CT scanning device and scanning frame thereof

Abstract

The present invention relates to a scanning frame of a CT scanning device, comprising: a first shell, the first shell having a first cavity; a second shell, the second shell being arranged opposite to the first shell, the second shell having a second cavity, wherein a gap exists between the first cavity and the second cavity as a ray scanning cavity; a scanning window assembly, the scanning window assembly comprising an annular window body having an inner surface and an outer surface, the scanning window assembly being engaged and locked with the first shell and the second shell and sealing and covering the ray scanning cavity. In this way, the engagement and locking can limit the deformation of the annular window body when an external force is applied to the scanning window assembly, and the sealing can prevent the liquid in the first shell and the second shell from leaking out and prevent the liquid inside the scanning window assembly from leaking into the first shell and the second shell.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments described herein relate generally to computed tomography (CT) imaging equipment, and more particularly to a CT scanning apparatus and a gantry thereof. Background Art

[0002] The gantry is a very important part of the CT imaging device, which can hold the X-ray tube and detector. The scanning device has a circular scanning window for the X-rays used for imaging to enter and exit. In operation, the X-ray source (X-ray tube) and the detector rotate around the object to be imaged, or the object to be imaged rotates while the X-ray source and the detector are stationary.

[0003] The international standard IEC60601 for medical electrical equipment requires that when evaluating the safety of the equipment, the external parts of the housing can withstand a steady test force of 250N, which is to simulate the force that a patient or operator can apply to the scanning device. For CT scanning devices, the scanning window should be as thin as possible to attenuate the least amount of X-rays, which helps the system to image larger patients. However, as the scanning window becomes thinner, the deformation caused by the required 250N test force may cause the scanning window to contact the rotating parts within the CT scanning device, thereby causing potential harm to the patient or operator located in the cavity of the scanning device.

[0004] Therefore, a new technical solution for locking the scanning window is needed, which can meet the following requirements: 1) the scanning window does not contact the rotating parts under a thrust of 250N; 2) thinner scanning window materials can be used; 3) liquid sealing between the scanning device housing and the scanning window. Summary of the invention

[0005] An exemplary embodiment of the present invention aims to provide a scanning frame of a CT scanning device, which can realize a low-deformation scanning window engagement and locking structure through rigid or semi-rigid joint and has safety protection.

[0006] Specifically, an exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides a scanning frame of a CT scanning device, comprising: a first shell, the first shell having a first cavity; a second shell, the second shell being arranged opposite to the first shell, the second shell having a second cavity, wherein there is a gap between the first cavity and the second cavity as a ray scanning cavity; a scanning window assembly, the scanning window assembly comprising an annular window body having an inner surface and an outer surface, the scanning window assembly being engaged and locked with the first shell and the second shell and sealing and covering the ray scanning cavity. In this way, the engagement and locking can limit the deformation of the annular window body when an external force is applied to the scanning window assembly, and the sealing can prevent the liquid in the first shell and the second shell from leaking out and prevent the liquid inside the scanning window assembly from leaking into the first shell and the second shell.

[0007] Preferably, the scanning window assembly further includes: a first window jointer and a second window jointer, the first window jointer and the second window jointer are respectively arranged on both sides of the outer surface of the annular window body, the first window jointer is used to engage with the first shell and the second window jointer is used to engage with the second shell.

[0008] Preferably, the engagement of the first window joint with the first shell and the engagement of the second window joint with the second shell are respectively achieved by adopting one of the following methods: convex / concave engagement locking, convex / concave rotational contact engagement locking, tightly adhered surface engagement locking, adhesive engagement locking, and snap engagement locking.

[0009] Preferably, in the case of adopting convex / concave surface meshing locking, the first and / or second window engaging member comprises a tooth member, the tooth member has one or more layers of convex teeth in the axial direction of the annular window body, and the first and / or second housing comprises one or more layers of concave tooth grooves in the axial direction of the annular window body. Preferably, the shape and size of the convex teeth and tooth grooves of the meshing locking are matched.

[0010] Preferably, when the locking is achieved by convex / concave rotational contact engagement, the first window joint includes one or more flat teeth distributed along the circumference of the annular window body, the second window joint includes one or more protrusions distributed along the circumference of the annular window body, the first shell includes flat teeth for engaging the one or more flat teeth, and the second shell includes one or more inclined or spiral internal teeth for engaging the one or more protrusions.

[0011] Preferably, in the case of adopting the closely attached surface engagement locking, the first and / or second window joint member is cylindrical or conical and is made of a semi-rigid material, and the first and / or second shell has a corresponding cylindrical or conical hard inner surface. Preferably, the semi-rigid material is a semi-rigid rubber material.

