Analogic Corporation

Enprotech Corp.

Ion Beam Systems, Inc.

John M Dobbs

Ruvin Deych

David Banks

Bernard M Gordon

Hans J Weedon

Carl R Crawford

Daniel Abenaim

James R Bowers

Martin J Sklar

Robert F Riemer

Christopher C Ruth

David Rozas

Stephen M Tobin

Brian M McDermott

David A DeBonville

Leonhard Katz

Henry Kaufmann

Harry E Petschek

Robert A Quinlan

Ronald D Danehy

Michael Foley

Edwin M Kellogg

Gregory J Dunn

Henry C Kaufmann

James Albert Bowers, Jr

William Thompson

Axisymmetric solid of revolution derivable from section at FIG.is generally toroidal with electric current(s) in windings preferably flowing circumferentially along major circle(s) during power coupling device operation. Current(s) in windings, current(s) in half-shields, and the volume of space swept out by shield airgap(s) emerge from plane of paper perpendicularly at FIG., but as these emerge therefrom, they curve to follow toroidal major circle(s). Core regions preferably shunt and align magnetic flux such that magnetic field lines escape therefrom primarily only in region(s) of core airgap(s) and such that magnetic flux loops lie in planes of toroidal minor circle(s). Half-shield(s) preferably have electrically conductive material(s) distributed therein as is sufficient to substantially cancel magnetic flux lines impinging thereon before effects of such impinging magnetic flux lines would reach shield airgap(s) and/or outer surface(s) of half-shields.

Shielded power coupling device

Axisymmetric solid of revolution derivable from section at FIG.is generally toroidal with electric current(s) in windingspreferably flowing circumferentially along major circle(s) during power coupling device operation. Current(s) in windings; current(s) in half-shields; and the volume of space swept out by shield airgap(s)emerge from plane of paper perpendicularly at FIG.but as these emerge therefrom they curve to follow toroidal major circle(s). Corespreferably shunt and align magnetic flux such that magnetic field lines escape therefrom primarily only in region(s) of core airgap(s) and such that magnetic flux loops lie in planes of toroidal minor circle(s). Half-shield(s)preferably have electrically conductive material(s) distributed therein as is sufficient to substantially cancel magnetic flux lines impinging thereon before effects of such impinging magnetic flux lines would reach shield airgap(s)and/or outer surface(s) of half-shields

One or more techniques and/or systems described herein provide a shielded power coupling device, such as may be used to transfer electric power from a stator portion of a computed tomography (CT) apparatus to a rotor portion. The shielded power coupling device comprises a rotor portion and a stator portion, separated by an airgap, respectively comprising one or more windings and a core. The shielded power coupling device further comprises a fringe field mitigation element(s) (e.g., an electrically conductive wire) that is configured to carry an induced current that creates a magnetic field that mitigates, or substantially cancels, magnetic flux generated by current in the windings that escapes from the core near the core airgap.

The present application provides techniques and/or systems for inspecting a pipe, or rather measuring one or more characteristics of a pipe, using radiation. A carriage, mounted to the pipe, may provide a mechanism for propelling a radiation source and a detector along the pipe. The detector is configured such that it can receive radiation that has traversed both a wall of the pipe and an obstacle, such as a pipe support. In this way, portions of a pipe that are traditionally difficult to inspect may be inspected easily with minimal human intervention.

Pipeline inspection

Techniques and systems for supplying fluid to a rotating gantry portion of a radiation treatment apparatus are disclosed where a first batch fluid is supplied to the rotating gantry when the rotating gantry is stationary a first time, discontinuing the supply when the rotating gantry is rotating, and supplying a second batch of fluid when the rotating gantry is stationary a second time. A storage component on the rotating gantry allows supplied fluid to be stored in the rotating gantry and used to shape a radiation beam and/or cool an ionizing radiation source, for example, while the rotating gantry is rotating. The techniques and systems may also be utilized to discharge a first fluid from the rotating gantry and supply a second fluid to replace the first fluid.

Fluid transfer for radiation treatment apparatus

A power coupling device for coupling power to a rotating member includes a primary magnetic core defining a first recess, and a secondary magnetic core defining a second recess and disposed adjacent the primary magnetic core. The primary and secondary cores are arranged so as to form an air gap therebetween. The air gap permits relative rotation of the cores about a common axis of rotation. A primary conductive winding is disposed within the first recess, and a secondary conductive winding is disposed within the second recess. At least one of the primary and secondary windings is a fractional turn winding, thereby enabling the transfer of power between multiple input and output voltages. Shielding is provided by a pair of continuous, circular, semi-toroidal shells arranged to support the currents needed to cancel the fields from the transformer.

