Gantry system for CT imaging system and methods of assembling same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10024998-B2
Application number	US-201514820996-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 7, 2015
Priority date	Aug 7, 2015
Publication date	Jul 17, 2018
Grant date	Jul 17, 2018

Abstract

A gantry system for use with a computed tomography (CT) imaging system is provided. The gantry system includes a gantry assembly configured to rotate about a rotational axis to collect imaging data from an object. The gantry assembly includes a support rail. A radially inner surface of the support rail includes a canted first portion and an oppositely canted second portion. The gantry system also includes a plurality of roller assemblies rotatably supporting the gantry assembly. Each of the plurality of roller assemblies comprises a first roller sleeve configured to engage the first portion and a second roller sleeve configured to engage the second portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A gantry system for use with a computed tomography (CT) imaging system, said gantry system comprising:
a gantry assembly configured to rotate about a rotational axis to collect imaging data from an object, said gantry assembly comprises a support rail including a radially inner surface including a canted first portion and an oppositely canted second portion; and
a plurality of roller assemblies rotatably supporting said gantry assembly, each of said plurality of roller assemblies comprises a first roller sleeve configured to engage said first portion and a second roller sleeve configured to engage said second portion.

2. The gantry system of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of roller assemblies comprises at least one lower roller assembly that is movable in a radial direction, and biased radially outward, relative to a base of the CT imaging system.

3. The gantry system of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of roller assemblies comprises at least one upper roller assembly that substantially supports a weight of said gantry assembly.

4. The gantry system of claim 1 , wherein said first portion and said second portion are symmetrically disposed about an intermediate portion of said support rail.

5. The gantry system of claim 1 , wherein each said roller assembly further comprises an arm that is substantially within an envelope defined by a base of said gantry system, said arm extends from a first end to a second end, said first end is coupled to a base of the CT imaging system, and said first and second roller sleeves are rotatably coupled to said second end.

6. The gantry system of claim 1 , wherein said first roller sleeve is configured to rotatably engage said first portion without slipping as said gantry assembly rotates about the rotational axis, and said second roller sleeve is configured to rotatably engage said second portion without slipping as said gantry assembly rotates about the rotational axis.

7. The gantry system of claim 5 , wherein each said roller assembly further comprises:
a first spindle coupled to said arm proximate said second end, wherein said first roller sleeve is coupled for rotation about said first spindle and has a first frusto-conical shape symmetric about said first spindle; and
a second spindle coupled to said arm proximate said second end, wherein said second roller sleeve is coupled for rotation about said second spindle and has a second frusto-conical shape symmetric about said second spindle.

8. The gantry system of claim 7 , wherein said first spindle is disposed at a first angle with respect to the rotational axis such that an engagement surface of said first roller sleeve is substantially parallel to said first portion, and said second spindle is disposed at a second angle with respect to the rotational axis such that an engagement surface of said second roller sleeve is substantially parallel to said second portion.

9. A computed tomography (CT) imaging system comprising:
a base;
a plurality of roller assemblies coupled to said base, each of said plurality of roller assemblies comprises a first roller sleeve and a second roller sleeve; and
a gantry assembly rotatably coupled to said plurality of roller assemblies for rotation about a rotational axis, said gantry assembly comprising:
a radiation source;
at least one detector configured to detect radiation emitted by said radiation source; and

a support rail comprising a radially inner surface including a canted first portion engaged by said first roller sleeve of each said roller assembly and an oppositely canted second portion engaged by said second roller sleeve of each said roller assembly.

10. The CT imaging system of claim 9 , wherein said plurality of roller assemblies comprises at least one lower roller assembly that is movable in a radial direction, and biased radially outward, relative to said base.

11. The CT imaging system of claim 9 , wherein said plurality of roller assemblies comprises at least one upper roller assembly that substantially supports a weight of said gantry assembly.

12. The CT imaging system of claim 9 , wherein said first portion and said second portion are symmetrically disposed about an intermediate portion of said support rail.

13. The CT imaging system of claim 9 , wherein each said roller assembly further comprises an arm that is substantially within an envelope defined by said base, said arm extends from a first end to a second end, said first end is coupled to said base, and said first and second roller sleeves are rotatably coupled to said second end.

14. The CT imaging system of claim 9 , wherein said first roller sleeve is configured to rotatably engage said first portion without slipping as said gantry assembly rotates about the rotational axis, and said second roller sleeve is configured to rotatably engage said second portion without slipping as said gantry assembly rotates about the rotational axis.

15. The CT imaging system of claim 13 , wherein each said roller assembly further comprises:
a first spindle coupled to said arm proximate said second end, wherein said first roller sleeve is coupled for rotation about said first spindle and has a first frusto-conical shape symmetric about said first spindle; and
a second spindle coupled to said arm proximate said second end, wherein said second roller sleeve is coupled for rotation about said second spindle and has a second frusto-conical shape symmetric about said second spindle.

16. The CT imaging system of claim 15 , wherein said first spindle is disposed at a first angle with respect to the rotational axis such that an engagement surface of said first roller sleeve is substantially parallel to said first portion, and said second spindle is disposed at a second angle with respect to the rotational axis such that an engagement surface of said second roller sleeve is substantially parallel to said second portion.

17. A method of assembling a CT imaging system including a base, said method comprising:
coupling a plurality of roller assemblies to the base, each of the plurality of roller assemblies comprises a first roller sleeve and a second roller sleeve; and
coupling a gantry assembly to the plurality of roller assemblies such that a canted first portion of a radially inner surface of a support rail of the gantry assembly is engaged by the first roller sleeve of each roller assembly, and an oppositely canted second portion of the radially inner surface is engaged by the second roller sleeve of each roller assembly.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the plurality of roller assemblies comprises at least one lower roller assembly, said coupling the plurality of roller assemblies to the base further comprises coupling the at least one lower roller assembly to the base such that the at least one lower roller assembly is movable in a radial direction, and biased radially outward, relative to the base.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein the plurality of roller assemblies comprises at least one upper roller assembly, said coupling the plurality of roller assemblies to the base further comprises coupling the at least one upper roller assembly to the base such that the at least one upper roller assembly substantially supports a weight of the gantry assembly.

20. The method of claim 17 , wherein said coupling the gantry assembly to the plurality of roller assemblies further comprises coupling the gantry assembly to the plurality of roller assemblies such that said first roller sleeve is configured to rotatably engage

Assignees

• Morpho Detection Llc
• Smiths Detection Llc

Inventors

• Hills Steven Leslie
• Garzon Pedro Andres
• Murch Anthony James

Classifications

• A61B6/035

  Mechanical aspects of CT · CPC title

• A61B6/03

  Computed tomography [CT] · CPC title

• G01V5/005 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic

• A61B6/032 Primary

  Transmission computed tomography [CT] · CPC title

• G01V5/226 Primary

  using tomography · CPC title