[0012] Preferably, in the case of adopting snap-on locking, the first window engaging member and / or the second window engaging member and the corresponding first shell and / or the second shell are respectively a Velcro hook and a Velcro ring to form a set of snap-on locking.

[0013] Preferably, when the adhesive engagement locking is adopted, the engagement locking of the first window joint member and / or the second window joint member and the corresponding first shell and / or the second shell is formed by using an adhesive that can be disassembled and assembled multiple times.

[0014] Preferably, the first window joint piece and / or the second window joint piece is continuous along the circumferential direction of the annular window body.

[0015] Preferably, the first window joint member and / or the second window joint member has a plurality of discrete sub-joint members along the circumferential direction of the annular window body.

[0016] Preferably, the first window joint member and / or the second window joint member surround the entire circumference of the annular window body, or the first window joint member and / or the second window joint member surround a partial circumference of the annular window body.

[0017] Preferably, the scanning window assembly also includes: an elastic band, which is arranged on both sides of the inner surface of the annular window body along the edge of the annular window body to provide pressure to press the scanning window assembly toward the first shell and the second shell along its outer diameter direction throughout the entire circumference.

[0018] Preferably, the scanning window assembly further comprises: an elastic soft sealing material, which is arranged on both sides of the outer surface of the annular window body along the edge of the annular window body, and the elastic soft sealing material is compressed and deformed under the elastic pressure of the scanning window assembly to achieve sealing between the first shell and the scanning window assembly and between the second shell and the scanning window assembly. In this way, it is possible to prevent the liquid in the first shell and the second shell from leaking out, and prevent the liquid inside the scanning window assembly from leaking into the first shell and the second shell.

[0019] Preferably, the first shell further comprises: a first shell engaging member, the first shell engaging member is arranged on the inner side of the first cavity close to the ray scanning cavity, and is used to engage and lock with the scanning window assembly; the second shell further comprises: a second shell engaging member, the second shell engaging member is arranged on the inner side of the second cavity close to the ray scanning cavity, and is used to engage and lock with the scanning window assembly. As an example, the first shell engaging member and / or the second shell engaging member are continuous along the circumferential direction of the annular window body. As another example, the first shell engaging member and / or the second shell engaging member have a plurality of discrete sub-engaging members along the circumferential direction of the annular window body.

[0020] Preferably, the first shell also includes: a first sealing area, the first sealing area is located in the first cavity, and is used to form a seal with a first elastic soft sealing material of the corresponding scanning window assembly; the second shell also includes: a second sealing area, the second sealing area is located in the second cavity, and is used to form a seal with a second elastic soft sealing material of the corresponding scanning window assembly.

[0021] Preferably, the first shell joint piece and / or the second shell joint piece surround the entire circumference of the annular window body, or the first shell joint piece and / or the second shell joint piece surround a partial circumference of the annular window body.

[0022] Preferably, the annular window body is made of a thin layer material with low X-ray attenuation. Preferably, the thin layer material with low X-ray attenuation includes polycarbonate.

[0023] Preferably, the annular window body itself may have a tooth function so as to be directly and tightly attached to, engaged with and locked with the first shell and the second shell.

[0024] According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a CT scanning device is provided, comprising: the scanning frame as described above; and an X-ray source and a detector assembly arranged on the scanning frame.

[0025] In the scanning frame and CT scanning device according to the above exemplary embodiments, when the scanning window assembly is placed in the first cavity of the first shell and the second cavity of the second shell and engaged, locked and sealed with the first shell and the second shell, the scanning window assembly has a resilience force to restore its original shape, pressing the scanning window assembly toward the first shell and the second shell to achieve tight engagement, locking and sealing.

[0026] In addition, the scanning window assembly has a certain degree of deformability to facilitate the installation and removal of the scanning window, and when there is no external force or the scanning window assembly is removed from the scanning device, all parts on the scanning device and the scanning window assembly can return to their original shape under the action of the rebound force.

[0027] Moreover, the scanning window assembly has safety protection, certain deformability and resilience to restore the original shape when there is no external force. The first window joint, the second window joint, the elastic soft sealing material and the elastic belt are all fixed on the annular window body.

