Scanning bed and Micro CT imaging system

Abstract

The present invention relates to a scanning table and a Micro CT imaging system. The scanning table includes an interface portion and a bed body. The bed body extends outward from the interface portion and is provided with a plurality of loading slots. The plurality of loading slots are coaxially arranged along the length of the bed body, and at least two of the loading slots are of different sizes. In the scanning table, the plurality of loading slots, at least two of which are of different sizes, are provided. Therefore, a loading slot of an appropriate size is selected based on the size of the scanned object, so that the scanned object can be placed at the center of the arc-shaped loading slot, with the axis of the loading slot aligned with the center of the imaging field of view (FOV). This ensures that the scanned object is placed at the center of the imaging field of view (FOV), while maintaining high image quality and improving scanning processing efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of scanning imaging technology, and in particular to a scanning bed and a Micro CT imaging system. Background Art

[0002] In the fields of life sciences and materials science, micro CT (also known as micro-CT, microfocus CT, or computed tomography) imaging systems are used to scan mice of varying sizes, mouse tissues and organs (such as trabecular bone, mouse legs, and teeth), zebrafish, and various materials and tissues. Micro CT typically utilizes a microfocus X-ray tube, unlike conventional clinical CT, and can scan and image live small animals or a variety of hard and soft tissues. Its resolution can reach several micrometers, second only to that of synchrotron X-ray imaging equipment, providing excellent "microscopic" capabilities.

[0003] To ensure high image quality (e.g., resolution), the object to be scanned must be placed on the scanning bed, centered within the field of view (FOV) on the xy plane. When switching between scanned objects of varying sizes, it's often necessary to switch to a different-sized scanning bed to accommodate the object, adjust the object to the center of the scan, or pad the sample with a material with a low X-ray absorption coefficient to center the sample in the FOV. This process inevitably reduces scan preprocessing efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, it is necessary to provide a scanning bed and a MicroCT imaging system for carrying a scan object to address the above problems, so as to improve the scanning processing efficiency.

[0005] The present invention first provides a scanning bed, including an interface part and a bed body, wherein the bed body extends outward from the interface part and is provided with a plurality of bearing slots, wherein the plurality of bearing slots are coaxially arranged along the length direction of the bed body, and at least two of the bearing slots have different sizes.

[0006] The scanning bed is provided with a plurality of loading slots, and at least two loading slots are of different sizes. Therefore, a loading slot of an appropriate size can be selected according to the size of the scanned object, so that the scanned object can be placed in the loading slot. The axis of the loading slot corresponds to the center of the imaging FOV, so that the scanned object is placed in the center of the imaging FOV. There is no need to frequently replace the scanning bed or add auxiliary positioning materials, thereby improving the scanning processing efficiency while ensuring high image quality.

[0007] In one embodiment, the bearing grooves are arc-shaped bearing grooves, and at least two of the bearing grooves have different radii.

[0008] This configuration limits the bearing slot to an arc shape, which can better adapt to the size of the scanned object, so that the scanned object is placed in the center of the imaging FOV, without the need to frequently replace the scanning bed or add auxiliary positioning materials, thereby improving the scanning processing efficiency while ensuring high image quality.

[0009] In one embodiment, the radii of the plurality of bearing grooves decrease sequentially along a direction away from the interface portion.

[0010] In one embodiment, the radii of the plurality of bearing grooves increase sequentially in a direction away from the interface portion.

[0011] With such an arrangement, the radius of the bearing groove increases or decreases in a direction away from the interface portion, which can facilitate the processing and grooving of the bed and ensure a neat appearance.

[0012] In one embodiment, the bed includes multiple bed sections, each of the bed sections is provided with a bearing slot, and the multiple bed sections are connected in sequence.

[0013] With such arrangement, the bed body is arranged in sections, which facilitates the opening of the bearing grooves on the bed body.

[0014] In one embodiment, the multiple sections of the bed are integrally formed.

