A non-contact data transmission system and method for a CT imaging device

Abstract

The embodiment of the specification discloses a non-contact data transmission system for a CT imaging device, the CT imaging device comprising a gantry, the non-contact data transmission system comprising: a leaky transmission line arranged on one of a moving side of the gantry and a stationary side of the gantry; a coupled leaky transmission line arranged on the other of the moving side of the gantry and the stationary side of the gantry, for receiving a coupled signal from a near field of the leaky transmission line; a signal sending unit connected with the leaky transmission line, for inputting a to-be-transmitted signal into the leaky transmission line; a signal receiving unit connected with the coupled leaky transmission line, for extracting data from the coupled signal; and a signal distributor arranged between the signal sending unit and the leaky transmission line, for dividing a signal in the signal sending unit into a first path signal and a second path signal, the first path signal and the second path signal being injected from a port of the leaky transmission line.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This specification relates to the field of data transmission, and in particular to a non-contact data transmission system and method for computed tomography (CT) imaging equipment. Background Technology

[0002] Many applications in medical technology require the transmission of electrical signals or data between moving and stationary parts of a medical device. In other words, data transmission is necessary between the moving and stationary parts of a medical device. Currently, data transmission between moving and stationary parts of medical devices (e.g., CT imaging equipment) is typically achieved using non-contact antennas on slip rings, such as differential microstrip lines. However, using differential microstrip lines as non-contact antennas for data transmission usually requires relatively long microstrip lines to meet the data transmission requirements, resulting in high antenna costs. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This specification provides one or more embodiments of a non-contact data transmission system for a CT imaging device, the CT imaging device including a gantry, the non-contact data transmission system including: a leaky transmission line disposed on one of the moving side and the stationary side of the gantry; a coupling leaky transmission line disposed on the other of the moving side and the stationary side of the gantry, for receiving a coupling signal from the near field of the leaky transmission line; a signal transmitting unit connected to the leaky transmission line for inputting a signal to be transmitted into the leaky transmission line; a signal receiving unit connected to the coupling leaky transmission line for extracting data from the coupling signal; and a signal distributor disposed between the signal transmitting unit and the leaky transmission line for splitting the signal in the signal transmitting unit into a first signal and a second signal, the first signal and the second signal being injected from a port of the leaky transmission line.

[0004] In some embodiments, the first signal and the second signal are injected from at least two ports of the leaked transmission line, and the sum of the signal strengths of the first signal and the second signal is equal to the strength of the initial signal.

[0005] In some embodiments, the signal strengths of the first signal and the second signal are equal.

[0006] In some embodiments, a second leaky transmission line and a second coupled leaky transmission line are also included; the signal distributor distributes a third signal and a fourth signal from the signal transmitting unit, and the third signal and the fourth signal are injected from the port of the second leaky transmission line.

[0007] In some embodiments, the third signal and the fourth signal are injected from at least two ports of the second leaky transmission line, and the sum of the signal strengths of the third signal and the fourth signal is equal to the strength of the initial signal.

[0008] In some embodiments, the signal strength of the third signal is equal to that of the fourth signal.

[0009] In some embodiments, the leakage transmission line is provided with a first slot, and the coupling leakage transmission line is provided with a second slot, with the first slot and the second slot being provided correspondingly.

[0010] In some embodiments, the rack is ring-shaped, and the leakage transmission line is arranged in a ring on one of the moving side and the stationary side of the rack; the arrangement angle of the leakage transmission line is less than or equal to 360°, and the sum of the angles of the leakage transmission line and the coupled leakage transmission line is greater than or equal to 360°.

[0011] In some embodiments, a second leakage transmission line is further included, which is arranged in the inner ring, outer ring, or overlapping with the leakage transmission line.

[0012] This specification also provides one or more embodiments of a non-contact data transmission method for a CT imaging device. The CT imaging device includes: a gantry, a leaky transmission line, a coupled leaky transmission line, a signal transmitting unit connected to the leaky transmission line, a signal receiving unit connected to the coupled leaky transmission line, and a signal distributor disposed between the signal transmitting unit and the leaky transmission line. The non-contact data transmission method enables non-contact data transmission between the moving side and the stationary side of the gantry. The non-contact data transmission method includes: the signal transmitting unit inputting a signal to be transmitted into the signal distributor; the signal distributor splitting the signal to be transmitted into a first signal and a second signal, the first signal and the second signal being injected into the port of the leaky transmission line; the coupled leaky transmission line receiving the coupled signal from the near field of the leaky transmission line; and the signal receiving unit extracting data from the coupled leaky transmission line.

[0013] The contactless data transmission system provided in this specification uses a signal distributor to divide the signal in the signal transmitting unit into a first signal and a second signal. The first signal and the second signal are injected from the port of the leaky transmission line 410. The superimposed signal obtained after the two signals are superimposed in the leaky transmission line can be more uniform, thereby increasing the signal-to-noise ratio of the superimposed signal. This improves the problem that the signal-to-noise ratio of the signal coupled to the leaky transmission line decreases as the length of the leaky transmission line increases. Attached Figure Description

[0014] This specification will be further described by way of exemplary embodiments, which will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. These embodiments are not limiting; in these embodiments, the same reference numerals denote the same structures, wherein:

[0015] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a non-contact data transmission system according to some embodiments of this specification;

[0016] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Signal-to-noise ratio curve of the signal received by a coupled leaky transmission line;

[0017] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of another contactless data transmission system according to some embodiments of this specification;

[0018] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of another contactless data transmission system according to some embodiments of this specification;

[0019] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 Signal-to-noise ratio curve of the signal received by a coupled leaky transmission line;

[0020] Figure 6 This is another schematic diagram of a contactless data transmission system according to some embodiments of this specification;

[0021] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the near-field coupling method between two transmission lines according to some embodiments of this specification;

[0022] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the slotting method of the transmission line according to some embodiments of this specification;

[0023] Figure 9 This is an exemplary flowchart of a non-contact data transmission method according to some embodiments of this specification. Detailed Implementation

[0024] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments in this specification, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are merely some examples or embodiments of this specification. For those skilled in the art, these drawings can be applied to other similar scenarios without creative effort. Unless obvious from the context or otherwise specified, the same reference numerals in the drawings represent the same structures or operations.