[0028] Further, when a force from a patient or an operator may be applied to the scanning window assembly, the force-bearing area of ​​the scanning window assembly wants to move in the outer diameter direction, and the vicinity of the force-bearing area wants to tilt, but the hard or semi-hard meshing and locking between the scanning window assembly and the first shell and the second shell, that is, the meshing and locking with sufficient rigidity will block the movement and tilting of the annular window body, thereby significantly reducing the deformation of the annular window body. The hard meshing and locking described here means that the deformation between the meshing and locking objects under the action of pressure is relatively small or no. The semi-hard meshing and locking described here means that there is some deformation between the meshing and locking objects under the action of pressure, but it is not large. The elastic soft seal described here means that the elastic soft sealing material has a large deformation under the action of pressure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] The present invention may be better understood by describing exemplary embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0030] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a scanning frame 10 of a CT scanning device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0031] Figure 2 A schematic diagram showing the deformation of a scanning window in a conventional CT scanning device is shown;

[0032] Figure 3 A schematic diagram showing a scanning window assembly 30 of a scanning frame 10 for a CT scanning device according to a first embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0033] Figure 4 A schematic diagram showing a first shell 12 and a second shell 14 of a scanning frame 10 of a CT scanning device according to a first embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0034] Figure 5 The first embodiment of the present invention is shown. Figure 3 The scanning window assembly 30 shown is Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the engagement locking seal structure between the first shell 12 and the second shell 14 is shown;

[0035] Figure 6 A schematic diagram showing an engagement locking sealing structure between a scanning window assembly 30 and a first housing 12 and a second housing 14 according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 7 A schematic diagram showing an engagement locking sealing structure between a scanning window assembly 30 and a first housing 12 and a second housing 14 according to a third embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 8 A schematic diagram showing an engagement locking sealing structure between a scanning window assembly 30 and a first housing 12 and a second housing 14 according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] Fig. 9 and Fig.10 A schematic diagram showing an engagement locking sealing structure between a scanning window assembly 30 and a first housing 12 and a second housing 14 according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention;

[0039] Fig.11 The tooth distribution of 360° in the meshing locking seal structure according to the embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0040] Fig.12 The tooth distribution of a partial area in the meshing locking seal structure according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0041] Fig.13 shows a continuous tooth groove distribution in an engagement locking seal structure according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

[0042] Fig.14 The discrete tooth groove distribution in the meshing locking seal structure according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0043] The specific embodiments of the present invention will be described below. It should be noted that in the specific description of these embodiments, in order to provide a concise description, it is impossible for this specification to provide a detailed description of all the features of the actual embodiments. It should be understood that in the actual implementation of any embodiment, just as in the process of any engineering project or design project, in order to achieve the specific goals of the developer and to meet system-related or business-related restrictions, various specific decisions are often made, and this will also change from one embodiment to another. In addition, it can also be understood that although the efforts made in this development process may be complex and lengthy, for ordinary technicians in the field related to the content disclosed by the present invention, some changes such as design, manufacturing or production based on the technical content disclosed in this disclosure are just conventional technical means, and should not be understood as insufficient content of this disclosure.

[0044] Unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used in the claims and the specification shall have the usual meaning understood by persons with ordinary skills in the technical field to which the invention belongs. The words "first", "second" and similar words used in the patent application specification and the claims of the present invention do not indicate any order, quantity or importance, but are only used to distinguish different components. "One" or "one" and other similar words do not indicate a quantitative limitation, but indicate the existence of at least one. "Include" or "comprises" and other similar words mean that the elements or objects appearing before "include" or "comprises" include the elements or objects listed after "include" or "comprises" and their equivalent elements, and do not exclude other elements or objects. "Connected" or "connected" and other similar words are not limited to physical or mechanical connections, nor are they limited to direct or indirect connections.

[0045] Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a scanning frame 10 of a CT scanning device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1The CT scanning device includes a scanning frame 10, which includes a first shell 12, a second shell 14, an upper cover 16, a side cover 18, a bottom cover 20, and a scanning window assembly 30. An X-ray source and a detector assembly (not shown) may be arranged opposite to each other on the scanning frame 10. In operation, the X-ray source projects an X-ray beam through the scanning window assembly 30 and a patient (not shown) to a detector (e.g., a detector array) on the opposite side of the scanning frame 10 of the scanning device, and the detector assembly collects attenuated X-ray beam data. The first shell 12, the second shell 14, the upper cover 16, the side cover 18, and the bottom cover 20 of the scanning frame 10 may be independently installed and removed, or may be partially or completely formed in one piece. For example, the first shell 12 and the side cover 18 may be a single component formed in one piece, or the second shell 14, the side cover 18, and the bottom cover 20 may be a single component formed in one piece, and so on. In particular, in some embodiments, the shell of the scanning frame 10 may be composed of only the first shell 12 and the second shell 14.

