X-ray apparatus

• US 8,036,340 B2
• Filed: 07/11/2008
• Issued: 10/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Soto Santos, Jose-Emilio
• Primary Examiner(s): Song; Hoon
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sanei; Mona M
• Application Number:
  US12/171,314
• Publication Number:
  US 20090034686A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,187 Days
• Field of Search: 378/106, 378101-103, 378109-112
• US Class Current: 378/109
• CPC Class Codes: H05G 1/12 with dc or rectified single-phase ac or double-phase
• CPC Class Codes: H05G 1/265 Measurements of current, voltage or power
• CPC Class Codes: H05G 1/32 Supply voltage of the X-ray apparatus or tube

Abstract

An X-ray apparatus includes a converter into which there is integrated a control logic circuit configured to regulate the supply voltage of a high-voltage power supply source of the X-ray apparatus. To this end, the intelligent voltage-voltage, converter is placed between the power battery and the capacitor bank. This intelligent converter is capable of determining the optimum voltage to be delivered to the generator for the radiology examination to be undertaken in regulating the current of the power battery at the necessary level of current.

Claims

1. An X-ray apparatus comprising:

an X-ray tube;

a generator configured to provide a high voltage to the X-ray tube;

a power battery configured to supply the generator with voltage;

a capacitor bank parallel-connected with the power battery;

a voltage-voltage converter connected between the power battery and the capacitor bank;

a control logic circuit capable of controlling the converter;

a first voltage sensor parallel-connected with an input of the converter and configured to measure an input voltage Ve;

a second current sensor series-connected with the input of the converter and configured to measure a current of the power battery; and

a third sensor connected to an output of the converter and configured to measure the output voltage of the converter,

wherein the measurements made by these three sensors are transmitted to the control logic circuit, and

wherein the control logic circuit comprises a duty cycle regulator capable of making a predefined duty cycle vary in order to regulate and optimize a current of the power battery and an output voltage of the converter.

2. The X-ray apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control logic circuit has a current comparator,

wherein the current comparator has two inputs, a first input receiving a set-point current limit value of the power battery and a second input receiving the measurement of the current of the power battery made by the second current sensor series-connected with the input of the converter, and

wherein the comparator has an output connected to an input of the duty cycle regulator.

3. The X-ray apparatus of claim 1, wherein the regulator has another input capable of receiving the measurement from the third sensor for measuring the output voltage of the converter, and

wherein the regulator has an output connected to the converter capable of giving the converter an adjusted duty cycle.

4. The X-ray apparatus of claim 2, wherein the set-point current limit value is a mean value of the current of the power battery.

5. The X-ray apparatus of claim 1, wherein the voltage-voltage converter is a boost converter, a buck converter, or a buck-boost converter.

6. The X-ray apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control logic circuit is integrated with the converter.

7. The X-ray apparatus of claim 1, wherein a mean value of the current of the power battery is determined according to the following equation:

8. A method of operating an X-ray apparatus, the method comprising:

predetermining a duty cycle as a function of a radiology examination to be undertaken, the duty cycle being a ratio between a duration of a pulse of a generator of the X-ray apparatus and an interval between the pulses;

determining a set-point limit value of the current of the power battery of the X-ray apparatus;

measuring a current of a power battery of the X-ray apparatus;

measuring an output voltage of a converter of the X-ray apparatus;

comparing the measured current and the determined set-point limit value of the current; and

regulating the duty cycle as a function of the measured output voltage and the result of the comparison,

wherein the current of the battery is regulated as a function of the regulated duty cycle, and

wherein the output voltage is automatically controlled as a function of the regulated current.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the determined set-point current limit value is a mean value of the current of the power battery determined according to the following equation: