Computed tomography device with a phase monitoring unit

Abstract

Computed tomography device (1), comprising - a receiving unit (E) which is configured to receive an electrical input power and, based on the input power, to provide an electrical supply power for a set of components (K1, K2) of the computed tomography device (1), - a phase monitoring unit (P) which is arranged to generate a phase monitoring signal which indicates whether the input power is full-phase or phase-reduced, - a power distribution system (D) which is designed to divide the supply power between the components of the set of components (K1, K2) depending on the phase monitoring signal in such a way that a relative proportion of the supply power allocated to a priority component (K1) of the set of components (K1, K2) increases when switching from the full-phase input power to the phase-reduced input power.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a computed tomography device and a use of a phase monitoring unit in a computed tomography device.

[0002] Photon-counting X-ray detectors require continuous power to maintain clinical image quality. Brief power interruptions require complex calibrations, which are repeated over several hours until performance stabilizes to ensure a specific image quality. If a power interruption cannot be ruled out during clinical operation, the systems can optionally be equipped with an uninterruptible power supply, which provides power to the detector for several minutes. An external power unit can then take over power for interruptions that last beyond this time.

[0003] If the X-ray detector is not powered separately from the beam generation chain, e.g., for reasons of complexity or cost, the entire computed tomography device must remain switched on 24 hours a day, seven days a week to be ready for clinical use. During these extended periods, e.g., at night or during off-peak hours, this consumes considerable energy regardless of use. To ensure the power supply, an uninterruptible power supply with additional upstream components, e.g., for voltage adjustment and filtering of line-borne interference, particularly in the form of an isolation transformer, can be used.

[0004] The invention aims to improve the distribution of a supply power in a computer tomography device.

[0005] The independent claims concern solutions to this problem. The dependent claims concern particular embodiments of these solutions. Regardless of the grammatical gender of a particular term, it encompasses persons with male, female, or other gender identities.

[0006] The invention relates to a computer tomography device comprising - a receiving unit configured to receive an electrical input power and, based on the input power, to provide an electrical supply power for a set of components of the computed tomography device, - a phase monitoring unit configured to generate a phase monitoring signal indicating whether the input power is full-phase or phase-reduced, - a power distribution system configured to distribute the supply power between the components of the set of components depending on the phase monitoring signal such that a relative proportion of the supply power allocated to a priority component of the set of components increases upon switching from the full-phase input power to the phase-reduced input power.

[0007] In particular, the power distribution system can be configured to divide the supply power between the components of the set of components depending on the phase monitoring signal such that a relative share of the supply power allocated to a priority component of the set of components increases upon switching from the full-phase input power to the phase-reduced input power and that a relative share of the supply power allocated to a subordinate component of the set of components increases upon switching from the phase-reduced input power to the full-phase input power.

[0008] In particular, the computed tomography device can be provided with a switching unit, wherein the switching unit is connected upstream of the receiving unit and is configured to switch from the full-phase input power to the phase-reduced input power. The phase monitoring unit can, for example, be configured to evaluate electrical phases of the input power, in particular in real time.

[0009] The relative share of the supply power allocated to the priority component of the set of components can be increased in particular by reducing the share of the supply power allocated to the subordinate component of the set of components when switching from the full-phase input power to the phase-reduced input power, in particular by reducing it to zero, for example by switching off the subordinate component.

[0010] One embodiment provides that the computer tomography device has a support structure, a rotary structure, a rotary bearing and a rotary transformer, - wherein the rotating structure is mounted by means of the rotary bearing relative to the support structure about a rotation axis, - wherein the rotating structure comprises the receiving unit, the phase monitoring unit and the power distribution system, - wherein the support structure has a transmitting unit, wherein the transmitting unit is configured to transmit the input power, in particular to the rotary transformer, - wherein the rotary transformer is configured to transmit the input power from the transmitting unit to the receiving unit.

[0011] In particular, it can be provided that the rotating structure comprises the set of components. The rotary transformer can, for example, be designed in the form of a contact-type slip ring and / or be configured for contactless, in particular inductive and / or capacitive, data transmission.

[0012] One embodiment provides that the computed tomography device has a switching unit, wherein the switching unit is connected upstream of the transmitting unit and is configured to switch from the full-phase input power to the phase-reduced input power.