[0046] The first shell 12 and the second shell 14 may include a first cavity 122 and a second cavity 142 respectively extending therethrough. There is a gap between the first cavity 122 of the first shell 12 and the second cavity 142 of the second shell 14, i.e., a ray scanning cavity. The X-ray beam can pass through the gap and the patient to perform a CT scan. The scanning window assembly 30 covers the gap, thereby preventing the liquid in the scanning device from leaking out of the scanning frame 10 of the scanning device or the external liquid from penetrating into the scanning frame 10 of the scanning device. At the same time, when the patient or the operator applies force on the scanning window assembly 30, they do not contact the rotating parts to ensure safety, and in this way, the entire structure has less X-ray attenuation and is easy to assemble and disassemble.

[0047] like Figure 2 As shown, in a conventional CT scanning device, when a force is applied to the window layer of the scanning window assembly, the window layer of the scanning window assembly will be greatly deformed. The factors causing this deformation can be attributed to five factors: foam deformation, elastic band tilt, window layer movement, window layer elongation, deformation of the first cavity of the first shell near the ray scanning cavity side and the second cavity of the second shell near the ray scanning cavity side. The first three factors are the main ones. When subjected to a 250N test, the deformation of the scanning window of the conventional CT scanning device is relatively large.

[0048] First embodiment

[0049] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a scanning window assembly 30 for a scanning frame 10 according to a first embodiment of the present invention is shown, which exemplarily shows a first window joint member 308 and a second window joint member 310 of the scanning window assembly 30 . Figure 4A schematic diagram of the first shell 12 and the second shell 14 of the scanning frame 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention is shown, which exemplarily shows a first shell joint member 408 on the first shell 12 and a second shell joint member 410 on the second shell 14 .

[0050] Reference Figure 3 The scanning window assembly 30 may include an annular window body 302 (e.g., an annular thin layer) having an inner surface and an outer surface, an elastic band 304, an elastic soft sealing material 306, a first window joint 308, and a second window joint 310. The scanning window assembly 30 may be a detachable component. When assembling the scanning frame 10 of the scanning device, the scanning window assembly 30 is placed in the first cavity 122 of the first shell 12 and the second cavity 142 of the second shell 14 to engage with the first shell 12 and the second shell 14 and cover the gap between the first cavity 122 and the second cavity 142, i.e., the ray scanning cavity. Such engagement can limit the deformation of the annular window body 302 when an external force is applied to the scanning window assembly 30, and the compressed elastic soft sealing material prevents the leakage of liquid inside and outside the scanning device.

[0051] The annular window body 302 can be made of a thin layer material with low X-ray attenuation, has safety protection, and has easy deformation and resilience to restore the original shape when there is no external force. The first window joint, the second window joint, the elastic soft sealing material and the elastic band described below are all fixed or bonded to the annular window body. In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the annular window body 302 can be made of polycarbonate or other elastic thin layer materials with low X-ray attenuation.

[0052] The elastic band 304 is arranged on both sides of the inner surface of the annular window body 302 along the edge of the annular window body 302, providing elastic pressure to press the scanning window assembly 30 toward the first shell and the second shell in the first cavity 122 and the second cavity 142. In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the elastic band 304 can be made of stainless steel or other elastic materials.

[0053] The elastic soft sealing material 306 can be arranged on both sides of the outer surface of the annular window body 302 along the edge of the annular window body 302. When the elastic band presses the scanning window assembly 30 toward the first shell and the second shell in the first cavity 122 and the second cavity 142 for the entire circumference, the elastic soft sealing material between the annular window body and the first elastic sealing area on the first shell and the second elastic sealing area on the second shell is compressed, and a sealing state is achieved between them to prevent liquid leakage between the first shell 12 and the annular window body 302 and between the second shell 14 and the annular window body 302. The elastic soft sealing material 306 can have a large deformability and restore its original shape under the action of elastic force when there is no external force. In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the elastic soft sealing material 306 can be a relatively soft elastic material, such as foam rubber.

[0054] Reference Figure 4 The first shell engaging member 408 may be fixed in the cavity 122 of the first shell 12 or may be a part of the first shell 12 , and the second shell engaging member 410 may be fixed in the cavity 142 of the second shell 14 or may be a part of the second shell 14 .

[0055] The first window engaging member 308 and the second window engaging member 310 are respectively arranged on both sides of the outer surface of the annular window body 302, and the first window engaging member 308 is used to engage with the first shell engaging member 408 of the first shell 12, and the second window engaging member 310 is used to engage with the second shell engaging member 410 of the second shell 14. The engagement of the first window engaging member 308 with the first shell engaging member 408 and the engagement of the second window engaging member 310 with the second shell engaging member 410 are respectively achieved by adopting one of the following methods: convex / concave engagement locking, buckle engagement locking (Velcro engagement locking), convex / concave rotational contact engagement locking, tightly attached surface engagement locking, and adhesive engagement locking.

