CT Slip Ring Data Compression for Bandwidth Bottlenecks
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In computed tomography (CT) imaging systems, the bandwidth limitations of slip rings restrict scanning speed due to insufficient data transmission capacity, especially as data collection rates increase.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a method that compresses scan data to a predetermined number of mantissa bits and exponent bits using a charge-to-digital converter and digital signal processor, allowing for efficient transmission across the slip ring and subsequent image reconstruction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If scan speed is increased to reduce total scan time, then productivity is improved, but the bandwidth required for data transmission across the slip ring increases beyond available capacity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing data compression in the rotating data acquisition system before data is transmitted across the slip ring. The compression algorithm reduces the data volume in advance, ensuring that even at high scan speeds, the compressed data stream fits within the有限的 bandwidth capacity of the slip ring transmission system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the data representation parameters by converting raw detector data into a compressed format with reduced bit depth. This parameter transformation allows the same physical bandwidth to carry effectively more information by reducing the bytes per data point while maintaining diagnostic image quality through intelligent compression algorithms.
2Productivity
If data collection rate is increased to improve productivity, then more data is collected per unit time, but the slip ring bandwidth becomes insufficient to transmit the increased data volume
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary data compression in the rotating data acquisition system before transmission. By compressing the data in advance at higher collection rates, the system ensures that the compressed data stream remains within the slip ring's transmission capacity, allowing high-speed data collection without overwhelming the bandwidth limitation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts only the essential information from the raw detector data through compression algorithms. By removing redundant or less critical data elements and retaining only the most diagnostically important information, the system reduces the total data volume to fit within the slip ring bandwidth while maintaining adequate image quality.
3Measurement precision
If uncompressed data is transmitted across the slip ring to maintain image quality, then measurement precision is preserved, but scanning speed is limited by bandwidth constraints
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the data parameter representation by reducing bit depth through compression. This allows faster scanning speeds by reducing data volume, while carefully designed compression algorithms preserve the essential measurement precision needed for diagnostic image quality by retaining the most critical data characteristics.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary compression with quality preservation algorithms before transmission. This preliminary processing ensures that even though data is compressed for speed, the essential measurement precision and diagnostic quality are maintained through intelligent retention of critical data elements during the compression process.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for reducing bandwidth required for transmission of data in a device having two portions rotating with respect to one another. The first portion includes a data acquisition system (DAS) having a charge-to-digital converter and a digital signal processor (DSP) configured to receive and compress digital data from the charge-to-digital processor. The second portion includes a computer configured to receive data from the DAS. The DAS and computer are communicatively coupled via a slip ring having a finite transmission bandwidth. The computer is configured to reconstruct and display an image using compressed data. The method includes using the DAS to compress scan data to a predetermined number of mantissa bits and a predetermined number of exponent bits, transmitting the compressed data from the first portion to the second portion across the slip ring, and using the transmitted compressed data to reconstruct and display an image of an object.