General Electric Company

Uwm Research Foundation, Inc.

Russell Wayne Hum

Adel Nasiri

Seyed Ahmad Hamidi

John Ferdinand Bopp

Steven John Woloschek

Willi W Hampel

Carmine F Vara

Thomas Robert Murray

Joseph James Lacey

Ashutosh Joshi

Timothy Patrick Rose

Harold J Dalman

Christopher J Falkner

Shawn Patrick Faessler

Phil E Pearson

William T Brennan

Colin J Casey

Judith A Clifford

A battery management system for monitoring battery cells of an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) coupled to a medical imaging load. The battery management system includes a first slave configured to obtain an operating parameter of a first battery cell. The first slave is configured to determine health of the first battery cell based at least in part on the operating parameter. The first slave is configured to generate a signal indicating the health of the first battery cell to communicate serially, via at least a second slave, to a master.

Battery management system

A system includes an AC-DC converter configured to convert power from an AC supply to a DC bus to provide a first portion of power a medical imaging load. The system includes an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) coupled to the DC bus. The UPS comprises at least one battery cell and a DC-DC converter comprising one or more switches and coupled between the at least one battery cell and the DC bus. The system includes a control system comprising a processor configured to send one or more signals to control operation of the one or more switches to cause the DC-DC converter to control power discharged from the at least one battery cell to the DC bus to provide a second portion of power to the medical imaging load.

Uninterruptible power supply (UPS) direct current (DC) load leveling

A method is provided for image detection. The method includes measuring a temperature of an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter of an imaging system during an imaging scan of an object, and correcting a gain of the A/D converter based on the measured temperature of the A/D converter.

Methods and systems for image detection

A cable fastener is disclosed. The cable fastener includes a first portion and a second portion. A set of threads is disposed at a first end of the first portion, and a knurl is disposed at a second end of the first portion. The second portion includes an interface region disposed within a first end and a tool interface disposed upon a second end. The interface region is disposed in intimate connection upon the knurl, and the first and second portion are configured to transmit at least 12 in-lbs across the interface region and knurl without relative motion.

System and apparatus for cable connector fastening

Methods and apparatus for dose reduction in a computed tomography (CT) system are described. In one embodiment, the CT system includes a pre-patient collimator and a configurable multislice detector array. The pre-patient collimator includes a plurality of eccentric cams and a filtration device for altering the x-ray beam radiated from a x-ray source. The eccentric cams are positioned to collimate the x-ray beam and may be independently positioned to provide z-axis correction of the x-ray beam. The filtration device includes a plurality of filters for altering the x-ray beam. In operation, an operator selects the type of test and the quantity and thickness of the slices. After altering the detector and collimator configuration, slice data for each slice is gathered.

Variable aperture z-axis tracking collimator for a computed tomograph system

Variable aperture z-axis tracking collimator for computed tomograph system

The present invention, in one embodiment, is an interference detection assembly for detecting patient and patient table interference with a gantry of a computed tomography system. The assembly, in one form, includes a frusto-conical capacitive plate secured to a leading frusto-conical surface of the gantry bore. The capacitive plate is coupled to a control unit which detects changes in the capacitance of the capacitive plate. When the plate is discharged below a threshold charge, the control unit generates a signal which may be used to automatically interrupt a scan.

Methods and apparatus for detecting gantry interference in a computed

The present invention, in one form, is a brake assembly for a tilting gantry. The brake assembly is coupled to the gantry in substantially the same manner as a driving actuator is connected to the gantry, and includes a hydraulic cylinder, a piston, a reservoir and a valve. The cylinder includes a first end, a second end, and a sidewall extending between the first end and the second end to define a chamber. The piston includes a head and an arm which is configured to couple to the gantry. The piston is positioned within the hydraulic cylinder so that the head of the piston is in the cylinder chamber and the piston arm extends through a piston opening of the first end of the hydraulic cylinder. The reservoir is configured to retain hydraulic fluid, and the valve is connected in series circuit between the hydraulic cylinder and the reservoir. Particularly, a fluid line couples the reservoir to the hydraulic cylinder, and the valve is positioned in the fluid line to control the flow of hydraulic fluid between the reservoir and the hydraulic cylinder.

Methods and apparatus for stabilizing a gantry in a computed tomography

Apparatus and methods for determining cradle support elevation in an imaging system are described. In one form, the apparatus includes a support rail secured to and between table support legs of a table arrangement. The support rail is maintained substantially parallel with the cradle support. An encoder, coupled to the support rail, generates signals indicative of the cradle support elevation. The encoder signals can be used to determine, using a linear function, cradle support elevation. More specifically, although the cradle support movements are non-linear, the cradle support elevation apparatus provide linear feedback which may be used to determine cradle support elevation.

Methods and apparatus for acquiring table elevation information

A CT apparatus produces a trigger position signal having a programmable angular spacing, for triggering the acquisition of projections, from an encoder index pulse having a different fixed angular spacing. An estimation circuit estimates the time of occurrence of a next pulse in the trigger position signal by evaluating the timing of the encoder index pulses. The estimation circuit may be a phase-locked-loop or a set of lookup tables keyed to gantry position and speed.

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Waukesha, WI, United States of America

Russell Wayne Hum