[0056] In the current embodiment, convex / concave engagement is adopted to realize the meshing of the first window engaging member 308 with the first shell engaging member 408 and the meshing of the second window engaging member 310 with the second shell engaging member 410. Specifically, the first window engaging member 308 and / or the second window engaging member 310 include one or more teeth (i.e., convex surface) distributed along the circumference of the annular window body 302, and the one or more teeth have one or more layers of convex teeth in the axial direction of the annular window body 302, and the first shell engaging member 408 and / or the second shell engaging member 410 include one or more layers of tooth grooves of annular grooves (i.e., concave surface) in the axial direction of the annular window body 302.

[0057] Combined with Fig.11It can be seen that, optionally, the plurality of teeth can be distributed around the entire circumference (i.e., 360°) of the annular window body 302, and the teeth on the first shell joint 408 and the second shell joint 410 are also 360° annular. Fig.12 As shown, the plurality of teeth may surround a plurality of parts of the circumference of the annular window body 302 rather than the entire circumference, and accordingly, the teeth grooves may exist only on partial areas of the first shell engaging member 408 and the second shell engaging member 410 .

[0058] Additionally, optionally, Fig.13 As shown, the tooth grooves may be continuously distributed around the circumference of the annular window body 302. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. Fig.14 As shown, the teeth grooves may be discretely distributed at certain intervals around the circumference of the annular window body 302 .

[0059] In addition, the tooth member can be a convex body on the surface of the annular window body 302. For example, the tooth member can be a solid body formed by a convex portion rotatingly distributed along the outer surface of the annular window body 302, or can be a solid body formed by a convex portion sweeping the outer surface of the annular window body 302. The tooth groove can be a depression on the surface. For example, the tooth groove can be a groove formed by a concave portion rotatingly distributed along the inner surface of the cavity of the shell, or can be a groove formed by a concave portion sweeping the inner surface of the cavity of the shell. The shape and size between the tooth member and the tooth groove match. When the tooth member is engaged with the tooth groove, the relative movement and tilting between the tooth member and the tooth groove along the outer diameter direction and the axial direction of the annular window body 302 can be prevented.

[0060] In some embodiments, discrete or continuous teeth may be provided on the scanning window assembly 30. Continuous teeth may be used when continuous teeth can ensure that the scanning window assembly 30 has sufficient recoverable deformability to facilitate its assembly and disassembly. Discrete teeth may be used when continuous teeth cannot ensure that the scanning window assembly 30 has sufficient recoverable deformability to facilitate assembly and disassembly. For example, the scanning window assembly 30 may have discrete hard teeth, or may have continuous semi-hard rubber teeth. Of course, the scanning window assembly 30 may also have discrete semi-hard teeth, such as discrete rubber teeth.

[0061] Back to Figure 3 In the first embodiment, the first window engaging member 308 and the second window engaging member 310 are respectively shown as a plurality of teeth (i.e., convex surfaces) distributed at a certain interval, and each of the plurality of teeth has two layers of convex teeth in the axial direction of the annular window body 302. Figure 4 As shown, the first housing engaging member 408 and the second housing engaging member 410 each include two tooth grooves in the axial direction of the annular window body 302 , which are respectively used to engage and lock with the corresponding two layers of convex tooth members on the first window engaging member 308 and the second window engaging member 310 .

[0062] Figure 5 The first embodiment of the present invention is shown Figure 3 The scanning window assembly 30 shown is Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the engagement locking seal structure between the first shell 12 and the second shell 14. The first window engaging member 308 and the second window engaging member 310 on both sides of the outer surface of the annular window body 302 can be relatively engaged in the first shell engaging member 408 and the second shell engaging member 410, by each window engaging member (e.g., Figure 3 The toothed member in the housing) and the corresponding housing engaging member (ie, Figure 4 The scanning window assembly 30 is fixed by engaging and locking with the tooth grooves in the scanning window assembly 30, thereby achieving hard or semi-hard engagement between the scanning window assembly 30 and the first shell 12 and the second shell 14. As a result, even if a thinner annular window body (for example, an annular thin layer) is used, its deformation is small when a force is applied. In this way, the scanning window assembly 30 can simultaneously achieve liquid sealing, safety protection against external forces, small X-ray attenuation, and convenience of easy assembly and disassembly.

[0063] Second embodiment

[0064] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the engagement locking seal structure between the scanning window assembly 30 and the first shell 12 and the second shell 14 according to the second embodiment of the present invention is shown. Most of the details of the engagement locking seal structure according to the second embodiment are the same as those of the engagement locking seal structure according to the first embodiment, and will not be repeated here. The following mainly describes the differences between the second embodiment and the first embodiment.

