JPS6214836A - Processor of cables of 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] [Field of Application of the Invention] This invention relates to a CT scanner, and more specifically, to guiding or processing cables such as high-voltage cables and cooling hoses for an X-ray tube, and output signal cables of an X-ray detector. It's about the equipment that does it.

[Background of the invention]

In an X-ray CT scanner, cables such as high-voltage cables and cooling hoses for the X-ray tube, and output signal cables for the X-ray detector are designed to follow the rotation of the frame that supports the X-ray tube and X-ray detector. It is given an extra length and is treated to prevent this extra length from twisting or tangling.

Conventionally, in this device, a movable frame supporting an X-ray source and an X-ray detector has a guide member for cables positioned on a circle around the rotation center of the movable frame. A supporting stationary frame has guide members located on a concentric circle of the mouth, a guide wheel is located between each guide member and attached to the stationary frame, and cables are bent at an angle of 180° by the guide wheel, It is wrapped around each guide member. When the movable frame rotates, the cables are pulled out from one guide member and wound around the other guide member while being applied with tension by the guide wheel, so as to prevent the cables from sagging.

However, this cable handling device has the problem that the guide wheels are susceptible to wear and tear, and furthermore, the guide wheels are subject to considerable force, resulting in misalignment.

[Purpose of the invention]

The present invention provides an improved CT scanner cable handling device that is capable of stable and reliable operation over a long period of time.

[Summary of the invention]

The cable processing device of the present invention includes a first guide member provided on the movable frame coaxially with the rotation center axis of the movable frame, and a first guide member located coaxially and in the same plane as the first guide member. A second guide member provided on the stationary frame with a gap formed between the second guide member and the second guide member, which is arranged along the first guide member and is bent at an angle of 180° within the gap to form a loop. and a holding member in the form of an elastic band or strip disposed along the second guide member, and a high-voltage cable, cooling hose, or X-ray detector for the X-ray tube of the X-ray source. Cables such as signal cables of the device are located between each guide member and the holding member and are arranged along the holding member, and both ends are fixed to each guiding member together with the holding member, and the center of the loop are arranged at a distance from the center of the loop of the holding member.

When the movable frame rotates, the cables are wound around the guide member or let out from the guide member, and follow the rotation of the movable frame, and are moved while being crimped to each guide member by the holding member, so that no slack occurs. It can be moved without twisting or tangling.

Since the cable processing device of the present invention applies tension to the cables using the elasticity of the holding member in this way,
The structure is simple, there are no parts that wear out, and the CT scanner can be provided with stable and reliable operation over a long period of time.

Embodiments of the cable processing apparatus of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[Embodiments of the invention]

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 11 indicates a movable frame of a CT scanner incorporating this cable processing device, and 12 indicates a stationary frame that supports the movable frame.

The movable frame has a hollow cylindrical shape with both ends open, and is supported by a stationary frame 12 via a bearing 13 so as to be able to rotate on the stationary frame. The rotation is caused by a belt pulley 14 fixed at the end of the movable frame and a belt pulley 1 on the rotating shaft of an electric motor 15 on the stationary frame.
6 are connected by a belt 17, and an electric motor is rotated.

An X-ray source 18 and an X-ray detector 19 are installed at opposite ends of the movable frame 11 so as to sandwich the rotation center axis A of the movable frame and face each other. The X-ray source includes an X-ray tube and an X-ray flux constriction mechanism, and the X-ray flux emitted from the X-ray tube can be constricted to emit a plurality of fan beam X-rays having different thicknesses. The X-ray detector is, for example, an ion chamber type having 200 to 500 detection elements, and the detection elements are arranged on a movable frame so as to be lined up along the spread of the fan beam X-rays.

Diagnosis is performed by placing a subject in a hollow hole in a movable frame, rotating the movable frame, and irradiating X-rays. On this occasion.

For example, the movable frame is rotated counterclockwise by 200 degrees from the state shown in FIG. Angle 2 while making radiation
After being rotated at a constant speed up to 90°, the exposure is stopped and while the rotation is completed at an angle of 400°, braking is applied to return to the state shown in FIG. 1.

A high-voltage cable that connects the X-ray tube and the high-pressure generator, a cooling hose that connects the X-ray tube and the cooling device, a signal cable that connects each detection element of the X-ray detector and the image reconstruction device, and an X-ray flux variable aperture. The high-voltage cables of the mechanism, that is, the cables 20 that connect devices installed on the movable frame and devices outside the scanner, are given an extra length so that they can accommodate the rotation of the movable frame 11. .

The cable handling device according to the present invention allows this extra length portion to move smoothly and not be damaged.As clearly shown in FIG.
Guide member 21. It includes a guide member 22 on the stationary frame 12 and a holding member 23 arranged between these frames.

Each guide member is comprised of a member having a hollow channel-shaped cross section, as shown in FIG. The guide member 21 is fixed to the circumferential surface of the movable frame 11 with the groove facing outward. The other guide member 22 is fixed to the stationary frame 12 with its groove facing that of the guide member 21 and with a gap formed between it and the guide member 21. Along with this, the guide member 21 is positioned on the entire circumference of a circle centered on the rotation center axis A of the movable frame and located in a plane perpendicular to the rotation center axis, and the guide member 22 is positioned on a concentric circle within the above-mentioned inner circle. and an angle of 180° on a circle with a larger radius than this
Each is configured to be located only across.

The holding member 23 is an elongated plate, band, or strip having a width slightly narrower than the groove width of each guide member, and is made of an elastic material such as spring steel or stainless steel. The holding member has guide members 21 at both ends.
．． 22, and the intermediate portion is housed in a U-shape in the space or gap between both guide members.