[0025] It should be understood that the terms “system,” “device,” “unit,” and / or “module” used herein are one way to distinguish different components, elements, parts, sections, or assemblies at different levels. However, if other terms can achieve the same purpose, they may be replaced by other expressions.

[0026] As indicated in this specification and claims, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the words "a," "an," "an," and / or "the" do not specifically refer to the singular and may also include the plural. Generally speaking, the terms "comprising" and "including" only indicate the inclusion of expressly identified steps and elements, which do not constitute an exclusive list, and the method or apparatus may also include other steps or elements.

[0027] Flowcharts are used in this specification to illustrate the operations performed by the system according to embodiments of this specification. It should be understood that the preceding or following operations are not necessarily performed in exact order. Instead, the steps can be processed in reverse order or simultaneously. Furthermore, other operations can be added to these processes, or one or more steps can be removed from them.

[0028] Data transmission between moving and stationary parts of medical devices (e.g., CT imaging equipment) can be achieved using slotted coaxial cables as slip rings for antennas. Compared to using microstrip lines, using slotted coaxial cables as non-contact antennas for data transmission reduces antenna costs. In some embodiments, the slotted coaxial cable can transmit signals along its length and radiate electromagnetic waves outward through the slot (the coaxial cable radiating electromagnetic waves is also called a leakage transmission line). Another slotted coaxial cable located near the leakage transmission line can receive the electromagnetic waves (the coaxial cable receiving the electromagnetic waves is also called a coupled leakage transmission line), thereby enabling signal transmission between the two coaxial cables.

[0029] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a contactless data transmission system according to some embodiments of this specification. For example... Figure 1As shown, the non-contact data transmission system 100 may include a leaky transmission line 110, a coupled leaky transmission line 120, a signal transmitting unit 130, and a signal receiving unit 140. The leaky transmission line 110 may be disposed on one of the moving side and the stationary side of the CT imaging equipment gantry, while the coupled leaky transmission line 120 may be disposed on the other side. The leaky transmission line 110 and the coupled leaky transmission line 120 are coupled, and the coupled leaky transmission line 120 can receive a coupled signal from the near field of the leaky transmission line 110. The signal transmitting unit 130 is connected to the leaky transmission line 110 and is used to input a signal (i.e., the signal to be transmitted) into the leaky transmission line 110. The signal receiving unit 140 is connected to the coupled leaky transmission line 120 and is used to extract data from the coupled signal. In some embodiments, the leaky transmission line 110 and the coupled leaky transmission line 120 may each have slots, and the slots on the leaky transmission line 110 correspond to the slots on the coupled leaky transmission line 120. The signal in the leakage transmission line 110 is transmitted along the length of the leakage transmission line 110 and radiates electromagnetic waves outward at the slotted position. A portion of these electromagnetic waves can be received by the coupled leakage transmission line 120, thereby enabling the signal to be transmitted from the leakage transmission line 110 to the coupled leakage transmission line 120.

[0030] In some embodiments, a slot is provided on the leaky transmission line 110. When a signal is transmitted along the length of the leaky transmission line 110 and electromagnetic waves are radiated outward at the slot location, electromagnetic energy is leaked. This results in the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the signal received near the end of the leaky transmission line 110 being lower than that received near the beginning of the leaky transmission line 110. Therefore, when the contactless data transmission system 100 operates at a high bit rate, the length of the leaky transmission line 110 is limited if the SNR of the signal received by the coupled leaky transmission line 120 is to meet the requirements.

[0031] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) curve of the signal received by a coupled leaky transmission line. (Example:) Figure 2 As shown, the horizontal axis represents the leaky transmission line (e.g., Figure 1 The vertical axis represents the length of the leaky transmission line 110, and the horizontal axis represents the signal-to-noise ratio of the signal received by the coupled leaky transmission line (e.g., coupled leaky transmission line 120). Figure 2As can be seen, the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the signal received by the coupled leaky transmission line decreases as the length of the leaky transmission line increases. Therefore, if the SNR of the signal received by the coupled leaky transmission line is required to be greater than a certain threshold, the length of the leaky transmission line needs to be limited to a specific range. For example, in a contactless data transmission system at a high bit rate, if the SNR of the signal received by the coupled leaky transmission line is to be greater than SNR1, the length of the leaky transmission line should be less than L1. That is, when the SNR of the signal received by the coupled leaky transmission line is required to be greater than SNR1, L1 is the maximum length of the leaky transmission line. When the length of the leaky transmission line exceeds L1, the SNR of the signal received by the coupled leaky transmission line cannot meet the requirements, and the data transmission rate requirement of the contactless data transmission system cannot be achieved.

[0032] In some embodiments, to overcome the problem that the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the signal received by the coupled leaky transmission line decreases with the transmission distance of the leaky transmission line (i.e., the length of the leaky transmission line), and to make the SNR of the coupled signal received by the coupled leaky transmission line more uniform across different transmission distances, thereby reducing the impact of the length of the leaky transmission line on the SNR and increasing the maximum bit rate of the contactless data transmission system with a specific length of leaky transmission line, the leaky transmission line can be configured into multiple segments. That is, the leaky transmission line can include multiple transmission line segments. Furthermore, including multiple transmission line segments can also accelerate data transmission speed.