[0015] Such an arrangement facilitates the processing and assembly of the bed, while ensuring the tightness of the connections between the multiple sections of the bed.

[0016] In one embodiment, at least two of the bed parts have different lengths, and the length of the bed part with the bearing groove having a larger radius is greater than the length of the bed part with the bearing groove having a smaller radius.

[0017] This arrangement ensures that scanning objects of different sizes can be placed in the bearing slots of corresponding radius.

[0018] In one embodiment, the number of the load-bearing slots is greater than or equal to three and less than or equal to eight.

[0019] Such an arrangement ensures that the scanning bed can be applied to scanning objects of various sizes while preventing the overall length of the scanning bed from being too long due to an excessive number of bed parts.

[0020] In one embodiment, the number of the bearing slots is four.

[0021] Such an arrangement ensures that a wide range of sizes of objects can be scanned and that the length of each bed portion is sufficiently long.

[0022] In one embodiment, the bed includes multiple bed sections, each of which is provided with a load-bearing slot, and the multiple bed sections are sequentially connected so that each two adjacent load-bearing slots are in a stepped shape.

[0023] Such an arrangement can reduce the weight of the bed while being applicable to scanning objects of various sizes, and can also ensure the imaging effect, thereby preventing poor imaging effect caused by the thick inner wall of the bearing groove.

[0024] The present invention also provides a Micro CT imaging system, comprising

[0025] X-ray source, used for emitting X-rays;

[0026] a detector for detecting X-rays passing through the scanned object; and

[0027] A scanning bed for carrying the scan object, wherein the scanning bed is any one of the scanning beds described above. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of an embodiment of a scanning bed provided by the present invention;

[0029] Figure 2 The present invention provides Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the structure from a top-down perspective;

[0030] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of another embodiment of the scanning bed provided by the present invention;

[0031] Figure 4 The present invention provides Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the structure from a top-down perspective;

[0032] Figure 5 A scanning schematic diagram of the CT imaging system provided for the invention.

[0033] Figure 10: Scanning bed; 11: Interface; 12: Bed; 121: Loading slot; 121a: First loading slot; 121b: Second loading slot; 121c: Third loading slot; 121d: Fourth loading slot; 122: Bed; 122a: First loading slot; 122b: Second loading slot; 122c: Third loading slot; 122d: Fourth loading slot; 123: Groove; 20: Scanning object; 30: Imaging FOV. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] The following will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 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 making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0035] It should be noted that when a component is referred to as being "mounted on" another component, it may be directly on the other component or there may be a central component. When a component is considered to be "set on" another component, it may be directly set on the other component or there may be a central component. When a component is considered to be "fixed to" another component, it may be directly fixed to the other component or there may be a central component.

[0036] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains. The terms used herein in the specification of the present invention are for the purpose of describing specific embodiments only and are not intended to limit the present invention. The term "or / and" as used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0037] like Figure 5 As shown, when scanning mice, mouse tissues and organs (such as trabecular bone, mouse legs, and teeth), zebrafish, and tissues of various sizes, conventional Micro CT imaging systems place high demands on the placement of the scanned object 20 to ensure high image quality (e.g., resolution) during scanning and imaging due to the relatively small size of mouse tissues and organs and zebrafish. In a Micro CT imaging system, the focus of the tube emits X-rays onto the active surface of the X-ray detector, forming an imaging FOV 30 in the xy plane. High image quality (e.g., resolution) is achieved at the center of the imaging FOV 30 in the xy plane. Therefore, the scanned object 20 must be placed on a conventional scanning bed, ensuring that the scanned object 20 is located at the center of the imaging FOV 30 in the xy plane. When switching to a scanning object 20 with a large size difference, it is usually necessary to switch to a scanning bed of different sizes to adapt to the scanning object 20, adjust the scanning object 20 to the scanning center, or use a material with a low X-ray absorption coefficient to pad the scanning object 20 so that the scanning object 20 is placed in the center of the imaging FOV 30. This process will inevitably reduce the efficiency of scan preprocessing.