Power coupling device

An apparatus including a base, a linkage extending along a second axis and pivotally connected to the base for pivotal movement about a first axis perpendicular to the second axis, a leg having a first end pivotally connected to the linkage for pivotal movement about the second axis, and a frame secured to a second end of the leg. A stand extends from the base, and a first slide is secured to a distal end of the stand for pivotal movement with respect to the distal end of the stand. A first guide is supported by the first slide for movement with respect to the first slide, and a second slide is secured to an end of the first guide. A second guide is pivotally connected to the frame and supported by the second slide for movement with respect to the second slide. The frame can be used to support a plating mask and is movable along a surface of an imaginary sphere having a center located at the intersection of the first and the second axes.

Apparatus and method for making X-ray anti-scatter grid

A method for manufacturing an anti-scatter grid including arranging a plurality of elongated metal ribbons of radio-opaque material so that each ribbon is substantially straight and lies in a plane that passes through a focal point of the grid, and placing the elongated ribbons under tension. A first sheet of radioluscent material is secured to top edges of the ribbons, and a second sheet of radioluscent material is secured to bottom edges of the ribbons. The ribbons are arranged such that the first and second radioluscent sheets are substantially parallel. Then the tension is removed from the ribbons.

Method for making X-ray anti-scatter grid

A method for manufacturing an anti-scatter grid having a desired height. The method includes positioning a bottom surface of a mask of dielectric material, with a depth at least equal to the desired height of the anti-scatter grid, on a sheet of metal, cutting first and second series of intrinsically focused slots through a top surface of the mask to the sheet of metal, plating the sheet of metal at the bottom of each of the slots of the mask with a radiopaque material to form partition walls of the anti-scatter grid, and continuing to plate the radiopaque material into the slots of the mask until the desired height of the anti-scatter grid is achieved.

An apparatus and method is provided for stabilizing CT number calculations by a CT system against fluctuations in the x-ray source voltage due to voltage source drift. A voltage reference level is established, by adjusting the voltage to the value which yields the correct CT number for a sample having a known CT number value. The x-ray energy spectrum measured by a kV meter is used to maintain the voltage constant at this reference level. The kV meter has a principal detector that generates a first intensity magnitude of the x-rays, and an auxiliary detector that generates a second intensity magnitude. The auxiliary detector includes an absorber that preferentially absorbs x-ray photons having a relatively low energy. A feedback controller provides to the voltage source a voltage control signal, which is continuously adjusted as a function of the first and second intensity magnitudes, so as to maintain the voltage constant at the reference level.

Method and apparatus for stabilizing the measurement of CT numbers

A determinate positioner assembly comprises a helical cam, such as a threaded lead screw, a follower element which continuously contacts the lead screw in a predetermined number of places for a determinate condition (neither over- nor underconstrained), an elastic member connecting the follower element to the leadscrew, and a driven element. The elastic member maintains continuous contact between the follower element and the cam, yet the combination of the elastic member and the follower element exert substantially zero net force on the cam in the x and y directions. The follower element is attached to the driven element with pivot structures which transmit axial movement from the follower element to the driven element and permit the follower element to &ldquo;float&rdquo; in the x and y directions while prohibiting its rotation about the x, y and z axes.

Determinate positioner assembly

A rotating-patient computed tomography scanning system in which the detector offset is measured in real time for each scan. At least one x-ray--absorbent reference structure is disposed in the field of view, so that a projection of the reference structure is present in every view of the patient. The position of the reference structure can be expressed in terms of the detector offset for each view of the patient. The detector offset for a given image can therefore be determined at the time the image data is obtained. The offset value is used in the data obtained from the current scan to reconstruct images that are free of artifacts that are caused by errors in the detector offset.

System and method for real time measurement of detector offset in

A computed tomography system having a fourfold improvement in both short-and long-term beam position stability. A beam-position detector is located at a peripheral edge of the primary fan beam and is fixed relative to the primary detectors so as to indicate beam position on the primary detectors. The beam-position detector is oriented so that its maximum sensitivity to beam motion is in the direction of beam movement due to focal spot drift due to thermal effects and gravity. Short-term focal spot drift is detected by a secondary beam out of the primary fan beam and is corrected in real time by adjusting the position of a collimator for the primary beam. Long-term changes in the focal spot position are corrected by using information from the beam-position detector to recalibrate the focal spot-beam collimator data set.

Computed tomography system with stable beam position

An x-ray scanning system including an x-ray source defining a focal spot from which radiation is emitted, an x-ray detector assembly including a plurality of x-ray detectors cooperative with the x-ray source to define a radiation beam extending from the focal spot to all of the detectors, a support for supporting at least one of the x-ray source and the detector assembly for rotation about an isocenter, and means for configuring the detectors so that the increment in radial distance from the isocenter to the centers of any two adjacent sub-beams is a substantially constant value.

Growing community of inventors

Hamilton, MA, United States of America

John M Dobbs