels and in the gaps between the panels and the gantry 1 so that a hermetically sealed structure is maintained. 5B is a sectional view of a main part cut along the cutting line AA in FIG. 5A, and FIG. 5C is a main part cut along the cutting line BB of FIG. 5A. It is a sectional view.

To insert the packing 65 in the portion using the hinges 63 and 67, the packing 65 is inserted up to the side surface of the hinge 67 as shown in FIG. 5 (c), and then as shown in FIG. 5 (b). In the hinge 63 and the like, packing 65 is inserted in the upper and lower parts of the hinge 63 and the like so that the hermetically sealed structure is maintained also in the hinge 63 and 67 and the like.

Therefore, by rotating the fan 27, air is prevented from entering from the joint between the gantry 1 and each panel, and the opening 5 in the gap between the gantry 1 and the base stand 3 is provided.
1 or the air is sucked in through the opening 55, and the fan 27
It is possible to generate an air flow path for exhausting to the outside of the gantry 1 via the, and it is possible to cool the motor 49 and the internal space of the gantry 1. Instead of using the packing 65, each seam may be sealed.

Further, by arranging the plurality of heat radiation fins 35 of the oil cooler 57 so as to be parallel to the rotation direction, the airflow generated by the rotation is positively cooled when the rotating portion 11 rotates. When the vehicle is stopped, heat can be exhausted to the outside of the gantry 1 directly from the exhaust opening 29 provided on the surface of the gantry 1 through the opening 37 and the exhaust duct 31 as described above.

FIG. 6 shows the rotating part 11 shown in FIGS. 1 and 3.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the driving means of FIG. The power supply unit 71 supplies power to the servo unit 73, and the gantry rotation control unit 7
Reference numeral 5 outputs a control signal according to the input operation signal and inputs it to the servo section 73, and the servo section 73 outputs a drive signal according to the input control signal to rotate the motor 49.

A rotation signal is taken out from the motor 49 and input to the incremental encoder 77. The incremental encoder 77 encodes the same input and inputs it to the gantry rotation control section 75, and the gantry rotation control section 75 rotates from the encoded input. Then, the rotation of the motor 49 is controlled by inputting a control signal to the servo unit 73.

The pulley 79 is adapted to rotate in conjunction with the rotary shaft of the motor 49, and the pulley 79 transmits the rotational torque to the rotating portion 11 via the belt 47 to rotate the rotating portion 11.

As a stopping means for stopping the rotating part 11 at a predetermined position, for example, a light source 81 is provided on the rotating part 11 and a detecting part 83 using an optical sensor is provided at a predetermined position around the rotating part 11 of the gantry 1. By inputting the detection signal detected by the detection unit 83 to the gantry rotation control unit 75 and inputting a stop signal from the gantry rotation control unit 75 to the servo unit 73, the rotation unit 11 can be stopped at a predetermined position. I am trying.

Therefore, although the rotation stop position is not constant in the conventional continuous rotation type X-ray CT scanner device, in the present embodiment, the oil cooler 17 shown in FIG. 3 so that the oil cooler 57 shown in FIG. 3 faces the exhaust duct 31.
It is possible to stop the rotating unit 11.

As described above, the stopping means for stopping the rotating portion 11 at a predetermined position stops the oil cooler 17 or the oil cooler 57 so as to face the exhaust duct 31 provided on the outer peripheral portion of the frame 1, The heat is directly exhausted to the outside of the gantry 1. Also, each of the gantry control unit 91 and the rotation servo amplifier unit 93 is separated from the internal space of the gantry 1, and an exhaust device is provided for each to exhaust heat directly to the outside of the gantry 1. Further, air is prevented from entering through the joint between the pedestal 1 and each panel, air is sucked through the openings 51 and 55 at the lower part of the pedestal 1, and an air flow path for exhausting air from the ceiling of the pedestal 1 is generated. And stand 1
Try to cool the inner space of the. With each of these configurations, heat exhaust from the heat generating portion is prevented from staying inside the gantry 1.

Therefore, the exhaust heat efficiency can be improved without enlarging the cost of the apparatus, and the number of fans to be used can be reduced by increasing the exhaust heat efficiency, thereby reducing noise and reducing CT. By suppressing the rise in the internal temperature of the scanner device, the reliability of the device can be improved.

The present invention can also be applied to the case where the heat exhausted from the X-ray tube is carried out without passing through the oil cooler, and the heat generating parts (X-ray tube, oil cooler, motor , The circuit section, the fan, the fins, etc.) and the gantry may be directly thermally connected to each other, and heat may be efficiently exhausted to the gantry or the outside by using a heat pipe.

[0046]

As described above in detail, according to the present invention, the exhaust heat efficiency can be improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a first embodiment of a heat exhausting method for an X-ray CT scanner device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the oil cooler shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a second embodiment of the heat exhausting method for the X-ray CT scanner device according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the oil cooler shown in FIG.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a closed structure of the X-ray CT scanner device according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing an example of drive control of the rotating unit shown in FIGS. 1 and 3.

FIG. 7 is an external view of an X-ray CT apparatus.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing a method for exhausting heat of an X-ray CT apparatus of a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 stand 3 base stand 5 openings 5a Front side opening 5b Back side opening 7 Front panel 9 Upper back panel 11 rotating part 13 X-ray detector 15 X-ray tube 17, 57, 89 Oil cooler 19, 39 cases 21 board 23,43 Intake opening 25, 27, 33, 45, 59 fans 29 Exhaust opening 31 duct 35 fins 37, 51, 55 openings 41 Rotation servo amplifier 47 belt 49 motor 53 cover 61 Side panel 63, 67 Hinge 65 packing 69 Stand support 71 power supply 73 Servo unit 75 Frame rotation control unit 77 Incremental encoder 79 pulley 81 light source 83 detector 91 Frame control unit 93 Rotation servo amplifier

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. An X-ray having a gantry fixing part, an X-ray tube for irradiating X-rays, and a rotating part having a cooling part for cooling the X-ray tube and rotatable with respect to the gantry fixing part. In the CT apparatus, a heat discharging unit that is provided in the frame fixing unit and discharges heat from the X-ray tube or the cooling unit to the outside of the frame, and a position in which the cooling unit faces the heat discharging unit. An X-ray CT apparatus, comprising: a control unit that stops the rotating unit so that 2. The X-ray CT apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cooling unit has a radiation fin on the outer peripheral side in the rotation direction of the rotating unit. 3. An X-ray having a gantry fixing section, an X-ray tube for irradiating X-rays, and a rotating section having a cooling section for cooling the X-ray tube and rotatable with respect to the gantry fixing section. In a CT apparatus, a separating means for separating a circuit part provided in the gantry fixing part from an internal space of the gantry fixing part, and an intake opening provided in a case formed by the gantry fixing part and the separating means. And an exhaust means for exhausting the air sucked in through the intake opening to the outside of the gantry fixing portion.
X-ray CT equipment.