General Electric Company

Ge Medical Systems Global Technology Company, LLC

Paul Michael Ratzmann

Darren Lee Hallman

John Scott Price

Aniruddha Dattatraya Gadre

Richard Michael Roffers

Mark Ernest Vermilyea

Douglas J Snyder

Mark A Kappel

Walter John Smith

Philip Alexander Shoemaker

Thomas Dean Schaefer

Brian Joseph Graves

Suryaprakash Ganti

James Edward Simpson

Liangheng Qiu

Gerhardt Edwin Schweinert

Takashi Yasunaga

Pin-based support structures for easily and precisely assembling CT detector components into individual detector modules are described, as are methods of making the same. The pins in these structures serve as the local reference points against which all other detector components (i.e., collimators, scintillator packs, diodes, electronic flex connectors, etc.) are aligned. The pins may also be used to quickly and easily attach the individual detector modules to the local detector reference frame and then to the global reference frame in a CT imaging system. These structures allow CT detector components to be more easily and economically assembled than previously possible. Furthermore, these structures are extensible in the Z-direction, allowing for longer Z-coverage with each rotation of the gantry, thereby allowing for full organ imaging in a single CT scan.

Support structure for z-extensible CT detectors and methods of making same

A system for controlling a gas load imposed upon a high vacuum chamber includes a first chamber enclosing a high vacuum and positioned within an ambient environment, a second chamber enclosing a gas and positioned within the ambient environment adjacent to the first chamber, and a rotatable shaft having a first portion extending into the first chamber and a second portion extending into the second chamber. A ferrofluid seal is positioned about the rotatable shaft and positioned between the first portion and the second portion and the ferrofluid seal fluidically separates the first chamber from the second chamber. A control unit is attached to the second chamber and configured to control the gas enclosed in the second chamber such that a gas load in the first chamber is reduced.

Antechamber control reducing leak through ferrofluid seals

A detector assemblyfor an imaging systemis provided comprising a plurality of scintillator elementspositioned within a scintillator pack. The scintillator packforms a scintillator pack upper surfaceand a plurality of scintillator pack wallspositioned between the plurality of scintillator elements. A plurality of collimator elementsare mounted on the scintillator pack upper surface. Each of the plurality of collimator elementsis comprised of a stack laminated basemounted to the scintillator pack upper surfaceand a cast upper wallformed on the stack laminated base

Collimator assembly for computed tomography system

A system for mitigating a gas load imposed upon a high vacuum chamber, thereby reducing the overall pressure, includes a device mounted onto a rotating gantry. The device has a first chamber enclosing a high vacuum and a first region in which anode bearings are positioned. A rotatable shaft has a first portion extending into the first chamber and a second portion extending into the first region. A ferrofluid seal is positioned about the rotatable shaft and positioned between the first portion and the second portion, the ferrofluid seal fluidically separating the first chamber from the first region. At least one pressure-reducing unit is fluidically connected to the first chamber.

Pumping schemes for X-ray tubes with ferrofluid seals

A CT detector includes a scintillator module including at least one scintillator configured to be impinged with radiographic energy from a radiographic energy source, at least one indexing pin connected to the scintillator module, and a collimator assembly having at least one comb, wherein the collimator assembly defines a relative position of the at least one comb, and wherein the at least one comb has a plurality of teeth configured to engage the at least one indexing pin.

Self-aligning scintillator-collimator assembly

An x-ray target assembly is provided comprising a drive shaft and an outer shaft housing element. A primary integral duplex bearing assembly is positioned between the outer shaft housing element and the drive shaft and comprises a primary fixed outer race and a primary dual inner race comprising a first primary inner race element and a second primary race element. A plurality of primary ball elements are positioned therebetween. A secondary integral duplex bearing assembly is positioned between the outer shaft housing element and the drive shaft and comprises a secondary floating outer race comprising a single secondary race element. A secondary dual inner race is comprised of a first secondary inner race element and a second secondary race element. A plurality of secondary ball elements are positioned between the secondary floating outer race and the secondary dual inner race.

Integral duplex bearings for rotating x-ray anode

Support structure for Z-extensible CT detectors and methods of making same

An x-ray tube is provided including an anode mounted to a rotatable shaft positioned within a center bore of a stem element, a bearing assembly positioned between the rotatable shaft and the stem element, and at least one liquid metal shunt in thermal communication with both the rotatable shaft and the stem element, located adjacent to the anode between the anode and the bearing assembly, and directing heat generated at the anode away from the bearing assembly by allowing heat to flow from the rotatable shaft into the stem element prior to heat reaching the bearing assembly.

Grease bearing with gallium shunt

A multiple row spiral grooved bearing assembly for use in a rotating anode X ray tube device has an intermediate race having a spiral grooved inner and outer surface placed between an outer housing and an inner bearing shaft A layer of gallium is interposed between the spiral grooved inner surface and the inner bearing shaft and between the spiral grooved outer surface and outer housing to provide lubrication for the surfaces of the intermediate race The intermediate race reduces the relative velocity between moving parts, thereby reducing heat generation of the bearing assembly for a given anode rotation speed. This enables higher target velocities, and hence higher focal spot power, available to the x-ray tube device as compared with traditional ball-type bearing designs.

Multiple row spiral groove bearing for X-ray tube

An x-ray tube assembly is provided, including a multiple row x-ray tube bearing assembly including an inner bearing member, an outer bearing member, and a free rotational intermediate race member positioned between the inner bearing member and the outer bearing member such that the inner bearing member and the outer bearing member may rotate independently of each other.

Multiple row x-ray tube bearing assembly

An x-ray system is provided that produces noise at or below ambient levels. The system includes a positioning arm, an x-ray tube, an x-ray detector, and an acoustic dampening interface mounting between the x-ray tube and a first end of the positioning arm. The acoustic dampening interface may be a rubber isolator that absorbs the vibrations produced by the x-ray tube. The rubber isolator may include a rubber isolation tube positioned within a hole formed in a mounting plate of the x-ray tube. Alternatively, the rubber isolator may include a rubber washer and a rubber isolation layer, or isolation ring.

Growing community of inventors

Germantown, WI, United States of America

Paul Michael Ratzmann