[0065] Reference Figure 6 Different from the convex / concave joint used in the first embodiment, the engagement locking sealing structure according to the second embodiment adopts Velcro engagement locking (i.e., Velcro) to achieve the engagement of the first window joint 308 with the first shell joint 408 and the engagement locking of the second window joint 310 with the second shell joint 410.

[0066] Specifically, the first window joint member 308 and / or the second window joint member 310 and the corresponding first shell joint member 408 and / or the second shell joint member 410 are respectively Velcro hooks and Velcro loops to form a set of Velcro fasteners, thereby achieving engagement and locking between the scanning window assembly 30 and the first shell 12 and the second shell 14.

[0067] Third embodiment

[0068] Figure 7A schematic diagram of the engagement locking seal structure between the scanning window assembly 30 and the first shell 12 and the second shell 14 according to the third embodiment of the present invention is shown. Most of the details of the engagement locking seal structure according to the third embodiment are the same as those of the engagement locking seal structure according to the first embodiment, and are not described in detail here. The following mainly describes the differences between the third embodiment and the first embodiment.

[0069] Reference Figure 7 Different from the combination of two layers of convex teeth and two layers of tooth grooves in the first embodiment, in the third embodiment, the multiple teeth on the scanning window assembly 30 are single-layer convex teeth on both sides of the outer surface of the annular window body 302. That is, the first window joint member 308 and / or the second window joint member 310 include one or more teeth (i.e., convex surface), and the one or more teeth have a single layer of convex teeth in the axial direction of the annular window body 302, and the first and / or second housing joint members 408, 410 include a layer of concave tooth grooves in the axial direction of the annular window body 302.

[0070] Fourth embodiment

[0071] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the engagement locking seal structure between the scanning window assembly 30 and the first shell 12 and the second shell 14 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention is shown. Most of the details of the engagement locking seal structure according to the fourth embodiment are the same as those of the engagement locking seal structure according to the first embodiment, and are not described in detail here. The following mainly describes the differences between the fourth embodiment and the first embodiment.

[0072] Reference Figure 8 Different from the combination of two layers of convex teeth and two layers of concave grooves in the first embodiment, in the fourth embodiment, the first window engaging member 308 includes one or more flat teeth distributed along the circumference of the annular window body 302, and the second window engaging member 310 includes one or more protrusions distributed along the circumference of the annular window body 302. The first housing engaging member 408 includes a flat tooth groove for engaging the one or more flat teeth, and the first housing engaging member 410 includes one or more inclined or spiral internal teeth for engaging the one or more protrusions, thereby achieving the meshing and locking between the scanning window assembly 30 and the first housing 12 and the second housing 14.

[0073] In addition, the first shell joint 408 having flat teeth enables the scanning window assembly 30 having flat teeth to rotate freely along the circumference of the annular window body 302 without axial movement, so that the scanning window assembly 30 can rotate until the protrusion on the scanning window assembly 30 contacts the surface of the inclined or spiral internal teeth of the second shell joint.

[0074] Fifth embodiment

[0075] Fig. 9 and Fig.10 A schematic diagram of the engagement locking seal structure between the scanning window assembly 30 and the first shell 12 and the second shell 14 according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention is shown. Most of the details of the engagement locking seal structure according to the fifth embodiment are the same as those of the engagement locking seal structure according to the first embodiment, and will not be repeated here. The following mainly describes the differences between the fifth embodiment and the first embodiment.

[0076] Different from the convex / concave engagement adopted in the first embodiment, the fifth embodiment adopts a tightly attached surface engagement to achieve the engagement of the first window engagement member 308 with the first shell engagement member 408 and the engagement of the second window engagement member 310 with the second shell engagement member 410. When the tightly attached surface engagement is adopted, the first window engagement member and / or the second window engagement member is a continuous cylindrical or continuous conical shape and is made of a semi-rigid material, and the first shell engagement member and / or the second shell engagement member has a cylindrical or conical hard inner surface to match the cylindrical or conical first window engagement member and / or the second window engagement member. The semi-rigid material can refer to a material with a certain deformability and a resilience to restore the original shape when there is no external force, so as to ensure that the scanning window assembly 30 has sufficient recoverable deformability to facilitate its assembly and disassembly.

[0077] In theory, the closely attached surface engagement can be regarded as a special case of convex / concave engagement when the concavity / convexity of the concave / convex surface approaches zero, at which time the engagement becomes a cylindrical or conical engagement. When force is applied to the scanning window assembly 30, the semi-rigid cylindrical or conical engagement can limit the deformation of the annular window body 302.

[0078] Specific reference Fig. 9 The first window joint member 308 and the second window joint member 310 are continuous semi-rigid cylinders, and the first shell joint member 408 and the second shell joint member 410 have cylindrical hard inner surfaces for respectively engaging and locking the continuous semi-rigid cylindrical first window joint member 308 and the second window joint member 310, thereby achieving semi-rigid engagement and locking between the scanning window assembly 30 and the first shell 12 and the second shell 14.

[0079] Refer to Fig.10 The first window joint member 308 and the second window joint member 310 are continuous semi-rigid cones, and the first shell joint member 408 and the second shell joint member 410 have a cone-shaped hard inner surface for engaging the continuous semi-rigid cone-shaped first window joint member 308 and the second window joint member 310, thereby achieving a semi-rigid engagement and locking between the scanning window assembly 30 and the first shell 12 and the second shell 14.

[0080] In the above two cases (cylindrical meshing locking or cone meshing locking), a material with suitable hardness (i.e., semi-hard) is used to form the cylindrical or cone-shaped first window joint member 308 and the second window joint member 310 on the scanning window assembly 30. At the same time, there should be a sufficiently high friction coefficient and friction force between the cylindrical or cone-shaped first window joint member 308 and the first shell joint member 408 materials and between the second window joint member 310 and the second shell joint member 410 materials on the scanning window assembly 30 to prevent relative sliding therebetween. Specifically, for example, a rubber material can be used as one of the materials with suitable hardness for the cylindrical or cone-shaped first window joint member 308 and the second window joint member 310. Due to the high friction coefficient between the meshing locking members, there is a large friction force under the elastic pressure of the elastic band 304, which can prevent the scanning window assembly 30 from moving relative to the first shell 12 and the second shell 14 of the scanning frame. Of course, any other material with suitable hardness and friction coefficient may also be used as long as it can prevent the scanning window assembly 30 and the first shell 12 and the second shell 14 of the scanning frame from moving relative to each other.

[0081] For example, the first window engaging member 308 and / or the second window engaging member 310 of the scanning window assembly 30 may be formed of cylindrical or cone-shaped semi-rigid materials discretely distributed along the annular scanning window body 302 .

[0082] Sixth embodiment

[0083] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the engagement locking seal structure between the scanning window assembly 30 and the first shell 12 and the second shell 14 according to the second embodiment of the present invention is shown. Most of the details of the engagement locking seal structure according to the sixth embodiment are the same as those of the engagement locking seal structure according to the first embodiment, and are not described in detail here. The following mainly describes the differences between the sixth embodiment and the first embodiment.

[0084] Reference Figure 6 Different from the convex / concave joint used in the first embodiment, the meshing locking sealing structure according to the sixth embodiment adopts a removable adhesive meshing locking to achieve the meshing locking sealing of the first window joint 308 and the first shell joint 408 and the meshing locking sealing of the second window joint 310 and the second shell joint 410.

[0085] The above-mentioned meshing locking sealing structures according to the second to sixth embodiments can be used in combination with each other, and can also be used in combination with the first embodiment in part or in whole. And similar to the first embodiment, the meshing locking sealing structures according to these embodiments make it possible to deform very little when a force is applied even if a thinner annular window body (e.g., an annular thin layer) is used. In this way, the scanning window assembly 30 can simultaneously achieve liquid sealing, safety protection against external forces, small X-ray attenuation, and convenience for easy assembly and disassembly. However, it should be noted that the meshing locking sealing structure according to the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described herein, and it can also include other alternative implementations. For example, other types of meshing locking teeth can be used, or the annular window body itself can have a tooth function to directly adhere to the first shell and the second shell for meshing and locking, or other numbers of tooth layers can be used. As another example, other tooth distributions can be set, or different types of joints can be combined on both sides of the outer surface of the scanning window assembly.

[0086] The scanning window assembly for a CT scanning device and the CT scanning device including the scanning window assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention are described in detail above. The scanning window assembly includes a combination of hard or semi-hard engagement, elastic soft material sealing, and elastic band pressing. In particular, the elastic soft sealing material seals the liquid leakage in and out between the scanning frame housing and the scanning window to obtain high waterproofness; while the hard or semi-hard engagement can limit the tilting and movement of the elastic band and the scanning window assembly, thereby reducing the deformation of the scanning window; the elastic band can provide pressure to press the scanning window toward the outer diameter direction of the scanning frame housing cavity, thereby maintaining its sealing and engagement; the elasticity of the annular window body can also provide similar pressing force. The above configuration can also maintain the scanning window assembly with a certain elastic deformability to facilitate assembly and disassembly flexibility.

[0087] In addition, the CT scanning device including the above scanning window assembly has the following advantages:

[0088] 1) Maintain external force protection against thin scanning windows

[0089] Due to the meshing and locking sealing structure between the scanning window assembly and the scanning device housing, the deformation of the annular window body is reduced, which means that even if, for example, the patient's body, especially the elbow, presses hard on the thinner window body, the patient's body will be safe.

[0090] 2) Smaller X-ray attenuation is achieved with smaller annular window body deformation

[0091] Because the deformation of the annular window body is small, a thinner scanning window layer can be used under safe conditions of patient force, which can result in less X-ray attenuation.

[0092] It should be understood that the above description is illustrative and not restrictive. For example, the above embodiments (and / or their various aspects) can be used in combination with each other. In addition, without departing from the scope of the present invention, many modifications can be made to adapt specific conditions or materials to the teachings of the various embodiments of the present invention. Although the size and type of the material described herein are used to define the parameters of the various embodiments of the present invention, the various embodiments are not meant to be restrictive, but exemplary embodiments. In the case of reading the above description, many other embodiments are obvious to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the scope of the various embodiments of the present invention should be determined with reference to the attached claims, and the full range of equivalent forms claimed by these claims.

Claims

1. A scanning frame of a CT scanning device, comprising: a first housing having a first cavity; a second housing, the second housing being disposed opposite to the first housing, the second housing having a second cavity, wherein a gap exists between the first cavity and the second cavity; A scanning window component, the scanning window component comprising: an annular window body having an inner surface and an outer surface; A first window engaging member disposed on an outer surface of the annular window body for engaging with the first housing; and a second window engaging member, disposed on the outer surface of the annular window body for engaging with the second housing, wherein the scanning window assembly seals and covers the gap; and An elastic band is arranged on both sides of the inner surface of the annular window body along the edge of the annular window body to provide pressure to press the scanning window assembly toward the first shell and the second shell along the outer diameter direction of the scanning window assembly throughout the entire circumference.

2. The scanning frame according to claim 1, characterized in that: The engagement of the first window engaging member with the first shell and the engagement of the second window engaging member with the second shell are respectively achieved by adopting one of the following methods: convex / concave engagement locking, convex / concave rotational contact engagement locking, tightly adhered surface engagement locking, adhesive engagement locking, and snap engagement locking.

3. The scanning frame according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the locking is implemented by convex / concave engagement, the first and / or second window engaging member includes a tooth member having one or more layers of convex teeth in the axial direction of the annular window body, and the first and / or second shell includes one or more layers of concave tooth grooves in the axial direction of the annular window body.

4. The scanning frame according to claim 1, characterized in that: In the case of adopting convex / concave rotational contact engagement locking, the first window joint includes one or more flat teeth distributed along the circumference of the annular window body, the second window joint includes one or more protrusions distributed along the circumference of the annular window body, the first shell includes flat teeth for engaging the one or more flat teeth, and the second shell includes one or more inclined or spiral internal teeth for engaging the one or more protrusions.

5. The scanning frame according to claim 1, characterized in that: In the case of adopting closely attached surface engagement locking, the first and / or second window engaging member is cylindrical or conical and made of semi-rigid material, and the first and / or second housing has a corresponding cylindrical or conical hard inner surface.

6. The scanning frame according to claim 1, characterized in that: In the case of adopting snap-on locking, the first window engaging member and / or the second window engaging member and the corresponding first shell engaging member and / or the second shell engaging member are respectively Velcro hook members and Velcro ring members to form a set of snap-on locking.

7. The scanning frame according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the engagement and locking is implemented by using adhesive, the engagement and locking of the first window joint member and / or the second window joint member and the corresponding first shell joint member and / or the second shell joint member are formed by using an adhesive that can be disassembled and assembled multiple times.

8. The scanning frame according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The first window joint piece and / or the second window joint piece is continuous along the circumferential direction of the annular window body.

9. The scanning frame according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The first window joint piece and / or the second window joint piece has a plurality of discrete sub-joint pieces along the circumferential direction of the annular window body.

10. The scanning frame according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The first window engaging member and / or the second window engaging member surround the entire circumference of the annular window body, or the first window engaging member and / or the second window engaging member surround a partial circumference of the annular window body.

11. The scanning frame according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The scanning window assembly also includes: An elastic soft sealing material is provided on both sides of the outer surface of the annular window body along the edge of the annular window body, and the elastic soft sealing material is compressed and deformed under the elastic pressure of the scanning window assembly to achieve sealing between the first shell and the scanning window assembly and between the second shell and the scanning window assembly.

12. A CT scanning device, comprising A scanning frame as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 11.

Images