Rotating unit with a device for wireless data transmission between two parts movable relative to one another, and method for wireless data transmission between two parts movable relative to one another

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9757089-B2
Application number	US-201414447832-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 31, 2014
Priority date	Jul 31, 2013
Publication date	Sep 12, 2017
Grant date	Sep 12, 2017

Abstract

In a method and a device for wireless data transmission between two parts of a medical imaging device that are moving relative to one another, at least: a first communication device has at least one transmission unit to transmit at least one radio-frequency signal, a second communication device has at least one reception unit to receive at last one radio-frequency signal, and the first and second communication devices are arranged at the different parts of the rotating unit. A directional coupler has at least two radio-frequency conductors; with one of the radio-frequency conductors being connected at one end thereof with the first communication device, and the other end thereof is terminated with a real resistor. The second radio-frequency conductor is connected with the second communication device. One of the radio-frequency conductors extends annularly at least around the entire circumference of one of the two parts of the rotating unit that are movable relative to one another, while the other radio-frequency conductor is arranged on at least a portion of the circumference of the other part of the rotating unit; such that a constant power is extracted from the radio-frequency conductor connected with the communication device having at least one transmission unit.

First claim

I claim as my invention:

1. An imaging apparatus comprising:
two parts, each having a circumference, that are rotatable relative to each other with respect to the respective circumferences thereof;
a plurality of apparatus components mounted on said two parts that are collectively configured to generate image measurement data that are dependent on the rotation of the two parts relative to each other;
a wireless transmission device configured to transmit at least one type of imaging data, selected from the group consisting of said imaging measurement data and imaging operating data, between said two parts;
said wireless transmission device comprising a first communication device comprising at least one transmission unit, situated on a first of said two parts, that transmits at least one radio-frequency signal comprising said at least one type of data;
said wireless transmission device comprising a second communication device comprising at least one reception unit, situated on a second of said two parts, that receives said at least one radio-frequency signal; and
a directional coupler comprising at least two radio-frequency conductors with a spacing there between that keeps said at least two radio-frequency conductors out of mechanical contact with each other during said rotation of said two parts, a first of said at least two radio-frequency conductors being connected at one end thereof with said first communication device and having an opposite end terminated with a real resistance, and a second of said at least two radio-frequency conductors being connected with said second communication device, said first and second of said at least two radio-frequency conductors being configured in a conductor configuration that causes a constant power to be extracted from said first of said radio-frequency conductors connected to said first communication device, said conductor configuration comprising said first of said at least two radio-frequency conductors extending annularly around an entirety of the circumference of said first of said two parts, and said second of said at least two radio-frequency conductors extending around at least a portion of the circumference of said second of said two parts.

2. An imaging apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said at least one transmission unit is configured to transmit a WLAN signal as said at least one radio-frequency signal, and wherein said second communication device is configured to receive said WLAN signal.

3. An imaging apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein at least one of said at least two radio-frequency conductors is a stripline conductor.

4. An imaging apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first communication device is configured to transmit said at least one radio-frequency signal as a radio-frequency signal comprised of components having at least two different frequencies or frequency ranges, and wherein said at least one reception unit is configured to receive said at least one radio-frequency signal with signal components comprising said at least two different frequencies or frequency ranges.

5. An imaging apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein said first communication device is comprised of at least two different transmission units respectively configured to transmit different radio-frequency signals respectively having said at least two different frequencies or frequency ranges.

6. An imaging apparatus as claimed in claim 5 wherein said second communication device comprises two reception units respectively configured to receive said different radio-frequency signals having the respective different frequencies or frequency ranges.

7. An imaging apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said second of said at least two radio-frequency conductors of said directional coupler is also terminated, at least at one and thereof, with a real resistance, and wherein said second communication device comprises a transmission unit configured to transmit at least one further radio-frequency signal and wherein said first communication device comprises a reception unit configured to receive said at least one further radio-frequency signal.

8. An imaging apparatus as claimed in claim 7 wherein the transmission unit of the first communication device transmits said radio-frequency signal at a first frequency or frequency range, and wherein said transmission unit of said second communication device transmits said further radio-frequency signal at a frequency or frequency range that is different from the frequency or frequency range of the radio-frequency signal transmitted by the transmission unit of said first communication device, and wherein the respective transmission units of the first communication device and the second communication device simultaneously transmit said radio-frequency signal and said further radio-frequency signal.

9. An imaging apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first communication device comprises multiple transmission units each comprising a passive, frequency-selective filter to respectively transmit a radio-frequency signal at a defined frequency or in a defined frequency range, and wherein said second communication device comprises multiple reception units, each configured for frequency-selective reception of the respective radio-frequency signals at said defined frequency or in said defined frequency range, transmitted by said multiple transmission units.

10. An imaging apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein at least one of said first communication device and said second communication device comprises at least one frequency-selective filter.

11. An imaging apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said plurality of apparatus components are configured to generate computed tomography data as said image measurement data.

12. A method for operating a medical imaging apparatus in order to transmit measurement data between two parts, each having a circumference, that are rotatable relative to each other with respect to the respective circumferences thereof, said method comprising:
collectively using a plurality of apparatus components mounted on said two parts to generate image measurement data that are dependent on the rotation of the two parts relative to each other;
wirelessly transmitting at least one type of imaging data, selected from the group consisting of said imaging measurement data and imaging operating data, between a first communication device comprising at least one transmission unit, situated on a first of said two parts, that transmits at least one radio-frequency signal comprising said at least one type of data, and a second communication device comprising at least one reception unit, situated on a second of said two parts, that receives said at least one radio-frequency signal;
providing a directional coupler comprising at least two radio-frequency conductors with a spacing there between that keeps said at least two radio-frequency conductors out of mechanical contact with each other during said rotation of said two parts, and connecting a first of said at least two radio-frequency conductors at one end thereof with said first communication device and terminating an opposite end of said first of said at least two radio-frequency conductors with a real resistance, and connecting a second of said at least two radio-frequency conductors with said second communication device, and configuring said first and second of said at least two radio-frequency conductors in a conductor configuration that causes a constant power to be extracted from said first of said radio-frequency conductors connected to said first communication device, by extending said first of said at least two radio-frequency conductor

Assignees

• Siemens Ag

Inventors

• Reichel Werner

Classifications

• A61B6/56 Primary

  Details of data transmission or power supply, e.g. use of slip rings · CPC title

• A61B6/032

  Transmission computed tomography [CT] · CPC title

• A61B6/03

  Computed tomography [CT] · CPC title

• H04B7/26

  at least one of which is mobile · CPC title