[0033] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of another contactless data transmission system according to some embodiments of this specification. See also Figure 3 The non-contact data transmission system 300 may include a leaky transmission line 310, a coupled leaky transmission line 320, multiple signal transmitting units 330, and a signal receiving unit 340. The leaky transmission line 310 may include multiple transmission line segments arranged sequentially adjacent to each other, with a gap between adjacent transmission lines. In some embodiments, the number of transmission lines included in the leaky transmission line 310 is the same as the number of signal transmitting units 330, and each signal transmitting unit 330 is connected to one transmission line for inputting the signal to be transmitted into the corresponding connected transmission line. Figure 3 Taking the four signal transmitting units 330 shown as an example, the leakage transmission line 310 may include a first leakage transmission line 311, a second leakage transmission line 312, a third leakage transmission line 313, and a fourth leakage transmission line 314. The four transmission lines are arranged in an arc shape, forming a ring structure. The four signal transmitting units 330 are respectively connected to the first leakage transmission line 311, the second leakage transmission line 312, the third leakage transmission line 313, and the fourth leakage transmission line 314, and are used to input the signal to be transmitted into the corresponding connected transmission line.

[0034] When the leaky transmission line 310 is configured to include a first leaky transmission line 311, a second leaky transmission line 312, a third leaky transmission line 313, and a fourth leaky transmission line 314, the sum of the lengths of these four lines can approximate the total length of the leaky transmission line 310. The coupled leaky transmission line 320 can receive coupled signals from the near field of each transmission line segment. Thus, for a given length of the leaky transmission line 310, the length of each transmission line segment can be set relatively small, thereby improving the signal-to-noise ratio of the coupled signal received by the coupled leaky transmission line 320.

[0035] In some embodiments, when the leaky transmission line 310 comprises multiple transmission line segments, the gap between two adjacent transmission line segments can be smaller than the length of the coupled leaky transmission line 320 to ensure that the coupled leaky transmission line 320 can receive signals better. The signal receiving unit 340 can extract data from the coupled signal of the coupled leaky transmission line 320. In some embodiments, the number of signal receiving units 340 can be one, and a single signal receiving unit 340 can be disposed near any gap between two adjacent transmission line segments. In some embodiments, the number of signal receiving units 340 can also be multiple. For example, the number of signal receiving units 340 can be the same as the number of signal transmitting units 330 (or the number of transmission line segments included in the leaky transmission line 310), and multiple signal receiving units 340 can be disposed near different gaps.

[0036] It should be noted that the leakage transmission line 310 including four transmission lines is only for illustrative purposes. In other embodiments, the leakage transmission line 310 may also include other numbers of transmission lines, such as 8 transmission lines, 2 transmission lines, etc. This specification does not make specific limitations on this.

[0037] In some embodiments, to overcome the problem that the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the signal received by the coupled leaky transmission line decreases with the transmission distance of the leaky transmission line (i.e., the length of the leaky transmission line), and to make the SNR of the signal received by the coupled leaky transmission line more uniform across different transmission distances, a signal distributor can be set between the leaky transmission line and the signal transmitting unit to split the signal emitted by the signal transmitting unit into two signals, which are then injected into the ports of the leaky transmission line respectively. After the two signals are injected into the ports of the leaky transmission line, they are transmitted from their respective input ends to the other end along the length of the leaky transmission line. During transmission, both signals are attenuated, and the attenuated signals are then superimposed. Compared to the signal obtained by transmitting a single signal from one end of the leaky transmission line to the other (i.e., a single attenuated signal), the superimposed signal obtained by attenuating and superimposing the two signals is more uniform, thereby increasing the SNR of the superimposed signal.

[0038] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of another contactless data transmission system according to some embodiments of this specification. See also Figure 4 The non-contact data transmission system 400 may include a leaky transmission line 410, a coupled leaky transmission line 420, a signal transmitting unit 430, a signal receiving unit 440, and a signal distributor 450. The leaky transmission line 410 may be disposed on one of the moving side and the stationary side of the rack, and the coupled leaky transmission line 420 may be disposed on the other of the moving side and the stationary side of the rack, thereby enabling non-contact data transmission between the moving side and the stationary side of the rack. As an example only, the leaky transmission line 410 may be disposed on the moving side of the rack, and the coupled leaky transmission line 420 may be disposed on the stationary side of the rack, thereby enabling non-contact data transmission from the moving side to the stationary side of the rack. It should be noted that in other embodiments, the transmission lines may be arranged in other ways, as detailed elsewhere in this specification.

[0039] In some embodiments, the signal transmitting unit 430 can be connected to the leaky transmission line 410 to input a signal (i.e., the signal to be transmitted) into the leaky transmission line 410. The signal to be transmitted is transmitted along the length direction of the leaky transmission line 410. The length direction of the leaky transmission line can refer to the direction in which the leaky transmission line extends. For example, as... Figure 4 (as well as Figure 1 , Figure 3 and Figure 6 As shown in the diagram, the leakage transmission line is configured as a ring structure, and the length direction of the leakage transmission line can be the circumferential direction of the ring. In some embodiments, the coupled leakage transmission line 420 and the leakage transmission line 410 can be correspondingly arranged in the radial direction of the transmission line, and the coupled leakage transmission line 420 is coupled to the leakage transmission line 410. The coupled leakage transmission line 420 can receive the coupled signal from the near field of the leakage transmission line 410. For example, as... Figure 4 As shown, the coupling leakage transmission line 420 can be disposed outside the annular structure of the leakage transmission line 410, and the two are aligned radially. When the leakage transmission line 410 rotates in a circular motion, the coupling leakage transmission line 420 can receive the coupling signal from the near field of the leakage transmission line 410 in real time. In some embodiments, the signal receiving unit 440 can be connected to the coupling leakage transmission line 420 for extracting data from the coupling signal in the coupling leakage transmission line 420.

