A tube with motion compensation function and a radiographic imaging system having the same

Abstract

The present invention discloses a tube with motion compensation function and a ray imaging system having the same. The tube includes a tube body, a tube core, a linear motor and a controller. The tube body is a sealed hollow container. The tube body has at least one window for rays to pass through. The tube core is arranged inside the tube body. The rays emitted by the tube core pass through the window. The controller is connected to the tube core. The controller is used to control the exposure time, exposure voltage and current of the tube core. The tube of the present invention can obtain motion compensation during movement, realize high-quality imaging of the ray imaging system, and has the advantages of small size and light weight. It can realize the motion compensation function without generating metal impurities, and is safe and reliable.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the field of medical instruments, and in particular to a tube with a motion compensation function and a ray imaging system having the same. Background Art

[0002] The tube, also known as the X-ray tube or tube ball, is used to generate X-rays and is the core component of the X-ray generator. The CT tube is not only the key component for generating X-rays in CT equipment, but also the signal source carrier of CT equipment and the "high-value consumables" of CT equipment.

[0003] At present, the position of the tubes on the market is fixed in the tube core. Even if the anode target of some tubes rotates, the focus of the X-ray is stationary. This is beneficial for most tube application scenarios, but for some special tube application scenarios, such as breast tomography, one application scenario is to rotate the head part around the rotation center at a uniform speed, and emit X-rays at a certain interval while rotating. During the exposure of the tube core, the tube core also has a certain displacement with the head, which has a certain negative impact on the imaging quality; another application scenario of breast tomography is that the head rotates to a specific angle, stops rotating, and the tube is connected to high voltage to complete the exposure. Since the tube is absolutely stationary during the exposure process, the imaging quality is relatively good. However, during the scanning process, the entire system needs to start, accelerate, stop, wait for the system vibration to disappear, and other processes. The scanning process usually requires more than 20 exposures, and each exposure takes a long time. The entire scanning process lasts for a long time, which is very unfriendly to the scanned patients.

[0004] At the same time, miniaturization and lightweight are the development trends of ball tubes. Impurities are not allowed in the cooling oil in the ball tubes, so the improvement of the ball tubes is difficult. Summary of the invention

[0005] In order to solve the problems of the prior art, the present invention provides a tube with motion compensation function and a radiographic imaging system having the same, which can achieve high-quality imaging while moving. The technical solution is as follows:

[0006] In one aspect, the present invention provides a tube with motion compensation function, the tube comprising

[0007] A tube body, which is a sealed hollow container and has at least one window for rays to pass through;

[0008] A tube core, the tube core is arranged inside the tube body, and the rays emitted by the tube core pass through the window;

[0009] A motion compensation system, the motion compensation system is used to drive the tube core to make a compensating motion when the tube moves, and the motion compensation system is connected to an external terminal control system;

[0010] A controller is connected to the tube core, and is used to control the exposure time, exposure voltage and current of the tube core.

[0011] Furthermore, the motion compensation system includes a linear motor, and the linear motor includes a stator and a mover, the stator is connected to the tube body, and the mover is connected to the tube core.

[0012] Furthermore, the motion compensation system includes

[0013] A stator magnetic shielding cover, wherein the stator magnetic shielding cover at least shields a side portion of the stator;

[0014] A mover magnetic shielding cover, wherein the mover magnetic shielding cover at least covers the bottom of the mover, and the mover magnetic shielding cover is arranged between the mover and the tube core.

[0015] Furthermore, the stator magnetic shielding cover is arranged in coordination with the mover magnetic shielding cover, or the stator magnetic shielding cover and the mover magnetic shielding cover are an integrally formed structure.

[0016] Furthermore, the tube also includes

[0017] A tube core fixing frame, the tube core fixing frame is made of an insulating material, the tube core fixing frame is arranged at one end of the tube core, and the tube core fixing frame is used to fix the tube core on the mover;

[0018] An auxiliary fixing piece is made of an insulating material and is disposed at the other end of the tube core. The auxiliary fixing piece is used to fix the tube core on the mover.

[0019] Furthermore, the tube also includes a ray cover for limiting the shape of ray filtering, the ray cover is arranged between the tube core and the window, the ray cover is connected to the tube core, or the ray cover is connected to the mover.

[0020] Furthermore, the interior of the bulb body is filled with transformer oil.

[0021] Furthermore, a pressure sensor is arranged inside the tube body, and the pressure sensor is connected to an external terminal controller.

[0022] Furthermore, a temperature sensor is arranged inside the bulb body, and the temperature sensor is connected to an external terminal controller.

[0023] Furthermore, a flexible rubber layer is provided on the inner wall of the ball tube body.

[0024] In another aspect, the present invention provides a radiographic imaging system, comprising the tube as described above.