To explain the latter more specifically, after the pressing member is located on the groove of the guide member 21 and arranged along this,
It is bent at an angle of 1800 to form a loop towards the guide member 22 and then positioned over and along the groove of the guide member 22.

In the cables 20, cables and pipes are arranged in parallel and connected together by binding devices arranged at regular intervals along the longitudinal direction. Cables etc. are numbered 2 in Figure 1.
0a, and the tie is designated 20b, respectively. However, these are omitted from illustration in FIGS. 2 to 4.

Both ends of the cables are fixed to the guide member 21 and the guide member 22 together with the presser member 23 by coupling tools, and the middle portion is connected to the groove of the guide member 21 and the presser member 23.
After passing through the tunnel formed by.

A loop is formed, and then passed through a tunnel formed by the groove of the guide member 22 and the presser member 23, and is pressed against each guide member by the elasticity of the presser member 23.

These holding members 23 and cables 20 are arranged such that the centers 24 and 25 of their respective loops are spaced apart from each other by a distance related to an angle θ with respect to the rotation center axis A of the movable frame 11.

In this cable processing device, the movable frame is
When the cables 20 are rotated clockwise from the state shown in the figure to the starting point shown in FIG. 3, the length along the guide member 21 will decrease and the length along the guide member 22 will increase. At the same time, the holding member 23 moves while decreasing its length along the guide member 21 and increasing its length along the guide member 22.

The cables can be moved while being crimped to the guide members 21, 22 to prevent the cables from sagging.

When the movable frame 11 rotates clockwise from the starting point to the position shown in FIG. 4 while irradiating X-rays, the cables 20 change the length of contact with each guide member 21, 22 and move toward the guide member 22. You will be taken out of it. At this time as well, the holding member 23 moves the cables 20 with the cables 20 crimped to each guide member, so that the cables can be stretched without causing any slack.

When the movable frame is rotated in the loop forming direction (counterclockwise in Fig. 2), the holding member is lower than the cables.
Since it moves at a fast speed, the loop of the holding member pushes the loop of the cables. However, in this cable processing device, as described above, the holding member 23 and the cables 2
0, so at the end of the counterclockwise rotation of the movable frame 11, as shown in FIG.
The loop of the holding member 23 does not come into contact with the loop of the pull member 20. When the movable frame rotates clockwise, the presser member escapes as shown in FIG. 4, so it does not come into contact with cables.

As described above, the cable processing device according to the present invention not only allows the cables to follow the rotation of the movable frame without causing the cables to become slack, but also allows the rotation angle of the movable frame to be reduced compared to the conventional one. , can be made larger.

That is, even when the X-ray source 18 enters between the guide members 21 and 22 as shown in the figure, that is, even when the scanner is configured to reduce its depth, the holding member has the form of a band or strip. Since the X-ray source can be brought closer to the cables than the guide wheels in conventional devices, the rotation angle of the movable frame can be increased.

This makes it possible to lengthen the distance for acceleration and braking of the movable frame, thereby reducing blurring of the CT image due to vibration of the X-ray detector.

Furthermore, in the cable processing apparatus according to the present invention, when the weight of the cables is quite large, by increasing the number of holding members, it is possible to prevent the cables from sagging.

This can be achieved, for example, by superimposing the holding member 123 on the holding member 23, as shown by chain lines in FIG. 2, and also by fixing both ends to the guide members 21, 22.

In this case, the surface of the guide member 21 that comes into contact with the cables is provided with a layer made of a material that has a large friction coefficient with the cable binding tool and is electrically conductive, such as conductive rubber.

It is possible to more reliably prevent the cables from sagging due to their own weight.

Further, the cable binding device is provided with a groove on the outside, and the holding member 23 or holding member 23.123 is accommodated in this groove, and each guide member and holding member form a side wall of the groove. By interposing the parts, it is possible to prevent the guide member from being damaged by rubbing against the holding member, thereby eliminating the need for costly and time-consuming replacement of the guide member, and making it possible to replace only the binding tool. This allows maintenance and repairs to be performed easily and quickly.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, the cable processing device of the present invention has the following features:
Since the structure is extremely simple and there are almost no parts that wear out, it is possible to obtain a CT scanner that operates stably over a long period of time.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The drawings show an embodiment of the cable processing device of the present invention, in which Fig. 1 is a sectional view showing a state where it is incorporated into a CT scanner, Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line ■-■ in Fig. 1, FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 are explanatory diagrams each showing the operating state. 11... Movable frame, 12... Stationary frame, 1
8... X-ray source, 19... X-ray detector, 20... Cables, 21.22... Guide member, 23.123.
... Pressing member, 24 ... Center of loop of pressing member, 2
5... Center of cable loop. Patent applicant Hitachi Medico Co., Ltd. Patent attorney
Autumn Masashimoto Figure 1 L ■ Figure 2 Figure 3 Dodo Figure 4

Claims (1)

[Claims] a movable frame on which an X-ray source and an X-ray detector are installed;
A cable for a CT scanner, comprising a stationary frame supporting a movable frame such that an X-ray source and an X-ray detector rotate about an axis between them, and in which the movable frame is rotated through an angle of 360° or more. A first guide member provided on the movable frame coaxially with the rotation center axis of the movable frame, and a first guide member located coaxially and in the same plane as the first guide member, a second guide member provided on the stationary frame with a gap formed therebetween;
An elastic band or strip is placed along the first guide member, bent at an angle of 180° within the gap to form a loop, and then placed along the second guide member. Cables that connect devices on the movable frame such as X-ray tubes and Cables for a CT scanner, characterized in that both ends are fixed to each guide member together with a holding member, and the center of the loop is spaced apart from the center of the loop of the holding member. processing equipment.