[0040] In some embodiments, a signal distributor 450 may be disposed between the signal transmitting unit 430 and the leaky transmission line 410, for splitting the signal in the signal transmitting unit 430 into a first signal and a second signal, which are injected from ports of the leaky transmission line 410. Port injection may mean that the leaky transmission line 410 includes at least two ports, and the signal distributor 450 is connected to at least two ports respectively, enabling it to inject the first signal and the second signal from their respective ports. Figure 4 As shown, the first signal can be connected and injected to the first end 411 of the leaky transmission line 410, and the second signal can be connected and injected to the second end 412 of the leaky transmission line 410. Along the length of the leaky transmission line 410, the first signal is transmitted from the first end 411 to the second end 412, and the second signal is transmitted from the second end 412 to the first end 411. The first and second signals can be superimposed on the leaky transmission line 410. The signal received by the coupling leaky transmission line 420 from the near field of the leaky transmission line 410 is the coupled signal of the superimposed signal.

[0041] In some embodiments, the leaky transmission line 410 may have at least two ports. For example, as Figure 4 As shown, the leaky transmission line 410 has two ports. Alternatively, the leaky transmission line 410 may include multiple transmission line segments, each with two ports, thus realizing a multi-port leaky transmission line 410. In some embodiments, the first signal and the second signal can be injected from at least two ports of the leaky transmission line 410, respectively. In some embodiments, the sum of the signal strengths of the first signal and the second signal can be equal to the strength of the initial signal. The strength of the initial signal can refer to the strength of the signal output by the signal transmitting unit 430. The initial signal is not distributed by the signal distributor 450. Alternatively, it can be understood that the signal transmitting unit 430 can output a signal of a specific strength (i.e., the initial signal), which is then divided into a first signal and a second signal by the signal distributor 450, and the sum of the signal strengths of the first signal and the second signal equals the strength of the initial signal. In some embodiments, the signal strengths of the first signal and the second signal can be equal. That is, the signal distributor 450 distributes the initial signal evenly, resulting in a first signal and a second signal with equal signal strength.

[0042] In other embodiments, the signal strength of the first signal may be different from that of the second signal. For example, the signal strength of the first signal may be greater than or less than that of the second signal.

[0043] The signal in the signal transmitting unit 430 is divided into a first signal and a second signal by the signal distributor 450. The first signal and the second signal are connected to both ends of the leakage transmission line 410 and injected. The superimposed signal obtained after the two signals are superimposed in the leakage transmission line 410 can be more uniform, thereby increasing the signal-to-noise ratio of the superimposed signal. This improves the problem that the signal-to-noise ratio of the signal coupled to the leakage transmission line 420 decreases as the length of the leakage transmission line 410 increases.

[0044] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) curve of the signal received by a coupled leaky transmission line. (Example:) Figure 5 As shown, the horizontal axis represents the leaky transmission line (e.g., Figure 4 The vertical axis represents the length of the leaky transmission line 410, and the horizontal axis represents the signal-to-noise ratio of the signal received by the coupled leaky transmission line (e.g., coupled leaky transmission line 420), i.e., the coupled signal. Figure 5 As can be seen, when the length of the leaky transmission line is less than L2, the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the signal received by the coupled leaky transmission line decreases with increasing line length. This is because electromagnetic energy leaks out as the signal radiates along the length of the leaky transmission line. When the length of the leaky transmission line is greater than L2, the SNR of the signal received by the coupled leaky transmission line increases with increasing line length. This is because the first and second signals are superimposed, resulting in a more uniform signal and thus increasing the SNR of the signal received by the coupled leaky transmission line. Figure 5 As shown by the curves, within a certain range, the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the signal received by the coupled leaky transmission line varies little with different lengths of the leaky transmission line. Furthermore, the SNR of the signal received by the coupled leaky transmission line remains high regardless of the length of the leaky transmission line. This indicates that after the signal distributor distributes the first and second signals, and these two signals are injected into the two ends of the leaky transmission line, the superimposed signal after attenuation is more uniform, thus increasing the SNR of the superimposed signal.

[0045] Figure 6 This is another schematic diagram of a contactless data transmission system according to some embodiments of this specification. See also Figure 6 The non-contact data transmission system 400 may further include a second leaky transmission line 460 and a second coupled leaky transmission line 470. The second coupled leaky transmission line 470 is coupled to the second leaky transmission line 460, and the second coupled leaky transmission line 470 can receive signals from the near field of the second leaky transmission line 460. In some embodiments, such as Figure 6As shown, the second leakage transmission line 460 can be arranged in the inner circle of the leakage transmission line 410. In some embodiments, the second leakage transmission line 460 can also be arranged in the outer circle of the leakage transmission line 410. In some embodiments, the second leakage transmission line 460 can also overlap with the leakage transmission line 410. In some embodiments, the coupling position (denoted as the second coupling position) of the second coupled leakage transmission line 470 and the second leakage transmission line 460 is different from the coupling position (denoted as the first coupling position) of the first coupled leakage transmission line 420 and the first leakage transmission line 410. For example, as Figure 6 As shown, the first coupling position and the second coupling position can be set relative to each other. In some embodiments, the signal receiving unit 440 can be connected to the second coupling leakage transmission line 470, and the signal receiving unit 440 can extract data from the signal in the second coupling leakage transmission line 470.

[0046] In some embodiments, the signal distributor 450 can be connected to the second leaky transmission line 460. The signal distributor 450 can distribute a third signal and a fourth signal from the signal transmitting unit 430, and the third signal and the fourth signal are injected into the second leaky transmission line 460 via connections to both ends. Figure 6 As shown, the third signal can be connected and injected to the first end 461 of the second leaky transmission line 460, and the fourth signal can be connected and injected to the second end 462 of the second leaky transmission line 460. Along the length of the second leaky transmission line 460, the third signal is transmitted from the first end 461 to the second end 462, and the fourth signal is transmitted from the second end 462 to the first end 461. The third and fourth signals can be superimposed on the second leaky transmission line 460. The signal received by the second coupled leaky transmission line 470 from the near field of the second leaky transmission line 460 is the coupled signal of the superimposed signal.

[0047] By setting a second leaky transmission line 460 and a second coupled leaky transmission line 470, this multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) method can realize the coupling of multiple sets of transmission lines (for example, two leaky transmission lines as input signals and two corresponding coupled leaky transmission lines as output signals), thereby improving the transmission rate of the contactless data transmission system 400.

[0048] In some embodiments, the second leaky transmission line 460 may have at least two ports. For example, as... Figure 6As shown, the second leaky transmission line 460 has two ports. Alternatively, the second leaky transmission line 460 may include multiple transmission line segments, each with two ports, thus realizing a multi-port second leaky transmission line 460. In some embodiments, the third and fourth signals can be injected from at least two ports of the second leaky transmission line 460, respectively. In some embodiments, the sum of the signal strengths of the third and fourth signals can be equal to the strength of the initial signal. The signal transmitting unit 430 is capable of outputting a signal of a specific strength (i.e., the initial signal), which is divided into a third and fourth signal by the signal distributor 450, the sum of the signal strengths of the third and fourth signals being equal to the strength of the initial signal. In some embodiments, the signal strengths of the third and fourth signals can be equal. That is, the signal distributor 450 distributes the initial signal evenly, resulting in a third and fourth signal with equal signal strength. In other embodiments, the signal strengths of the third and fourth signals can also be unequal. For example, the signal strength of the third signal can be greater than or less than the signal strength of the fourth signal.

[0049] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of a near-field coupling method between two transmission lines according to some embodiments of this specification. Figure 7 The diagram illustrates the near-field coupling between a leaky transmission line and a coupled leaky transmission line (e.g., leaky transmission line 410 and coupled leaky transmission line 420, or a second leaky transmission line 460 and a second coupled leaky transmission line 470). For ease of description, the diagram uses... Figure 4 The near-field coupling between the leaky transmission line 410 and the coupled leaky transmission line 420 is illustrated as an example. See also Figure 7 Both the leakage transmission line 410 and the coupling leakage transmission line 420 can be coaxial conductor structures. The leakage transmission line 410 may include an inner conductor 411, an insulating medium 412, and an outer conductor 413. The inner conductor 411 is located inside the coaxial conductor, the insulating medium 412 covers the outer side of the inner conductor 411, and the outer conductor 413 covers the outer side of the insulating medium 412. The inner conductor 411, the insulating medium 412, and the outer conductor 413 are coaxially arranged. Signals in the leakage transmission line 410 can be transmitted along the length of the leakage transmission line 410 within the inner conductor 411. The coupling leakage transmission line 420 may include a second inner conductor 421, a second insulating medium 422, and a second outer conductor 423. The second inner conductor 421 is located inside the coaxial conductor, the second insulating medium 422 covers the outer side of the second inner conductor 421, and the second outer conductor 423 covers the outer side of the second insulating medium 422. The second inner conductor 421, the second insulating medium 422, and the second outer conductor 423 are coaxially arranged.

[0050] In some embodiments, slots may be provided on the leaky transmission line 410 and the coupled leaky transmission line 420 to enable the coupled leaky transmission line 420 to receive coupled signals from the near field of the leaky transmission line 410. For example... Figure 7 As shown, a first slot may be provided on the outer conductor 413 of the leakage transmission line 410, and a second slot may be provided on the second outer conductor 423 of the coupling leakage transmission line 420 (therefore, Figure 7 The outer conductor 413 and the second outer conductor 423 are semi-circular. When the signal in the leakage transmission line 410 is transmitted along the length of the inner conductor 411, it radiates electromagnetic waves outward through the first slot. A portion of the electromagnetic waves radiated outward by the leakage transmission line 410 can be received by the coupling leakage transmission line 420, while another portion may not be received by the coupling leakage transmission line 420 and thus become leakage electromagnetic waves. In some embodiments, to increase the amount of electromagnetic waves (i.e., signals) received by the coupling leakage transmission line 420, the first slot on the leakage transmission line 410 and the second slot on the coupling leakage transmission line 420 can be correspondingly set. In some embodiments, the positions of the first slot and the second slot can be correspondingly set. It can also be understood that the first slot on the leakage transmission line 410 and the second slot on the coupling leakage transmission line 420 are mirror-symmetrical. In some embodiments, the shapes of the first slot and the second slot can be the same. For illustrative purposes only, the shape of the slot can include square, circular, etc. For more information on slots, please refer to [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 8 And its related descriptions.

[0051] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the slotting method of the transmission line according to some embodiments of this specification. Figure 8 The slotting configuration of transmission lines (e.g., leaky transmission line 410, coupled leaky transmission line 420, second leaky transmission line 460, second coupled leaky transmission line 470) is shown. For ease of description, the slotting configuration of leaky transmission line 410 is used as an example here. See also Figure 8 In (a), the slotting method of the leakage transmission line 410 may include spaced slotting. Specifically, the leakage transmission line 410 may include a plurality of first slots 414, which are spaced apart on the outer conductor 413 of the leakage transmission line 410. In some embodiments, the plurality of first slots 414 may be equally spaced on the outer conductor 413. In some embodiments, the plurality of first slots 414 may also be non-equally spaced on the outer conductor 413. See also Figure 8 In (b), the slotting method of the leakage transmission line 410 may include full slotting. Full slotting may refer to a first slot 414 penetrating the outer conductor 413 along the length direction of the leakage transmission line 410.

[0052] In some embodiments, the number, distribution, and shape of the first slots 414 can be set according to requirements and are not specifically limited here. By reasonably setting the slots on the transmission line, the electromagnetic waves leaking in the leaky transmission line can be reduced, thereby improving the signal received by the coupled leaky transmission line from the near field of the leaky transmission line.

[0053] It should be noted that the second slot on the coupled leaky transmission line (e.g., coupled leaky transmission line 420) can also be slotted in a spaced manner or fully slotted. When the coupled leaky transmission line receives a signal from the near field of the leaky transmission line, the first slot and the second slot are set accordingly (the position, shape, slotting method, etc. are all set accordingly).

[0054] In some embodiments, the rack can be ring-shaped, and the leakage transmission line 410 can be arranged in a ring on one of the moving side and the stationary side of the rack. For example, the leakage transmission line 410 can be arranged in a ring on the moving side of the rack (in which case, the coupling leakage transmission line 420 is arranged on the stationary side of the rack). As another example, the leakage transmission line 410 can be arranged in a ring on the stationary side of the rack (in which case, the coupling leakage transmission line 420 is arranged on the moving side of the rack). In some embodiments, the moving side of the rack rotates, and the transmission lines (leakage transmission line 410 or coupling leakage transmission line 420) arranged on the moving side of the rack also rotate. During rotation, the coupling leakage transmission line 420 needs to receive signals from the near field of the leakage transmission line 410. To ensure that the coupling leakage transmission line 420 can receive signals at any time during rotation, the arrangement angle of the leakage transmission line 410 can be less than or equal to 360°, and the sum of the angles of the leakage transmission line 410 and the coupling leakage transmission line 420 is greater than or equal to 360°. For example, the arrangement angle of the leakage transmission line 410 can be equal to 360°, forming a complete circle. In this case, the arrangement angle of the coupling leakage transmission line 420 can be arbitrarily set, and the coupling leakage transmission line 420 can receive a signal from the near field of the leakage transmission line 410 at any time during the rotation. Alternatively, if the arrangement angle of the leakage transmission line 410 is less than 360°, then to ensure that the coupling leakage transmission line 420 can receive a signal from the near field of the leakage transmission line 410 at any time during the rotation, the sum of the angles of the leakage transmission line 410 and the coupling leakage transmission line 420 needs to be greater than or equal to 360°.

[0055] In some embodiments, when the non-contact data transmission system 400 includes a second leaky transmission line 460, the second leaky transmission line 460 can be arranged in the inner or outer loop of the leaky transmission line 410. In some embodiments, the second leaky transmission line 460 can also overlap with the leaky transmission line 410. The arrangement angle of the second leaky transmission line 460 can be less than or equal to 360°, and the sum of the angles of the second leaky transmission line 460 and the second coupled leaky transmission line 470 is greater than or equal to 360°. The arrangement angles of the second leaky transmission line 460 and the second coupled leaky transmission line 470 are approximately the same as those of the leaky transmission line 410 and the coupled leaky transmission line 420, and will not be described again here.

[0056] In some embodiments, the transmission lines in the contactless data transmission system 400 can be arranged in a single-link configuration. In some embodiments, the single-link configuration may include a downlink. In the downlink configuration, the leaky transmission line can be arranged on the moving side of the rack, and the coupled leaky transmission line can be arranged on the stationary side of the rack. The signal is transmitted from the moving side of the rack, and the coupled leaky transmission line receives the coupled signal from the near field of the leaky transmission line. In some embodiments, the single-link configuration may include an uplink. In the uplink configuration, the coupled leaky transmission line can be arranged on the moving side of the rack, and the leaky transmission line can be arranged on the stationary side of the rack. The signal is transmitted from the stationary side of the rack, and the coupled leaky transmission line receives the coupled signal from the near field of the leaky transmission line. In some embodiments, the transmission lines in the contactless data transmission system 400 can also be arranged in a dual-link configuration. In some embodiments, the dual-link configuration may include both uplink and downlink. In the uplink and downlink configuration, a leaky transmission line and a coupled leaky transmission line can be arranged on the moving side of the rack, and corresponding coupled leaky transmission lines and leaky transmission lines can be arranged on the stationary side of the rack. For example, a first leakage transmission line and a second coupling leakage transmission line can be arranged on the moving side of the rack, and corresponding first coupling leakage transmission lines and second leakage transmission lines can be arranged on the stationary side of the rack. Data can be transmitted from the moving side of the rack and the stationary side of the rack, respectively. The first coupling leakage transmission line can receive the coupling signal in the near field of the first leakage transmission line, and the second coupling leakage transmission line can receive the coupling signal in the near field of the second leakage transmission line.

[0057] In some embodiments, the contactless data transmission system 400 may further include a signal absorber (not shown) disposed in the signal distributor 450. The signal absorber can be used to absorb signals. In some embodiments, when the signal distributor 450 injects two signals from the ports of leaky transmission lines (e.g., leaky transmission line 410 and second leaky transmission line 460), a signal absorber can be disposed in the signal distributor 450 to absorb the returned signals and prevent signal backpropagation. In some embodiments, the signal absorber may include a resistor.

[0058] This specification also provides a non-contact data transmission method for a CT imaging device. In some embodiments, the CT imaging device may include a gantry, a leaky transmission line, a coupled leaky transmission line, a signal transmitting unit connected to the leaky transmission line, a signal receiving unit connected to the coupled leaky transmission line, and a signal distributor disposed between the signal transmitting unit and the leaky transmission line. This non-contact data transmission method can realize non-contact data transmission between the moving side and the stationary side of the gantry through non-contact data transmission between the leaky transmission line and the coupled leaky transmission line. Figure 9 This is an exemplary flowchart illustrating a non-contact data transmission method according to some embodiments of this specification. The non-contact data transmission method 900 can be executed by a processor of a CT imaging device, and the non-contact data transmission method 900 may include the following steps:

[0059] Step 910: The signal transmitting unit inputs the signal to be transmitted into the signal distributor. In some embodiments, the signal transmitting unit is connected to the signal distributor, and the signal transmitting unit can input the signal to be transmitted into the signal distributor.

[0060] In step 920, the signal distributor splits the signal to be transmitted into a first signal and a second signal, which are injected from the ports of the leaky transmission line. In some embodiments, the signal distributor can distribute the signal to be transmitted according to signal strength. For example, the signal distributor can split the signal to be transmitted into a first signal and a second signal with equal strength. The signal distributor is connected to both ends of the leaky transmission line, and the first signal and the second signal are injected from the two ports of the leaky transmission line, respectively.

[0061] Step 930: The coupled leaky transmission line receives a coupled signal from the near field of the leaky transmission line. In some embodiments, the first signal and the second signal can be transmitted and superimposed in the leaky transmission line, the coupled leaky transmission line is coupled to the leaky transmission line, and the coupled leaky transmission line can receive the superimposed coupled signal from the near field of the leaky transmission line.

[0062] Step 940: The signal receiving unit extracts data from the coupled leaky transmission line. In some embodiments, the signal receiving unit is connected to the coupled leaky transmission line and can extract data from it. For example, the signal receiving unit can extract data from the coupled signal of the coupled leaky transmission line. As an example only, the signal transmitting unit can divide the data / signals (e.g., image acquisition data or control signals) of the CT imaging device into several data packets, sort the header numbers of each data packet, and then send these data packets to a signal distributor; the signal distributor distributes each data packet to the leaky transmission line; the coupled leaky transmission line receives each data packet from the near field of the leaky transmission line and sends each data packet to the signal receiving unit; the signal receiving unit sorts the data packets according to their header numbers to obtain a complete arrangement of data. This complete arrangement of data can be sent to an image reconstruction unit or a control unit for processing. In some embodiments, the non-contact data transmission method from the leaky transmission line to the coupled leaky transmission line can be high-frequency carrier modulation or direct modulation.

[0063] In some embodiments, the CT imaging device may further include a second leaky transmission line and a second coupled leaky transmission line. The non-contact data transmission method 900 may further include a signal distributor distributing a third signal and a fourth signal from the signal transmitting unit, the third signal and the fourth signal being injected from the port of the second leaky transmission line. The third signal and the fourth signal can be transmitted and superimposed in the second leaky transmission line, and the second coupled leaky transmission line is coupled to the second leaky transmission line, receiving the superimposed signal from the near field of the second leaky transmission line. It should be noted that further details regarding the non-contact data transmission method 900 can be found in the above description and will not be repeated here.

[0064] It should be noted that the above description of the non-contact data transmission method 900 is for illustrative purposes only and does not limit the scope of this specification. Those skilled in the art can make various modifications and changes to method 900 under the guidance of this specification. However, these modifications and changes remain within the scope of this specification.

[0065] The basic concepts have been described above. Obviously, for those skilled in the art, the detailed disclosure above is merely illustrative and does not constitute a limitation of this specification. Although not explicitly stated herein, those skilled in the art may make various modifications, improvements, and corrections to this specification. Such modifications, improvements, and corrections are suggested in this specification and therefore remain within the spirit and scope of the exemplary embodiments described herein.

[0066] Furthermore, this specification uses specific terms to describe embodiments thereof. For example, "an embodiment," "one embodiment," and / or "some embodiments" refer to a particular feature, structure, or characteristic associated with at least one embodiment of this specification. Therefore, it should be emphasized and noted that references to "an embodiment," "one embodiment," or "an alternative embodiment" in different locations throughout this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Moreover, certain features, structures, or characteristics in one or more embodiments of this specification can be appropriately combined.

[0067] Furthermore, those skilled in the art will understand that various aspects of this specification can be described and illustrated in several patentable ways or situations, including any new and useful combination of processes, machines, products, or substances, or any new and useful improvements thereof. Accordingly, various aspects of this specification can be implemented entirely by hardware, entirely by software (including firmware, resident software, microcode, etc.), or by a combination of hardware and software. All of the above hardware or software may be referred to as a “data block,” “module,” “engine,” “unit,” “component,” or “system.” Furthermore, various aspects of this specification may be represented as a computer product located on one or more computer-readable media, including computer-readable program code.

[0068] Computer storage media may contain a propagated data signal containing computer program code, for example, on baseband or as part of a carrier wave. This propagated signal may take various forms, including electromagnetic, optical, and suitable combinations thereof. Computer storage media can be any computer-readable medium other than a computer-readable storage medium, which can be connected to an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device to enable communication, propagation, or transmission of a program for use. The program code located on the computer storage medium can be propagated through any suitable medium, including radio, cable, fiber optic cable, RF, or similar media, or any combination of the above media.

[0069] The computer program code required for the operation of each part of this application can be written in any one or more programming languages, including object-oriented programming languages ​​such as Java, Scala, Smalltalk, Eiffel, JADE, Emerald, C++, C#, VB.NET, Python, etc., conventional procedural programming languages ​​such as C, Visual Basic, Fortran 2003, Perl, COBOL 2002, PHP, ABAP, dynamic programming languages ​​such as Python, Ruby, and Groovy, or other programming languages. This program code can run entirely on the user's computer, or as a standalone software package on the user's computer, or partially on the user's computer and partially on a remote computer, or entirely on a remote computer or processing device. In the latter case, the remote computer can be connected to the user's computer through any network, such as a local area network (LAN) or wide area network (WAN), or connected to an external computer (e.g., via the Internet), or in a cloud computing environment, or used as a service such as Software as a Service (SaaS).