[0038] In order to solve the above problems, Figures 1 to 5As shown, the present invention provides a scanning bed and a Micro CT imaging system. The Micro CT imaging system does not need to replace the scanning bed 10 when scanning objects 20 of different sizes, thereby ensuring high image quality while improving scanning processing efficiency.

[0039] like Figures 1 to 5 As shown, the present invention first provides a scanning bed 10 for carrying a scanned object, comprising an interface portion 11 and a bed body 12. The bed body 12 extends axially outward from the interface portion 11 and is provided with a plurality of bearing slots 121, at least two of which are of different sizes. The plurality of bearing slots 121 are coaxially arranged along the length of the bed body 12. The coaxial arrangement herein can be understood as meaning that the center of each bearing slot 121 corresponds to an axis along the length of the bed body 12, and each axis is on the same straight line. During scanning, the straight line corresponds to the center of the imaging FOV 30. Here, the different sizes of the bearing slots 121 can refer to different slot depths of the bearing slots 121.

[0040] Specifically, the carrying slot 121 is a space for accommodating the scanned object. Preferably, the carrying slot 121 is an arc-shaped carrying slot 121, and at least two carrying slots 121 have different radii.

[0041] As previously mentioned, in the related prior art, when switching between scanned objects 20 of varying sizes, it is necessary to switch to a different-sized scanning bed to accommodate the scanned object 20, or to pad the scanned object 20 with a material having a low X-ray absorption coefficient to assist in positioning, so that the scanned object 20 is placed at the center of the imaging FOV 30 on the xy plane to ensure high image quality (e.g., resolution). However, the scanning bed 10 provided by the present invention is provided with multiple arc-shaped support slots 121, with at least two support slots 121 having different radii. Therefore, it is possible to select a support slot 121 of the appropriate size based on the size of the scanned object 20, so that the scanned object 20 can be placed at the center of the arc-shaped support slot 121, with the axis of the support slot 121 aligned with the center of the imaging FOV 30. This ensures that the scanned object 20 is centered within the imaging FOV 30, eliminating the need for frequent replacement of the scanning bed 10 and the addition of auxiliary positioning materials. This ensures high image quality while improving scanning processing efficiency.

[0042] Furthermore, the central angle of the arc-shaped load-bearing groove 121 can be equal to 180°, or it can be greater than 180° or less than 180°, as long as it can bear the scanning object 20; preferably, the central angle of the arc-shaped load-bearing groove 121 is equal to 180°, which is convenient for the processing and grooving of the bed 12, and at the same time has better load-bearing capacity, and the scanning object 20 is not easy to fall from both sides, and it is also convenient for the user to place the scanning object 20 into the load-bearing groove 121.

[0043] like Figures 1 to 4 As shown, the bed 12 includes multiple sections of bed parts 122, each of which is provided with a bearing slot 121, and the multiple sections of bed parts 122 are connected in sequence. The bed part 122 is arranged in sections to facilitate the opening of the bearing slots 121 on the bed part 122. In one embodiment, the bearing slots 121 run through the length direction of the bed part 122, and each bearing slot 121 is connected to facilitate the processing and slotting of the bed part 122; in another embodiment, the length of each bearing slot 121 is less than the length of the corresponding bed part 122, and each bearing slot 121 is opened separately. When two adjacent bearing slots 121 are both placed with scanning objects 20, since there is no connection between the two adjacent bearing slots 121, the two scanning objects 20 will not affect each other.

[0044] Furthermore, the material of the bed portion 122 can be a carbon fiber composite material, which has the characteristics of high strength, low density, high X-ray transmittance, and low X-ray absorptivity. Of course, the bed portion 122 can be made of other materials, such as polycarbonate or other materials with low X-ray absorptivity, as long as it can meet the strength requirements for supporting the scanned object 20 and has high X-ray transmittance and low X-ray absorptivity.