[0013] The switching unit can, for example, be integrated into the support structure and / or arranged stationary relative to the support structure. In particular, the switching unit can be configured to connect the transmitting unit to a low-voltage network in full phase or to an uninterruptible power supply device in a reduced-phase configuration. This can be done, for example, depending on the supply status, particularly with regard to a disruption of the low-voltage network, and / or for the purpose of reducing the energy consumption of the computed tomography device.

[0014] One embodiment provides that the receiving unit has an electrical intermediate circuit, wherein the intermediate circuit is connected upstream of the set of components and is configured to supply at least the priority component with electrical power without interruption during the switching from the full-phase input power to the phase-reduced input power.

[0015] The electrical intermediate circuit can, in particular, be a DC intermediate circuit. The switching can, in particular, be so fast that the electrical energy temporarily stored in the intermediate circuit is sufficient to provide uninterrupted electrical power to at least the priority component during the switching from the full-phase input power to the phase-reduced input power.

[0016] One embodiment provides that the power distribution system is further configured to divide the supply power between the components of the set of components depending on the phase monitoring signal such that an absolute proportion of the supply power allocated to the priority component of the set of components decreases upon switching from the full-phase input power to the phase-reduced input power.

[0017] In particular, the priority component can be configured for a full supply power operating mode and a reduced supply power operating mode. For example, the reduced supply power operating mode can be designed to maintain conditioning of a photon-counting X-ray detector.

[0018] One embodiment provides that the primary component is an X-ray detector. The X-ray detector can, in particular, be photon-counting. The computed tomography device can, in particular, be configured for photon-counting computed tomography imaging.

[0019] One embodiment provides that the computed tomography device has an X-ray source for generating X-ray radiation, wherein the subordinate component is configured for high-voltage supply and / or cooling of the X-ray source.

[0020] In particular, the subordinate component can be configured to relatively quickly ramp up from a de-energized state to an operating state in which computed tomography imaging can be performed without quality limitations attributable to the de-energized state. The subordinate component can be, for example, part of a beam generation chain and / or a beam cooling system. The subordinate component can be, for example, an X-ray source and / or a diaphragm for collimating the X-ray radiation. The subordinate component can be, for example, an inverter, a high-voltage transformer, and / or a rectifier.

[0021] One embodiment provides that the full-phase input power is three-phase and / or wherein the phase-reduced input power is single-phase.

[0022] One embodiment provides that the computed tomography device has a device for uninterruptible power supply, wherein the device for uninterruptible power supply is configured to provide the phase-reduced input power.

[0023] The device for the uninterruptible power supply can, for example, be integrated into the support structure and / or arranged stationary relative to the support structure, for example arranged stationary relative to the support structure in a housing separate from the support structure.

[0024] The invention further relates to the use of a phase monitoring unit in a computed tomography device to generate a phase monitoring signal which indicates whether an electrical input power is full-phase or phase-reduced, and to divide a supply power provided based on the input power for a set of components of the computed tomography device between components of a set of components by means of a power distribution system depending on the phase monitoring signal in such a way that a relative proportion of the supply power allocated to a priority component of the set of components increases when switching from a full-phase input power to a phase-reduced input power.

[0025] Furthermore, a method for dividing a supply power in a computed tomography device is disclosed, the method comprising: - receiving an electrical input power, - providing an electrical supply power for a set of components of the computed tomography device based on the electrical input power, - generating a phase monitoring signal by means of a phase monitoring unit, wherein the phase monitoring signal indicates whether the input power is full-phase or phase-reduced, - switching from full-phase input power to phase-reduced input power, - dividing the supply power by means of a power distribution system between the components of the set of components depending on the phase monitoring signal such that a relative share of the supply power allocated to a priority component of the set of components increases.

[0026] This implementation approach can be used, as described above, to bridge interruptions in the grid-side power supply, but also specifically to reduce the energy consumption of the computed tomography device, e.g., at night or during off-peak hours. Thus, the invention contributes to reducing system costs (components), service costs (regular battery replacement – ​​materials and labor), the customer's total cost of ownership (energy / cooling costs), and space requirements. It also facilitates the replacement of existing systems with photon-counting systems.

[0027] By using and integrating a single-phase power supply, costs and space requirements can be significantly reduced compared to a three-phase power supply, as only one inverter is required instead of three, with a correspondingly smaller battery. In particular, a three-phase isolation transformer for the uninterruptible power supply can be omitted, further reducing space requirements and allowing for placement in a single enclosure, for example, under a desk.

[0028] This effectively achieves the same long detector conditioning maintenance time while using smaller and more cost-effective uninterruptible power supplies. Existing components with sufficient reserve capacity can also be used for voltage matching, filtering of line-borne interference, etc., offering further cost advantages.

[0029] Furthermore, the CO2 emissions associated with system operation are also reduced because the system's energy consumption is lower. For example, savings of 2800 W are possible in the dual-source counting system and 1500 W in the single-source counting system. The system's sustainability is also significantly improved because the uninterruptible power supplies used eliminate the need for an inverter and associated battery.

[0030] Within the scope of the invention, features described in relation to different embodiments of the invention and / or different claim categories (method, use, device, system, arrangement, etc.) can be combined to form further embodiments of the invention. For example, a claim relating to a device can also be further developed with features described or claimed in connection with a method, and vice versa. Functional features of a method can be implemented by appropriately designed physical components. The use of the indefinite article "a" or "an" does not exclude the possibility that the feature in question may also be present multiple times.

[0031] In the following, features of the invention are explained using examples with reference to the accompanying figures. The representation in the figures is schematic, highly simplified, and not necessarily to scale. The Fig. 1 shows a schematic representation of a computed tomography device. The Fig. 2 shows a computer tomography device with an uninterruptible power supply device. The Fig. 3 shows a flowchart for a method for dividing a supply power in a computed tomography device.

[0032] The Fig. 1 shows a schematic representation of the computer tomography device 1, comprising - a receiving unit E, which is configured to receive an electrical input power and, based on the input power, to provide an electrical supply power for a set of components K1, K2 of the computed tomography device 1, - a phase monitoring unit P, which is configured to generate a phase monitoring signal indicating whether the input power is full-phase or phase-reduced, - a power distribution system D, which is designed to divide the supply power between the components of the set of components K1, K2 depending on the phase monitoring signal in such a way that a relative share of the supply power allocated to a priority component K1 of the set of components K1, K2 increases when switching from the full-phase input power to the phase-reduced input power.

[0033] The example shown provides that the computer tomography device 1 has a support structure 23, a rotating structure 24, a rotary bearing 2B and a rotary transformer 2T, - wherein the rotating structure 24 is mounted by means of the rotary bearing 2B relative to the support structure 23 about a rotation axis 2A, - wherein the rotating structure 24 comprises the receiving unit E, the phase monitoring unit P and the power distribution system D, - wherein the support structure 23 has a transmitting unit S, wherein the transmitting unit S is configured to transmit the input power, in particular to the rotary transformer 2T, - wherein the rotary transformer 2T is configured to transmit the input power from the transmitting unit S to the receiving unit E.

[0034] The example shown provides that the computed tomography device 1 has a switching unit U, wherein the switching unit U is connected upstream of the transmitting unit S and is configured to switch from the full-phase input power to the phase-reduced input power. The example shown provides that the receiving unit E has an electrical intermediate circuit Z, wherein the intermediate circuit Z is connected upstream of the set of components K1, K2 and is configured to supply at least the priority component K1 with uninterrupted electrical power during the switching from the full-phase input power to the phase-reduced input power.

[0035] The example shown provides that the power distribution system D is further configured to divide the supply power between the components of the set of components K1, K2 depending on the phase monitoring signal such that an absolute share of the supply power allocated to the priority component K1 of the set of components K1, K2 decreases when switching from the full-phase input power to the phase-reduced input power.

[0036] Low-voltage network 3 is configured to provide full-phase input power. Uninterruptible power supply device L1 is configured to provide phase-reduced input power and to supply component K0 of support structure 23.

[0037] The Fig. Figure 2 shows the computed tomography device 1 with the uninterruptible power supply device L1. The example shown provides that the primary component K1 is an X-ray detector 48. The example shown provides that the computed tomography device 1 has an X-ray source 44 for generating X-ray radiation 47, with the secondary component K2 being configured for the high-voltage supply and / or cooling of the X-ray source 44. The example shown provides that the full-phase input power is three-phase and / or the phase-reduced input power is single-phase.

[0038] The example shown provides that the computed tomography device 1 has a device L1 for uninterruptible power supply, wherein the device L1 for uninterruptible power supply is configured to provide the phase-reduced input power.

[0039] The computed tomography device 1 comprises the gantry 20 and the storage system 10. The gantry 20 comprises the support structure 23 with the support frame 21 and the tilting frame 22, as well as the opening 9. The tilting frame 22 is mounted relative to the support frame 21 by means of the tilting bearing 3B about the tilting axis 3A. The storage system 10 comprises the storage structure 12 and the base 11. The storage structure 12 is mounted movably along the system axis 1A relative to the base 11 in order to introduce the examination object 13 mounted on the storage structure 12 into the opening 9 along the system axis 1A.

[0040] The Fig. 3 shows a flowchart of a method for dividing a supply power in a computer tomography device 1, the method comprising: - receiving S1 of an electrical input power, - providing S2 an electrical supply power for a set of components K1, K2 of the computer tomography device 1 based on the electrical input power, - generating S3 a phase monitoring signal by means of a phase monitoring unit P, wherein the phase monitoring signal indicates whether the input power is full-phase or phase-reduced, - switching S4 from the full-phase input power to the phase-reduced input power, - dividing S5 the supply power by means of a power distribution system D between the components of the set of components K1, K2 depending on the phase monitoring signal such that a relative share of the supply power allocated to a priority component K1 of the set of components K1, K2 increases.

Claims

[1] Computer tomography device (1), comprising - a receiving unit (E) which is configured to receive an electrical input power and, based on the input power, to provide an electrical supply power for a set of components (K1, K2) of the computed tomography device (1), - a phase monitoring unit (P) which is arranged to generate a phase monitoring signal which indicates whether the input power is full-phase or phase-reduced, - a power distribution system (D) which is designed to divide the supply power between the components of the set of components (K1, K2) depending on the phase monitoring signal in such a way that a relative proportion of the supply power allocated to a priority component (K1) of the set of components (K1, K2) increases when switching from the full-phase input power to the phase-reduced input power. [2] Computer tomography device (1) according to claim 1, - wherein the computer tomography device (1) has a support structure (23), a rotary structure (24), a rotary bearing (2B) and a rotary transformer (2T), - wherein the rotary structure (24) is mounted rotatably about a rotation axis (2A) relative to the support structure (23) by means of the rotary bearing (2B), - wherein the rotating structure (24) comprises the receiving unit (E), the phase monitoring unit (P) and the power distribution system (D), - wherein the support structure (23) has a transmitting unit (S), wherein the transmitting unit (S) is configured to transmit the input power, in particular to the rotary transformer (2T), - wherein the rotary transformer (2T) is configured to transmit the input power from the transmitting unit (S) to the receiving unit (E). [3] Computer tomography device (1) according to claim 2, - wherein the computer tomography device (1) has a switching unit (U), - wherein the switching unit (U) is connected upstream of the transmitting unit (S) and is configured to switch from the full-phase input power to the phase-reduced input power. [4] Computer tomography device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 3, - wherein the receiving unit (E) has an electrical intermediate circuit (Z), - wherein the intermediate circuit (Z) is connected upstream of the set of components (K1, K2) and is designed to supply at least the priority component (K1) with electrical power without interruption during switching from the full-phase input power to the phase-reduced input power. [5] Computer tomography device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 4, - wherein the power distribution system (D) is further configured to divide the supply power between the components of the set of components (K1, K2) depending on the phase monitoring signal such that an absolute proportion of the supply power allocated to the priority component (K1) of the set of components (K1, K2) decreases upon switching from the full-phase input power to the phase-reduced input power. [6] Computer tomography device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 5, - wherein the primary component (K1) is an X-ray detector (48). [7] Computer tomography device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 6, - wherein the computer tomography device (1) has an X-ray source (44) for generating X-ray radiation (47), - wherein the subordinate component (K2) is configured for high voltage supply and / or cooling of the X-ray source (44). [8] Computer tomography device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 7, - wherein the full-phase input power is three-phase and / or wherein the phase-reduced input power is single-phase. [9] Computer tomography device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 8, - wherein the computer tomography device (1) has a device (L1) for uninterruptible power supply, - wherein the uninterruptible power supply device (L1) is configured to provide the phase-reduced input power. [10] Use of a phase monitoring unit (P) in a computed tomography device (1) to generate a phase monitoring signal which indicates whether an electrical input power is full-phase or phase-reduced, and to divide a supply power provided based on the input power for a set of components (K1, K2) of the computed tomography device (1) between components of a set of components (K1, K2) by means of a power distribution system depending on the phase monitoring signal in such a way that a relative proportion of the supply power which is allocated to a priority component (K1) of the set of components (K1, K2) increases when switching from a full-phase input power to a phase-reduced input power.

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