[0070] Furthermore, unless expressly stated in the claims, the order of processing elements and sequences, the use of numbers and letters, or other names described in this specification are not intended to limit the order of the processes and methods described herein. Although various examples have been discussed in the foregoing disclosure of some embodiments of the invention that are currently considered useful, it should be understood that such details are for illustrative purposes only, and the appended claims are not limited to the disclosed embodiments; rather, the claims are intended to cover all modifications and equivalent combinations that conform to the spirit and scope of the embodiments described herein. For example, while the system components described above can be implemented by hardware devices, they can also be implemented solely by software solutions, such as installing the described system on existing processing devices or mobile devices.

[0071] Similarly, it should be noted that, in order to simplify the description disclosed herein and thus aid in the understanding of one or more embodiments of the invention, the foregoing description of embodiments in this specification may sometimes combine multiple features into a single embodiment, drawing, or description thereof. However, this method of disclosure does not imply that the subject matter of this specification requires more features than those mentioned in the claims. In fact, the embodiments contain fewer features than all the features of a single embodiment disclosed above.

[0072] In some embodiments, numbers describing the quantity of components and attributes are used. It should be understood that such numbers used in the description of embodiments are modified in some examples with the terms "approximately," "approximately," or "generally." Unless otherwise stated, "approximately," "approximately," or "generally" indicates that the numbers are allowed to vary by ±20%. Accordingly, in some embodiments, the numerical parameters used in the specification and claims are approximate values, which may be changed depending on the characteristics required by individual embodiments. In some embodiments, numerical parameters should take into account specified significant digits and employ a general method of digit reservation. Although the numerical ranges and parameters used to confirm their breadth of range in some embodiments of this specification are approximate values, in specific embodiments, such values ​​are set as precisely as feasible.

[0073] For each patent, patent application, patent application publication, and other material, such as articles, books, specifications, publications, and documents, referenced in this specification, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. This excludes historical documents that are inconsistent with or conflict with this specification, as well as documents that limit the broadest scope of the claims in this specification (currently or subsequently appended to this specification). It should be noted that in the event of any inconsistency or conflict between the descriptions, definitions, and / or terminology used in the supplementary materials and the content of this specification, the descriptions, definitions, and / or terminology used in this specification shall prevail.

[0074] Finally, it should be understood that the embodiments described in this specification are merely illustrative of the principles of the embodiments described herein. Other variations may also fall within the scope of this specification. Therefore, alternative configurations of the embodiments described herein are intended to be illustrative rather than limiting, and should be considered consistent with the teachings of this specification. Accordingly, the embodiments described herein are not limited to those explicitly introduced and described herein.

Claims

1. A non-contact data transmission system for CT imaging equipment, characterized in that, The CT imaging equipment includes a gantry, and the non-contact data transmission system includes: A leakage transmission line is provided on one of the moving side of the rack and the stationary side of the rack; A coupling leakage transmission line is disposed on the other side of the rack on the moving side and the rack on the stationary side, for receiving coupling signals from the near field of the leakage transmission line; A signal transmitting unit, connected to the leaky transmission line, is used to input the signal to be transmitted into the leaky transmission line; A signal receiving unit, connected to the coupled leaky transmission line, is used to extract data from the coupled signal; A signal distributor is disposed between the signal transmitting unit and the leaky transmission line for splitting the signal in the signal transmitting unit into a first signal and a second signal, wherein the first signal and the second signal are injected from at least two ports of the leaky transmission line.

2. The contactless data transmission system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The sum of the signal strengths of the first signal and the second signal is equal to the strength of the initial signal.

3. The non-contact data transmission system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The signal strengths of the first signal and the second signal are equal.

4. The contactless data transmission system according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a second leaky transmission line and a second coupled leaky transmission line; the signal distributor distributes a third signal and a fourth signal from the signal transmitting unit, the third signal and the fourth signal being injected from at least two ports of the second leaky transmission line.

5. The non-contact data transmission system according to claim 4, characterized in that, The sum of the signal strengths of the third signal and the fourth signal is equal to the strength of the initial signal.

6. The non-contact data transmission system according to claim 5, characterized in that, The signal strength of the third signal is equal to that of the fourth signal.

7. The non-contact data transmission system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The leakage transmission line is provided with a first slot, and the coupling leakage transmission line is provided with a second slot, with the first slot and the second slot being provided in correspondence.

8. The non-contact data transmission system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The frame is ring-shaped, and the leakage transmission line is arranged in a ring on one of the moving side and the stationary side of the frame; the arrangement angle of the leakage transmission line is less than or equal to 360°, and the sum of the angles of the leakage transmission line and the coupled leakage transmission line is greater than or equal to 360°.

9. The non-contact data transmission system according to claim 8, characterized in that, It also includes a second leakage transmission line, which is arranged in the inner ring, outer ring, or overlapping with the leakage transmission line.

10. A non-contact data transmission method for CT imaging equipment, characterized in that, The CT imaging equipment includes: a gantry, a leaky transmission line, a coupled leaky transmission line, a signal transmitting unit connected to the leaky transmission line, a signal receiving unit connected to the coupled leaky transmission line, and a signal distributor disposed between the signal transmitting unit and the leaky transmission line. The non-contact data transmission method realizes non-contact data transmission between the moving side of the gantry and the stationary side of the gantry. The non-contact data transmission method includes: The signal transmitting unit inputs the signal to be transmitted into the signal distributor; The signal distributor splits the signal to be transmitted into a first signal and a second signal, which are injected from at least two ports of the leaky transmission line. The coupled leaky transmission line receives the coupled signal from the near field of the leaky transmission line; The signal receiving unit extracts data from the coupled leaky transmission line.

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