[0045] like Figures 1 to 4 As shown, in one embodiment, the multi-segment bed 122 is integrally formed, facilitating the processing and assembly of the bed 12 while ensuring tight connections between the multiple segments 122. This also avoids processing and installation errors, reduces the effects of gravity, and ensures that the axis of the bearing slot 121 of the multi-segment bed 122 is centered over the imaging FOV 30 during scanning.

[0046] In one embodiment, the bed 12 and the interface portion 11 are integrally formed, facilitating the processing and assembly of the scanning bed 10 while ensuring a tight connection between the bed 12 and the interface portion 11. This also avoids processing and installation errors, reduces the effects of gravity, and ensures that the axis of the bearing slot 121 of the multi-segment bed portion 122 is centered over the imaging FOV 30 during scanning.

[0047] like Figures 1 to 4As shown, the number of loading slots 121 is greater than or equal to three and less than or equal to eight, that is, the number of loading slots can be 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, or 8, and the specific number can be customized according to actual application requirements. Because the scanning bed 10 needs to be used in conjunction with a Micro CT imaging system, the overall length of the scanning bed 10 is limited. To ensure that the scanning bed 10 can be used for scanning objects 20 of various sizes while preventing the overall length of the scanning bed 10 from being too long due to an excessive number of bed sections 122, the number of bed sections 122 needs to be greater than or equal to 3 and less than or equal to 8. Preferably, the number of bed sections 122 is 4 or 5. 4 or 5 bed sections 122 can ensure that a wide range of sizes of scanning objects 20 are applicable, and the length of each bed section 122 is sufficiently long, so that the overall length of the scanning bed 10 is not too long, and the influence of gravity is also reduced.

[0048] Taking the number of the bed sections 122 as an example, specifically, the bed sections 122 include a first bed section 122a, a second bed section 122b, a third bed section 122c, and a fourth bed section 122d. The first bed section 122a, the second bed section 122b, the third bed section 122c, and the fourth bed section 122d are respectively defined with a first loading groove 121a, a second loading groove 121b, a third loading groove 121c, and a fourth loading groove 121d. The radii of the first loading groove 121a, the second loading groove 121b, the third loading groove 121c, and the fourth loading groove 121d are R1, R2, R3, and R4, respectively. The lengths of the first bed section 122a, the second bed section 122b, the third bed section 122c, and the fourth bed section 122d are L1, L2, L3, and L4, respectively.

[0049] Furthermore, the radius of each bearing groove 121 and the length of each bed portion 122 can be customized according to actual application requirements, and the radius of each bearing groove 121 is required to be less than 150 mm.

[0050] like Figures 1 to 2As shown, in one embodiment, the radii of the first bearing groove 121a, the second bearing groove 121b, the third bearing groove 121c, and the fourth bearing groove 121d decrease successively in the direction away from the interface portion 11. At this time, R1 > R2 > R3 > R4, and the inner walls of the first bearing groove 121a, the second bearing groove 121b, the third bearing groove 121c, and the fourth bearing groove 121d are of equal thickness and relatively thin, so that a stepped shape is formed between every two adjacent bed portions 122. Since the radii of the first bearing groove 121a, the second bearing groove 121b, the third bearing groove 121c, and the fourth bearing groove 121d decrease successively in the direction away from the interface portion 11 and the inner walls are of equal thickness, the first bed portion 122a, the second bed portion 122b, the third bed portion 122c, and the fourth bed portion 122d are arranged in a stepped shape. Thus, while being applicable to scanning objects 20 with various different size differences, the weight of the bed 12 can be reduced, and at the same time, the imaging effect can be ensured, preventing the imaging effect from being poor or having certain differences due to the relatively thick or different thicknesses of the inner walls of the bearing grooves 121. Moreover, the equal thickness of the inner walls of the first bearing groove 121a, the second bearing groove 121b, the third bearing groove 121c, and the fourth bearing groove 121d can also ensure the regular appearance of the scanning bed �0.

