Gantry Cooling Plenum Airflow Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Temperature fluctuations in medical imaging scanners, particularly in CT scanners, due to heat dissipation from components lead to uneven temperature distribution and unpredictable air temperatures, affecting the performance of temperature-sensitive components.
Innovation Solution
A rotating gantry with a plenum and air movers that selectively distribute air through material-free regions to regulate the temperature of components, using a bearing to define the plenum and control air flow, ensuring consistent temperature and pressure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a fan is placed on the side of the rotating gantry to cool temperature sensitive components, then cooling effect is improved, but heated air is re-circulated over the components causing temperature instability
Solution Approach 1:
The gantry is divided into functionally distinct zones: a first region with material-free space for component placement, a second region for air intake, and a third region for air expulsion. This segmentation prevents heated air recirculation by spatially separating cooling and intake functions, ensuring temperature stable environment for sensitive components.
Solution Approach 2:
A plenum chamber acts as an intermediary air distribution system between the fan and the components. The plenum receives conditioned air, distributes it uniformly across the material-free region, and ensures stable temperature delivery to components without direct exposure to intake air fluctuations.
2Loss of energy
If air is drawn into a region near the bottom of the scanner and vented through the top, then heat dissipation is improved, but uneven temperature distribution occurs in the scanner
Solution Approach 1:
The air distribution system provides locally optimized cooling: conditioned air is delivered specifically to the material-free region where temperature-sensitive components are located, rather than creating a general convection current throughout the scanner. This localized approach maintains temperature uniformity while achieving effective heat dissipation from critical components.
3Loss of energy
If air flow is increased to improve heat dissipation, then cooling efficiency is improved, but air flow predictability decreases for rotating components
Solution Approach 1:
Air is conditioned (filtered, temperature-controlled, and pressurized) in advance within the plenum chamber before being distributed to the material-free region. This preliminary conditioning ensures that regardless of the rotating gantry's position, components always receive air with predictable and stable temperature and pressure characteristics, while still achieving efficient heat dissipation.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Maintains a predictable and stable temperature range for components, improving the performance and efficiency of temperature-sensitive components by regulating air flow and temperature distribution within the scanner.
Implementation Method 1
An air mover, located in the plenum, draws air into the plenum and expels air out of the plenum
Implementation Method 2
The rotating gantry and the bearing are spaced apart from each other by a non-zero distance, thereby defining a plenum therebetween
Data Source
AI summary
A medical imaging apparatus (100) includes a rotating gantry (302). The rotating gantry (302) includes a first side (108) and a second side (302, 304). The first and second side (108 and 302, 304) are spaced apart from each other along a longitudinal axis, thereby defining a plenum (116) therebetween. The first side (108) includes at least one material free region (110). At least one air mover (126), located in the plenum (116), that expels air in the plenum (116) through the at least one material free region (110).