X-ray CT apparatus, X-ray high-voltage device, and X-ray scanning device

• US 9,900,971 B2
• Filed: 07/24/2014
• Issued: 02/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FUJIFILM Healthcare Corp. (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Shindo, Shotaro
• Primary Examiner(s): Fox, Dani
• Application Number:
  US14/903,198
• Publication Number:
  US 20160143120A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,307 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/032 Transmission computed tomography [CT]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4021 involving movement of the focal spot
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/545 involving automatic set-up of acquisition parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H05G 1/56 Switching-on; Switching-off
• CPC Class Codes: H05G 1/66 Circuit arrangements for X-ray tubes with target movable relatively to the anode

Abstract

In order to provide an X-ray CT apparatus which reduces a waiting time period until irradiation with X-rays is permitted with a simple configuration without detecting a rotation speed of an anode, a controller (23) selects a rating anode rotation speed among a plurality of types thereof depending on an X-ray irradiation condition, and supplies driving power for realizing the selected rating anode rotation speed to a stator coil (81) from a starter circuit (10). The controller (23) obtains time required to reach an irradiation possible rotation speed which is lower than the rating anode rotation speed and is required to apply X-rays in an X-ray irradiation condition. If arrival time has elapsed, irradiation with X-rays is permitted. Consequently, it is possible to reduce a waiting time period in which an operator waits for an anode rotation speed to rise.

Claims

1. An X-ray CT apparatus comprising:

an input unit that receives an X-ray irradiation condition for a mounted rotary anode type X-ray tube device;

a starter circuit that supplies driving power for rotating an anode to the rotary anode type X-ray tube device; and

a controller,

wherein the controller selects one of predefined two or more types of rating anode rotation speeds depending on the X-ray irradiation condition received by the input unit, instructs the starter circuit to supply driving power for realizing the selected rating anode rotation speed, obtains an arrival time required for a rotation speed of the anode to reach an irradiation possible rotation speed which is lower than the rating anode rotation speed and is required to apply X-rays in the X-ray irradiation condition received by the input unit, and outputs information indicating that irradiation with X-rays is possible to a display unit after the arrival time has elapsed from starting the supply of the driving power by the starter circuit.

2. The X-ray CT apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller includes a storage unit that stores a relationship between various X-ray irradiation conditions and the arrival time and reads the arrival time corresponding to the X-ray irradiation condition received by the input unit from the storage unit.

3. The X-ray CT apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller obtains an irradiation possible rotation speed required to apply X-rays in the X-ray irradiation condition received by the input unit and obtains the arrival time on the basis of the irradiation possible rotation speed.

4. The X-ray CT apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller includes a first storage section that stores a relationship between various X-ray irradiation conditions and the irradiation possible rotation speed and a second storage section that stores a relationship between the irradiation possible rotation speed and the arrival time, reads the irradiation possible rotation speed corresponding to the X-ray irradiation condition received by the input unit from the first storage section, and reads the arrival time corresponding to the read irradiation possible rotation speed from the second storage section.

5. The X-ray CT apparatus according to claim 1, further including:

a focal position controller that changes a focal position on the anode of an electron beam emitted from a cathode of the rotary anode type X-ray tube device,

wherein the X-ray irradiation condition received by the input unit includes an amplitude of the focal position.

6. The X-ray CT apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the controller includes a first storage section that stores a relationship between other X-ray irradiation conditions excluding an amplitude of a focal position and the irradiation possible rotation speed for each amplitude of the focal position included in the X-ray irradiation conditions and a second storage section that stores a relationship between the irradiation possible rotation speed and the arrival time, reads the irradiation possible rotation speed corresponding to the X-ray irradiation conditions including the amplitude received by the input unit from the first storage section, and reads the arrival time corresponding to the read irradiation possible rotation speed from the second storage section.

7. The X-ray CT apparatus according to claim 1, further including:

a heat unit calculation unit that calculates a heat unit applied to the anode of the rotary anode type X-ray tube device, and heat units accumulated in the anode over an elapsed time period,

wherein the controller obtains the arrival time required for a rotation speed of the anode to reach the irradiation possible rotation speed on the basis of the heat unit obtained by the heat unit calculation unit.

8. The X-ray CT apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the controller includes a first storage section that stores a relationship between an X-ray irradiation condition and the irradiation possible rotation speed and a second storage section that stores a relationship between the irradiation possible rotation speed and the arrival time for each heat unit within a predetermined range, reads the irradiation possible rotation speed corresponding to the X-ray irradiation condition received by the input unit from the first storage section, and reads the arrival time corresponding to the read irradiation possible rotation speed from the second storage section on the basis of the heat unit obtained by the heat unit calculation unit.

9. The X-ray CT apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a rotation portion that mounts the rotary anode type X-ray tube device thereon; and

a rotation driving portion that rotates the rotation portion around an object.

10. An X-ray high-voltage device comprising:

an input unit that receives an X-ray irradiation condition for a rotary anode type X-ray tube device;

a starter circuit that supplies driving power for rotating an anode to the rotary anode type X-ray tube device; and

a controller,

wherein the controller selects one of predefined two or more types of rating anode rotation speeds depending on the X-ray irradiation condition received by the input unit, instructs the starter circuit to supply driving power for realizing the selected rating anode rotation speed, obtains an arrival time required for a rotation speed of the anode to reach an irradiation possible rotation speed which is lower than the rating anode rotation speed and is required to apply X-rays in the X-ray irradiation condition received by the input unit, and outputs information indicating that irradiation with X-rays is possible to a display unit after the arrival time has elapsed from starting the supply of the driving power by the starter circuit.

11. An X-ray scanning device including:

an input unit that receives an X-ray irradiation condition for a mounted rotary anode type X-ray tube device;

a starter circuit that supplies driving power rotating an anode to the rotary anode type X-ray tube device; and

a controller,

wherein the controller selects one of predefined two or more types of rating anode rotation speeds depending on the X-ray irradiation condition received by the input unit, instructs the starter circuit to supply driving power for realizing the selected rating anode rotation speed, obtains an arrival time required for a rotation speed of the anode to reach an irradiation possible rotation speed which is lower than the rating anode rotation speed and is required to apply X-rays in the X-ray irradiation condition received by the input unit, and outputs information indicating that irradiation with X-rays is possible to a display unit after the arrival time has elapsed from starting the supply of the driving power by the starter circuit.