[0051] As Figure 2 shown, the bearing grooves 121 with different radii can be applicable to scanning objects 20 of different sizes. R1 > R2 > R3 > R4, and L1 > L2 > L3 > L4, so that the length dimension of the bed portion 122 provided with the bearing groove 121 with a larger radius is greater than the length dimension of the bed portion 122 provided with the bearing groove 121 with a smaller radius, ensuring that scanning objects 20 of different sizes can be placed into the bearing grooves 121 with corresponding radii.

[0052] As Figures 3 and 4 shown, in another embodiment, the radii of the first bearing groove 121a, the second bearing groove 121b, the third bearing groove 121c, and the fourth bearing groove 121d increase successively in the direction away from the interface portion 11. At this time, R1 < R2 < R3 < R4. In this embodiment, since the radius R1 of the first bearing groove 121a is relatively small, if the inner walls of the first bearing groove 121a, the second bearing groove 121b, the third bearing groove 121c, and the fourth bearing groove 121d are of equal thickness, the contact area between the first bed portion 122a and the interface portion 11 will be relatively small, resulting in an unstable connection between the first bed portion 122a and the interface portion 11. Therefore, the outer diameters of the first bed portion 122a, the second bed portion 122b, the third bed portion 122c, and the fourth bed portion 122d are equal, forming a cylinder, so as to ensure the tightness of the connection between the first bed portion 122a and the interface portion 11 and the stability of the connection between each bed portion while ensuring the regular appearance.

[0053] As Figures 3 and 4 As shown, further, when the radii of the first bearing groove 121a, the second bearing groove 121b, the third bearing groove 121c, and the fourth bearing groove 121d increase in sequence along the direction away from the interface portion 11, grooves 123 are respectively formed on the sides of the first bed body portion 122a, the second bed body portion 122b, the third bed body portion 122c, and the fourth bed body portion 122d that face away from the first bearing groove 121a, the second bearing groove 121b, the third bearing groove 121c, and the fourth bearing groove 121d. This makes the inner wall thickness of the bearing groove 121 relatively thin and the inner walls of the first bearing groove 121a, the second bearing groove 121b, the third bearing groove 121c, and the fourth bearing groove 121d of equal thickness, so as to reduce the weight of the bed body 12. Moreover, by forming the grooves 123, the bed body portion 122 forms a rib structure, and at the same time, it can ensure the imaging effect and prevent the imaging effect from being poor due to the overly thick inner wall of the bearing groove 121. Of course, since the diameter of the fourth bearing groove 121d is relatively large, its inner wall is relatively thin, so the groove 123 may not be formed on the side of the fourth bed body portion 122d that faces away from the fourth bearing groove 121d.

[0054] As Figure 4 shown, the bearing grooves 121 with different radii can be applicable to scanning objects 20 of different sizes. Generally speaking, the length of a scanning object 20 with a relatively large radius is usually also relatively long. Therefore, according to R1 < R2 < R3 < R4, it is designed that L1 < L2 < L3 < L4, so that the length dimension of the bed body portion 122 provided with a bearing groove 121 with a larger radius is greater than the length dimension of the bed body portion 122 provided with a bearing groove 121 with a smaller radius, ensuring that scanning objects 20 of different sizes can be placed into the bearing grooves 121 with corresponding radii. Of course, the length dimensions of the first bed body portion 122a, the second bed body portion 122b, the third bed body portion 122c, and the fourth bed body portion 122d can also be equal, that is, L1 = L2 = L3 = L4.

[0055] Of course, in other embodiments, the radii of the first bearing groove 121a, the second bearing groove 121b, the third bearing groove 121c, and the fourth bearing groove 121d can also be set without a pattern. For example, the radii of the bearing grooves 121 on both sides are greater than the radius of the bearing groove 121 in the middle, or the bearing groove 121 with the smallest radius is in the middle position, etc., as long as it can be ensured that the radii of at least two bearing grooves 121 are different.

[0056] The present invention also provides a Micro CT imaging system comprising an X-ray source, a detector, and the aforementioned scanning bed 10. The X-ray source is used to emit X-rays; the detector is used to detect X-rays that pass through a scanned object; and the scanning bed is used to support the scanned object. Specifically, the Micro CT utilizes a microfocus X-ray tube with a resolution of up to several microns. It is suitable for scanning smaller scanned objects 20 of varying sizes, such as mice, mouse tissue organs (e.g., trabecular bone, mouse legs, teeth), zebrafish, and various materials and tissues. The interface portion 11 of the scanning bed 10 is removably connected to the interface of the Micro CT imaging system via a plug-in connection, ensuring a tight connection between the scanning bed 10 and the Micro CT imaging system while facilitating removal of the scanning bed 10 from the Micro CT imaging system.

[0057] During use, the user places the scan object 20 into the correspondingly sized loading slot 121 according to its size, so that the scan object 20 is located at the center of the arc-shaped loading slot 121. The user connects the interface portion 11 of the scanning bed 10 to the interface of the MicroCT imaging system so that the axis of the loading slot 121 and the center of the imaging FOV 30 are aligned, thereby placing the scan object 20 at the center of the imaging FOV 30. When it is necessary to switch to a scan object 20 of a larger size, the user disconnects the interface portion 11 of the scanning bed 10 from the interface of the MicroCT imaging system, removes the original scan object 20, and repeats the above steps with the new object 20 to be scanned. The scanning bed 10 can also simultaneously place multiple scan objects 20 of larger sizes into the correspondingly sized loading slots 121 and scan them simultaneously.

[0058] The technical features of the above-mentioned embodiments can be combined arbitrarily. In order to make the description concise, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above-mentioned embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0059] The above-described embodiments merely illustrate several implementations of the present invention, and while their descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the patent. It should be noted that a person skilled in the art would be able to make numerous variations and improvements without departing from the spirit of the present invention, all of which fall within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the patent for this invention shall be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A scanning bed for carrying a scanning object (20), characterized in that: include: Interface portion (11); as well as A bed body (12) is provided, wherein the bed body (12) extends outward from the interface portion (11), and the bed body (12) is provided with a plurality of bearing grooves (121). The plurality of bearing grooves (121) are coaxially arranged along the length direction of the bed body (12), and at least two of the bearing grooves (121) have different groove depths, and each two adjacent bearing grooves (121) are in a stepped shape.

2. The scanning bed according to claim 1, wherein: The bearing grooves (121) are arc-shaped bearing grooves (121), and at least two of the bearing grooves (121) have different radii.

3. The scanning bed according to claim 2, wherein: The radii of the plurality of bearing grooves (121) decrease sequentially along a direction away from the interface portion (11).

4. The scanning bed according to claim 2, wherein: The radii of the plurality of bearing grooves (121) increase sequentially along a direction away from the interface portion (11).

5. The scanning bed according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The bed body (12) comprises a plurality of bed body sections (122), each of the bed body sections (122) is provided with a bearing groove (121), and the plurality of bed body sections (122) are connected in sequence.

6. The scanning bed according to claim 5, wherein: The multiple sections of the bed body (122) are integrally formed.

7. The scanning bed according to claim 5, wherein: The lengths of at least two of the bed parts (122) are different, and the length of the bed part (122) with the bearing groove (121) having a larger radius is greater than the length of the bed part (122) with the bearing groove (121) having a smaller radius.

8. The scanning bed according to claim 5, wherein: The number of the bearing slots (121) is greater than or equal to three and less than or equal to eight.

9. The scanning bed according to claim 8, wherein: The number of the bearing slots (121) is four.

10. The scanning bed according to claim 1, wherein: The bed body (12) comprises a plurality of bed body sections (122), each of the bed body sections (122) is provided with a bearing groove (121), and the plurality of bed body sections (122) are connected in sequence.

11. A Micro CT imaging system, characterized in that: include X-ray source, used for emitting X-rays; a detector for detecting X-rays passing through the scanned object; and A scanning bed for carrying the scanned object, wherein the scanning bed is the scanning bed according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

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