Cooling unit of medical imaging apparatus and medical imaging apparatus

Abstract

The utility model provides a cooling unit of medical imaging equipment and the medical imaging equipment. The cooling unit comprises a pipeline through which a cooling fluid flows; the flow switch is arranged on the pipeline and is arranged in a scanning frame of the medical imaging equipment, the flow switch comprises a shell and a movable part, the shell is provided with a cooling fluid inlet and a cooling fluid outlet, and the movable part is movably arranged in the shell to reflect the flow of the cooling fluid passing through the flow switch; the device is characterized in that the flow switch is arranged in the scanning frame so that the direction of the movement axis of the movable component is parallel to the radial direction of the scanning frame. According to the cooling unit provided by the utility model, the movable part can smoothly move, the stable and reliable operation of the flow switch is ensured, and the cooling unit of the medical imaging equipment can stably and reliably work when the scanning frame rotates at a high speed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to medical imaging equipment, in particular to a cooling unit of the medical imaging equipment and the medical imaging equipment comprising the cooling unit. Background Art

[0002] A patient accommodating cavity is formed in the center of a gantry of a medical imaging device such as a computed tomography (CT) imaging device or a magnetic resonance (MR) imaging device. When imaging of a patient is required, the patient lying on a patient support bed is placed in the patient accommodating cavity, and the gantry rotates around the patient. Since the medical imaging device generates a lot of heat during operation, a cooling unit is usually provided. Figure 1 A portion of a conventional cooling unit for medical imaging equipment is schematically shown. Figure 1 As shown, the existing cooling unit 1 generally includes a pipeline 3 for cooling fluid to flow through and a flow switch 5 arranged on the pipeline. The flow switch 5 includes a housing 7, a movable component 9 such as a magnetic core component arranged in the housing, and a spring 11 arranged in the housing and applying a force to the movable component to control the position of the movable component. As the flow rate of the cooling fluid increases, the force of the spring acting on the movable component is overcome, and the movable component is pushed forward (towards the left side in the figure) by the cooling fluid. When the movable component moves to a position opposite to the magnetic switch 13 connected to the control system 15 of the medical imaging device, the movable component turns on the magnetic switch 13 through the magnetic force, thereby sending a signal to the control system that the flow rate of the cooling fluid of the cooling unit has reached a predetermined value and the medical imaging device can operate normally.

[0003] When this existing cooling unit is installed in the scanning frame of the medical imaging device, the longitudinal axis of the movable part of the flow switch is substantially perpendicular to the direction of the centrifugal force generated on the movable part when the scanning frame rotates. When the scanning frame rotates at a low speed, this flow switch can basically work stably and reliably. However, as the requirements for imaging quality become higher and higher, the rotation speed of the scanning frame is also increasing, even up to 2000 revolutions per minute. The centrifugal force generated when the scanning frame rotates at a high speed is also increasing. The large centrifugal force substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the movable part will cause the movable part to deform under the action of the centrifugal force, thereby causing a jam with the housing and preventing it from moving smoothly, making the flow switch unstable, and even making the flow switch unable to work in the end.

[0004] Therefore, there is a need to improve the cooling unit for medical imaging equipment in the prior art. Utility Model Content

[0005] The purpose of the utility model is to provide an improved cooling unit for medical imaging equipment, which has not only a simple structure but also can work stably and reliably when the scanning frame of the medical imaging equipment rotates at a high speed.

[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention, a cooling unit for a medical imaging device is provided, the cooling unit comprising:

[0007] Pipes through which cooling fluid flows; and

[0008] a flow switch arranged on the pipeline and disposed in a scanning frame of the medical imaging device, the flow switch comprising a housing having a cooling fluid inlet and a cooling fluid outlet, and a movable component movably disposed in the housing to reflect the flow rate of the cooling fluid passing through the flow switch;

[0009] It is characterized in that the flow switch is arranged in the scanning frame so that the direction of the movement axis of the movable component is parallel to the radial direction of the scanning frame.

[0010] Preferably, the movable component is made of non-metallic material.