[0025] The beneficial effects brought by the technical solution provided by the present invention are as follows:

[0026] a. The tube has motion compensation function, which can achieve high-quality imaging while moving, easy to operate, fast speed, and better patient experience;

[0027] b. The tube has the advantages of small size and light weight;

[0028] c. No metal impurities will be generated while achieving motion compensation;

[0029] d. Disturb the cooling oil (transformer oil) while performing motion compensation to prevent the local temperature inside the tube from being too high. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.

[0031] Figure 1 is a structural exploded diagram of a ball tube with a flexible rubber layer provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 2 This is an application display diagram of the ball tube provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the split structure of the ball tube at an upward viewing angle provided by an embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] Among them, the figure marks include: 1-cover, 2-O-ring, 3-control circuit board, 4-auxiliary fixing part, 5-temperature sensor, 6-pressure sensor, 7-housing, 8-ray cover, 9-tube core fixing frame, 10-tube core, 11-mover magnetic shielding cover, 12-linear motor, 13-stator magnetic shielding cover, 14-pillar, 15-flexible rubber layer, 16-spherical tube body, 17-X-ray, 18-window. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] In order to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the scheme of the present invention, the technical scheme in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work should fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0036] It should be noted that the terms "first", "second", etc. in the specification and claims of the present invention and the above-mentioned drawings are used to distinguish similar objects, and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that the data used in this way can be interchanged where appropriate, so that the embodiments of the present invention described herein can be implemented in an order other than those illustrated or described herein. In addition, the terms "including" and "having" and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions, for example, a process, method, device, product or equipment that includes a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units clearly listed, but may include other steps or units that are not clearly listed or inherent to these processes, methods, products or equipment.

[0037] One embodiment of the present invention provides a tube with motion compensation function, such as Figure 1 As shown, the ball tube includes

[0038] The tube body is a sealed hollow container having at least one window 18 for the rays to pass through. Figure 1 As shown, the tube body 1 includes a shell 7 and a cover plate 1, and the window 18 is optionally arranged on the surface of the shell 7;

[0039] A tube core 10, wherein the tube core 10 is disposed inside the tube body, and the rays emitted by the tube core 10 pass through the window 18;

[0040] A motion compensation system, the motion compensation system is used to drive the tube core 10 to make a compensating motion when the tube moves, and the motion compensation system is connected to an external terminal control system;

[0041] A controller 3 is connected to the tube core 10 , and is used to control the exposure time, exposure voltage and current of the tube core 10 .

[0042] like Figure 2As shown, when the tube is working, the exposure time is pre-programmed in the controller. In the trajectory of the moving work, the controller controls the exposure of the tube core at the preset time. At the same time, the controller feeds back the exposure information to the external terminal controller, and the external terminal controller controls the motion compensation system so that the motion compensation system drives the tube core to move. The direction of the tube core movement is opposite to the direction of the tube movement, and the speed of the tube core movement is equal to the speed of the tube movement. Therefore, during exposure, although the tube is still moving, since the tube core moves in the opposite direction relative to the tube at an equal speed, the tube core is almost stationary relative to the earth reference system (or relative to the object under examination), and the emitted X-ray 17 will not deviate, so the imaging quality is high.

[0043] like Figure 2 As shown, in the case where multiple positions and multiple angles are required for imaging, it is only necessary to set multiple exposure times in the controller, control the tube core to make compensation movements at corresponding nodes during the tube movement, and control the tube core to reset at other positions during the tube movement. This method can obtain a considerable number of high-quality images at one time or in a short time.

[0044] In one embodiment of the present invention, the interior of the bulb body is filled with transformer oil, which serves to cool the components inside the bulb.

[0045] In one embodiment of the present invention, the motion compensation system comprises a linear motor, wherein the linear motor comprises a stator and a mover, wherein the stator is connected to the tube body, and the mover is connected to the tube core.

[0046] The operation of the ball tube requires high voltage electricity and no metal impurities can exist in the cavity. The movement of the tube core 10 in the ball tube is driven by a linear motor 12, which is directly driven by a magnetic coil. Compared with the traditional screw drive, the stator and the mover are not in direct contact. It is a frictionless movement and no impurities will be generated due to friction. At the same time, the magnetic coil directly drives the motor to achieve high-speed and high-acceleration movement, and no vibration will be generated at high speed. A cross roller guide is used between the mover and the stator of the linear motor. The contact during rolling is line contact, so it has higher rigidity and requires less preload. This design reduces friction and achieves smoother movement. Since the entire guide rail is immersed in transformer oil, the rolling will be smoother. The rollers in the copper ball guide rail have been quenched, and the surface hardness is relatively high. It is not easy to wear, which is conducive to reducing impurities generated by friction.