[0011] Preferably, the flow switch is arranged in the scanning frame so that the direction of the movement axis of the movable component coincides with the radial direction of the scanning frame.

[0012] Preferably, the housing of the flow switch defines a cylindrical inner cavity, the movable component is a turbine having multiple blades and a central axis, the central axis is the movement axis of the turbine, and the turbine can be rotatably arranged around the central axis in the inner cavity of the housing.

[0013] Preferably, the flow switch further comprises a speed measuring device arranged on the housing for measuring the rotational speed of the turbine.

[0014] Preferably, the blade is a magnetic blade at least comprising a magnetic material or equipped with a magnetic pole, and the speed measuring device comprises a Hall sensor so as to generate a pulse signal according to a change in a magnetic field.

[0015] Preferably, the cooling unit further comprises a control device electrically connected to the speed measuring device.

[0016] Preferably, the control device includes a microprocessor, which calculates the frequency of the pulse signal received from the speed measuring device and compares the calculated frequency of the pulse signal with a preset frequency value, and when the calculated frequency of the pulse signal is greater than the preset frequency value, the control device outputs a constant signal to the control system of the medical imaging equipment.

[0017] Preferably, the medical imaging device is a computed tomography imaging device.

[0018] According to another aspect of the present invention, a medical imaging device is provided, characterized in that the medical imaging device comprises the cooling unit as described above.

[0019] According to another aspect of the present invention, a method for operating a cooling unit of the medical imaging device as described above is provided, wherein the method comprises:

[0020] The speed measuring device generates a pulse signal according to the change of the magnetic field caused by the change of the position of the blade, and outputs the pulse signal to the control device;

[0021] The control device processes the pulse signal to determine whether the flow rate of the cooling fluid flowing through the flow switch of the cooling unit reaches a minimum limit.

[0022] Preferably, the control device processes the pulse signal including:

[0023] Calculating the frequency of the received pulse signal;

[0024] Compare the calculated frequency of the pulse signal with a preset frequency value;

[0025] When the frequency of the pulse signal obtained by calculation is greater than the preset frequency value, the control device outputs a constant signal to the control system of the medical imaging device; and

[0026] When the frequency of the pulse signal obtained by calculation is less than the preset frequency value, the control device does not output a signal to the control system of the medical imaging device.

[0027] According to the utility model, the direction of the moving axis of the movable part of the flow switch is set to be substantially parallel to the radial direction of the scanning frame, so that the direction of the centrifugal force generated when the scanning frame rotates is also substantially parallel to the direction of the moving axis of the movable part of the flow switch. In this way, the adverse effect of the centrifugal force generated when the scanning frame rotates on the movable part of the flow switch (such as the jamming phenomenon caused by deformation due to the centrifugal force) will be significantly reduced, so that the movable part can move smoothly, ensuring the stable and reliable operation of the flow switch, and further ensuring that the cooling unit of the medical imaging device can also work stably and reliably when the scanning frame rotates at high speed. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] Figure 1 A portion of a prior art cooling unit for medical imaging equipment is schematically shown;

[0029] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing the installation position relationship of the flow switch of the cooling unit of the medical imaging device according to the utility model relative to the scanning frame of the medical imaging device;

[0030] Figure 3 A flow switch of a cooling unit of a medical imaging device according to a preferred embodiment of the utility model is schematically shown; and

[0031] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram showing that a part of a cooling unit of a medical imaging device according to a preferred embodiment of the utility model is connected to a control system of the medical imaging device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] The preferred embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below by taking a CT imaging device as an example. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that these embodiments are exemplary and do not mean to limit the present invention in any way.

[0033] Figure 2 Schematic diagram showing the installation position relationship of the flow switch of the cooling unit of the medical imaging device according to the present invention relative to the scanning frame of the medical imaging device. In order to clearly show the installation position relationship between the flow switch and the scanning frame, the scanning frame 20 is schematically represented by a circle, the flow switch according to the present invention is schematically represented by a square, and other components are omitted. Figure 2 As shown, when the scanning frame 20 rotates in the direction indicated by the arrow R or in the opposite direction, a centrifugal force in the direction indicated by the arrow CF is generated on the movable part of the flow switch. According to the utility model, the flow switch 21 of the cooling unit of the medical imaging device is arranged in the scanning frame 20 so that the direction of the movement axis XX' of the movable part of the flow switch 21 is substantially parallel to the radial direction of the scanning frame 20. In the utility model, for a flow switch whose movable part performs linear motion, the movement axis XX' of its movable part refers to the longitudinal axis of the movable part parallel to the linear motion direction; for a flow switch whose movable part performs rotational motion, the movement axis XX' of its movable part refers to the central axis around which the movable part rotates. The radial direction of the scanning frame actually refers to the radial direction of the patient accommodating cavity formed in the scanning frame.

[0034] According to the present invention, by setting the direction of the motion axis XX' of the movable part of the flow switch 21 to be substantially parallel to the radial direction of the scanning frame 20, the direction of the centrifugal force generated when the scanning frame rotates is substantially parallel to the direction of the motion axis XX' of the movable part of the flow switch 21. In this way, the adverse effect of the centrifugal force generated when the scanning frame rotates on the movable part of the flow switch (such as the jamming phenomenon caused by deformation due to the centrifugal force) will be significantly reduced, so that the movable part can move smoothly, ensuring the stable and reliable operation of the flow switch, and further ensuring that the cooling unit of the medical imaging device can also work stably and reliably when the scanning frame rotates at high speed.

[0035] The centrifugal force generated when the scanning frame rotates is closely related to the weight of the movable parts. Therefore, in order to further reduce the adverse effect of the centrifugal force generated when the scanning frame rotates on the movable parts of the flow switch, the movable parts can be made of lightweight non-metallic materials such as plastic.

[0036] More preferably, the direction of the motion axis XX' of the movable part of the flow switch 21 is set to be substantially along the radial direction of the scanning frame 20, so that the direction of the centrifugal force generated when the scanning frame rotates is substantially coincident with the direction of the motion axis XX' of the movable part of the flow switch 21. In this way, the adverse effect of the centrifugal force generated when the scanning frame rotates on the movable part of the flow switch can be completely eliminated or minimized.

[0037] Figure 3 The flow switch of the cooling unit of the medical imaging device according to a preferred embodiment of the utility model is schematically shown. Figure 3 As shown, the flow switch 21 of the cooling unit of the medical imaging device according to a preferred embodiment of the utility model comprises a housing 29 having a cooling fluid inlet 23 and a cooling fluid outlet 25 and defining a cylindrical inner cavity 27, a turbine 33 having a plurality of blades 31 and rotatably arranged in the inner cavity 27 of the housing 29 around a central axis XX', and a speed measuring device 35 arranged on the housing 29 for measuring the rotation speed of the turbine 33. The speed measuring device 35 determines the flow rate of the cooling fluid passing through the flow switch 21 according to the magnitude of the rotation speed of the turbine 33.

[0038] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the blade 31 is a magnetic blade that at least includes a magnetic material or is equipped with a magnetic pole, so that a Hall sensor can be used as the speed measuring device 35. The Hall sensor can convert the change of the magnetic field M caused by the change of the blade position into a change of the output voltage to generate a pulse signal. To this end, the cooling unit of the medical imaging device according to the present invention can also include a control device 37 electrically connected to the speed measuring device 35.

[0039] Figure 4 1 is a schematic diagram showing that a part of a cooling unit of a medical imaging device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is connected to a control system of the medical imaging device. The control device 37 of the cooling unit is electrically connected to both the speed measuring device 35 of the flow switch and the control system 39 of the medical imaging device. The speed measuring device 35 such as a Hall sensor outputs a pulse signal by sensing the change in the magnetic field caused by the position change of the magnetic blade 31 of the turbine 33 and transmits the pulse signal to the control device 37 of the cooling unit. The frequency of the pulse signal changes with the rotation speed of the turbine 33 (i.e., the flow rate (speed) of the cooling fluid). The control device 37 of the cooling unit includes a microprocessor. The microprocessor calculates the frequency of the pulse signal received from the speed measuring device 35 such as a Hall sensor and compares the calculated frequency of the pulse signal with a preset frequency value. The preset frequency value generally corresponds to the minimum flow rate of the cooling fluid flowing through the flow switch when the medical imaging device is operating normally. If the frequency of the pulse signal calculated by the microprocessor is greater than the preset frequency value, the control device 37 outputs a constant signal (for example, the output value is 1) to the control system 39 of the medical imaging device, so as to send a signal to the control system 39 of the medical imaging device indicating that the flow rate of the cooling fluid flowing through the flow switch is greater than the minimum flow rate, that is, a signal indicating that the medical imaging device can operate normally. On the contrary, if the frequency of the pulse signal calculated by the microprocessor is less than the preset frequency value, the control device 37 does not output a signal (for example, the output value is 0) to the control system 39 of the medical imaging device, which indicates that the flow rate of the cooling fluid flowing through the flow switch is less than the minimum flow rate, that is, the medical imaging device cannot operate normally.

[0040] Compared with the existing method of determining the flow rate of the cooling fluid flowing through the flow switch by mechanical positioning, the utility model determines the flow rate of the cooling fluid flowing through the flow switch by utilizing the pulse signal generated by the Hall sensor, which can more accurately determine the flow rate of the cooling fluid flowing through the flow switch, ensuring that the medical imaging equipment can be reliably cooled, and further ensuring the stable operation of the medical imaging equipment.

[0041] The utility model is described in detail above in conjunction with specific embodiments. Obviously, the above description and the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings should be understood as exemplary and do not constitute a limitation to the utility model. For those skilled in the art, various modifications or changes can be made to the utility model without departing from the spirit of the utility model, and these modifications or changes do not depart from the scope of the utility model.

Claims

1. A cooling unit for a medical imaging device, the cooling unit comprising: Pipes through which cooling fluid flows; and A flow switch (21) arranged on the pipeline and disposed in a scanning frame (20) of the medical imaging device, the flow switch (21) comprising a housing having a cooling fluid inlet and a cooling fluid outlet, and a movable component movably disposed in the housing to reflect the flow rate of the cooling fluid passing through the flow switch; It is characterized in that the flow switch (21) is arranged in the scanning frame (20) so that the direction of the movement axis (XX') of the movable component is parallel to the radial direction of the scanning frame (20).

2. The cooling unit of the medical imaging device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The movable component is made of non-metallic material.

3. The cooling unit of the medical imaging device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The flow switch (21) is arranged in the scanning frame (20) so that the direction of the movement axis (XX') of the movable component coincides with the radial direction of the scanning frame (20).

4. The cooling unit of the medical imaging device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The housing (29) of the flow switch (21) defines a cylindrical inner cavity (27), and the movable component is a turbine (33) having a plurality of blades (31) and a central axis, wherein the central axis is the movement axis (XX') of the turbine, and the turbine can be rotatably arranged in the inner cavity (27) of the housing around the central axis.

5. The cooling unit of the medical imaging device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The flow switch further comprises a speed measuring device (35) arranged on the housing (29) for measuring the rotation speed of the turbine (33).

6. The cooling unit of the medical imaging device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The blade (31) is a magnetic blade at least comprising magnetic material or equipped with magnetic poles, and the speed measuring device (35) comprises a Hall sensor so as to generate a pulse signal according to a change in a magnetic field.

7. The cooling unit of the medical imaging device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The cooling unit further comprises a control device (37) electrically connected to the speed measuring device (35).

8. The cooling unit of the medical imaging device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The control device (37) includes a microprocessor, which calculates the frequency of the pulse signal received from the speed measuring device (35) and compares the calculated frequency of the pulse signal with a preset frequency value, and when the calculated frequency of the pulse signal is greater than the preset frequency value, the control device outputs a constant signal to the control system of the medical imaging device.

9. The cooling unit of the medical imaging device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The medical imaging device is a computed tomography imaging device.

10. A medical imaging device, characterized in that: The medical imaging device comprises a cooling unit as claimed in any one of claims 1-9.

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