[0047] Compared with traditional linear drive mechanisms, linear motors have a compact structure and fewer components. Adding a linear motor does not significantly increase the weight and volume of the tube.

[0048] In addition, when the motor makes compensating motion in the bulb tube, it drives the flow of transformer oil, accelerates the transfer of heat, speeds up the cooling of the tube core, and increases the life of the bulb tube.

[0049] In one embodiment of the present invention, the motion compensation system comprises

[0050] A stator magnetic shield 13, the stator magnetic shield at least shielding the side of the stator;

[0051] A mover magnetic shielding cover 11 at least covers the bottom of the mover, and the mover magnetic shielding cover is arranged between the mover and the tube core.

[0052] The magnetic drive coil of the linear motor may have an adverse effect on the electron beam of the tube core 10 when it is working. The present invention eliminates the influence of the magnetic field on the tube core by fixing the stator magnetic shield 13 with the stator coil and fixing the mover magnetic shield 11 with the mover coil. The assembly structure of the stator magnetic shield 13, the mover magnetic shield 11 and the linear motor is as shown in FIG. Figure 3 shown.

[0053] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the stator magnetic shield is arranged in cooperation with the mover magnetic shield, such as Figure 1 As shown, or, the stator magnetic shield and the mover magnetic shield are an integrally formed structure. Such a setting can achieve a better shielding effect, be more reliable, and reduce costs.

[0054] In one embodiment of the present invention, the tube further comprises

[0055] A tube core fixing frame 9, wherein the tube core fixing frame 9 is made of an insulating material, the tube core fixing frame 9 is arranged at one end of the tube core 10, and the tube core fixing frame 9 is used to fix the tube core 10 on the mover;

[0056] An auxiliary fixing member 4 is made of insulating material and is disposed at the other end of the tube core 10 . The auxiliary fixing member 4 is used to fix the tube core 10 on the mover.

[0057] The tube core fixing frame 9 and the auxiliary fixing member 4 are used to fix the tube core 10 so that the tube core is less affected by the vibration of the tube. Preferably, the tube core fixing frame 9 and the auxiliary fixing member 4 are both made of insulating engineering plastics, and more preferably, the inner ring mechanism of the auxiliary fixing member 4 is made of elastic insulating rubber, which can buffer and isolate vibration.

[0058] In one embodiment of the present invention, the tube further includes a ray cover 8 for limiting the shape of ray filtering, the ray cover 8 is disposed between the tube core 10 and the window 18, and the ray cover 8 is connected to the tube core 10, or the ray cover 8 is connected to the mover. The ray cover is always stationary relative to the tube core and moves synchronously with the tube core. Obviously, a buffer structure can also be provided at the connection between the ray cover 8 and the tube core or the mover.

[0059] It should be noted that the “connection” mentioned in the above embodiments refers not only to direct connection but also to indirect connection.

[0060] In one embodiment of the present invention, a pressure sensor 6 is provided inside the tube body, and the pressure sensor 6 is connected to an external terminal controller. When the tube is working, the temperature inside the tube rises, and the expansion and contraction of the cooling oil causes the pressure inside the tube to rise. The pressure sensor detects the pressure and transmits the data to the external terminal controller to monitor whether the tube is safe to use and whether there is a risk of accidental damage caused by over-temperature.

[0061] In one embodiment of the present invention, a temperature sensor 5 is provided inside the bulb body, and the temperature sensor 5 is connected to the external terminal controller. The temperature sensor detects the temperature of the cooling oil, and its function is similar to that of a pressure sensor, and can play a role in safety monitoring.

[0062] In one embodiment of the present invention, a flexible rubber layer 15 is provided on the inner wall of the bulb tube to provide a buffer when the cooling oil undergoes a corresponding volume change due to temperature change, thereby protecting the bulb tube and components inside the bulb tube.

[0063] The following is a practical application of the present invention as an example for demonstration. Figure 1 As shown:

[0064] A tube design with motion compensation function, the principle of which is to compensate for external vibration by driving the tube core to make linear motion inside the tube body through a built-in linear motor. The structure includes a cover plate 1, an O-ring 2, a controller 3, an auxiliary fixing part 4, a temperature sensor 5, a pressure sensor 6, a shell 7, a ray cover 8, a tube core fixing frame 9, a tube core 10, a mover magnetic shielding cover 11, a linear motor 12, a stator magnetic shielding cover 13 and other components. The ray cover 8 is used to control the filtering shape of the X-ray beam and is also installed on the mover shielding cover 11 of the linear motor mover, such as Figure 3 The ball tube body comprises a cover plate 1 and a shell 7. Preferably, an O-ring is provided between the cover plate 1 and the shell 7. The O-ring is used for sealing to prevent the cooling oil in the ball tube body from leaking.

[0065] In one embodiment of the present invention, a radiographic imaging system is provided, comprising a flat panel detector and the above-mentioned tube, and optionally further comprising an image processing unit and an image display unit. Another practical application of the present invention is provided below. Figure 1 As shown:

[0066] The controller 3 is installed on a support column 14 , and the support column 14 is used to fix the controller 3 .

[0067] The flexible rubber layer 15 can not only absorb the thermal expansion and contraction of the cooling oil, but also reduce the turbulence when the ball tube performs the compensating movement, thereby increasing the stability of the system.

[0068] Figure 2 The application of the embodiment of the present invention in breast tomosynthesis is demonstrated:

[0069] In breast tomosynthesis, the first application scenario is to rotate the head (tube body) around the rotation center at a constant speed, and emit X-rays 17 at a certain interval during the rotation. During the exposure of the tube core, the tube core also has a certain displacement with the head, which has a certain impact on the imaging. The advantage is that the imaging speed is faster. It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the tube body being Figure 1 Medium square shape, such as Figure 2 The spherical tube body 16 in the embodiment is also an implementable technical solution.

[0070] The second application scenario of breast tomography is that the head rotates to a specific angle, stops rotating, and the tube is connected to high voltage to complete the exposure. Since the tube is absolutely still during the exposure process, the image quality is relatively good. However, during the scanning process, the entire system needs to be constantly started, accelerated, stopped, and wait for the system vibration to disappear. The scanning process usually requires more than 20 exposures, and each exposure takes a long time. The entire scanning process lasts for a long time, which is very unfriendly to the patient being scanned.

[0071] If the scene is exposed, the tube core part has a speed V in the opposite direction for compensation, such as Figure 2 As shown, the superposition of the two movements can basically ensure that the tube core has only a small displacement, and the imaging quality of scene two can be achieved with the exposure time of scene one.

[0072] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present invention should be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A tube with motion compensation function, characterized in that: The tube includes A tube body, the tube body comprising an outer shell (7) and a cover plate (1), the cover plate (1) and the outer shell (7) being buckled together to form a sealed hollow container, the tube body having at least one window (18) for rays to pass through, the interior of the tube body being filled with transformer oil; A tube core (10), the tube core (10) being arranged inside the tube body, and the radiation emitted by the tube core (10) passing through the window (18); A motion compensation system, the motion compensation system is used to drive the tube core (10) to perform compensatory motion when the tube body moves, and the motion compensation system is connected to an external terminal control system; A controller (3), the controller (3) being connected to the tube core (10), and the controller being used to control the exposure time, exposure voltage and current of the tube core (10); The motion compensation system comprises a linear motor (12), which is directly driven by a magnetic coil and comprises a stator and a mover, wherein the stator is connected to the tube body and the mover is connected to the tube core (10); A cross roller guide is used between the mover and the stator. When rolling, the mover and the stator are in line contact. The entire cross roller guide is immersed in transformer oil. When the linear motor performs compensating motion in the ball tube body, it drives the flow of transformer oil. The rollers in the cross roller guide are quenched; The motion compensation system further comprises a stator magnetic shielding cover (13) and a mover magnetic shielding cover (11), wherein the stator magnetic shielding cover at least shields the side of the stator; the mover magnetic shielding cover at least shields the bottom of the mover, and the mover magnetic shielding cover is arranged between the mover and the tube core; The stator magnetic shielding cover is arranged in cooperation with the mover magnetic shielding cover, or the stator magnetic shielding cover and the mover magnetic shielding cover are an integrally formed structure.

2. The tube according to claim 1, characterized in that: The tube also includes A tube core fixing frame (9), the tube core fixing frame is made of an insulating material, the tube core fixing frame is arranged at one end of the tube core, and the tube core fixing frame is used to fix the tube core on the mover; An auxiliary fixing member (4), wherein the auxiliary fixing member is made of insulating material and is arranged at the other end of the tube core, and the auxiliary fixing member is used to fix the tube core on the mover.

3. The tube according to claim 2, characterized in that: The tube also includes a ray cover (8) for limiting the shape of ray filtering, wherein the ray cover is arranged between the tube core and the window, and is connected to the tube core, or the ray cover is connected to the mover.

4. The tube according to claim 1, characterized in that: A pressure sensor (6) and / or a temperature sensor (5) is arranged inside the bulb body, and the pressure sensor (6) and / or the temperature sensor (5) is connected to an external terminal control system.

5. The tube according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inner wall of the ball tube body is provided with a flexible rubber layer (15).

6. A radiographic imaging system, characterized in that: Comprising a bulb tube as described in any one of claims 1-5.

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