Computed tomography apparatus

• US 5,434,900 A
• Filed: 07/07/1993
• Issued: 07/18/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Hiramatsu, Tsuneto, Tanaka, Shigeru
• Primary Examiner(s): Porta, David P.
• Application Number:
  US08/087,055
• Time in Patent Office: 741 Days
• Field of Search: 375/4, 375/15, 375/16, 375/19, 375/91, 375/102, 375/110, 375/112, 375/204
• US Class Current: 378/15
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/548 Remote control of the apparatus or devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/56 Details of data transmission or power supply, e.g. use of slip rings
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/581 Remote testing

Abstract

A computed tomography apparatus has a rotating frame unit and at least one of component parts, constituting an X-ray high-voltage generating device, which is mounted on the rotating frame unit. In the apparatus, a signal transmitting section is provided between a rotating frame unit and an outside of the rotating frame unit to transmit a measuring signal at each component part in the X-ray high-voltage generating device. A signal is transmitted by the signal transmitting section between the component part in the X-ray high-voltage section on the rotating frame unit and a device arranged external to the rotating frame unit.

Claims

1. A computed tomography apparatus comprising:

a rotating frame unit;

an X-ray high-voltage generating device comprised of at least one component part mounted on said rotating frame unit;

a measuring device for measuring a signal at each component part of said X-ray high-voltage generating device mounted on said rotating frame unit; and

signal transmission means for allowing a signal transmission to be made between said X-ray high-voltage generating device and external device means arranged outside said rotating frame unit.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said measuring device includes a waveform monitor.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said signal transmitting means includes means for transmitting a signal by a light transmission.

4. A computed tomography apparatus comprising:

a rotating frame unit;

an X-ray high-voltage generating device having at least one component part mounted on said rotating frame unit and being powered by a source of continuous electrical current external to the rotating frame;

an operation mechanism operated in a mounted position near said X-ray high-voltage generating device to make at least one of checking and adjustment to the X-ray high-voltage generating device.;

signal transmitting means for transmitting a signal to said X-ray high-voltage generating device; and

programmable setting means for programmably setting, under remote control, an operation performed by said operation mechanism on said X-ray high-voltage generating device via said signal transmitting means.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said signal transmitting means includes means for transmitting a signal by light transmission.

6. A computed tomography apparatus comprising:

a rotating frame unit;

at least one electric device of an optical-system device, a detector and a data acquisition system mounted on said rotating frame unit; and

a measuring device mounted on said rotating frame unit to measure a signal at each component part of said electric device.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising signal transmitting means for allowing a signal transmission to be made between said electric device mounted on said rotating frame unit and external device means mounted outside said rotating frame unit.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said signal transmitting means includes means for transmitting a signal by light transmission.

9. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said measuring device includes a waveform monitor.

10. A computed tomography apparatus comprising;

a rotating frame unit;

at least one electric device of an optical-system device, a detector and a data acquisition system;

signal transmitting means mounted between said electric device mounted on said rotating frame unit and external device means mounted outside said rotating frame unit; and

a measuring device for measuring a signal at each component part of said X-ray high-voltage generating device mounted on said rotating frame unit.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said signal transmitting means includes means for transmitting a signal by light transmission.

12. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said measuring device includes a waveform monitor.

13. The apparatus according to claim 10 further comprising:

an operation mechanism operated in a mount position of said electric device so as to make at least one of checking and adjustment; and

programmable setting means for programmably setting, under remote control, an operation performed by said operation mechanism on said electric device via said signal transmission means.

14. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said apparatus is installed on a predetermined site and connected to a managing apparatus installed at a center side remote from said predetermined site to manage checking of said apparatus for maintenance and servicing through a communication via a telephone line, said apparatus further comprising:

self-diagnosing means for running a diagnostic program related to a checking of a self-function;

means for determining an occurrence of any abnormality of said self-function on the basis of a result of diagnosis by said self-diagnosing means;

autocall means for automatically connecting a circuit line to said managing apparatus via the telephone line when said determining means determines a presence of an abnormality; and

information transferring means for transferring a result of diagnosis by said self-diagnosing means and result of determination by said determining means to said center side via the telephone line when the telephone line is connected by said autocall means, wherein

said managing apparatus includes servicing command informing means for sending a command for a servicing action on the abnormality in said apparatus, on the basis of information transferred from said information transferring means.

15. A remote control system applied to a computed tomography apparatus, which comprises a rotating frame unit and an X-ray high-voltage generating device having at least one component part mounted on said rotating frame unit, installed at a given site and connected to a managing apparatus installed at a center side remote from the site to manage checking of said apparatus for maintenance and servicing through a communication via a telephone line, said system comprising;

abnormality determining means included in said computed tomography apparatus for determining an occurrence of any abnormality of a self-function;

autocall means for automatically connecting a circuit line to said managing apparatus via the telephone line when said abnormality determining means determines a presence of the abnormality; and

information transferring means for transferring a result of diagnosis by said self-diagnosing means and result of determination by said determining means to said center side via said telephone circuit when the telephone line is connected by said autocall means.

16. The system according to claim 15, further comprising servicing command informing means for sending a command for a servicing action on the abnormality in said computerized tomography apparatus, on the basis of information transferred from said information transferring means.

17. The system according to claim 16, further comprising self-diagnosing means included in said computed tomography apparatus for running a diagnostic program related to a checking of a self-function.

18. The system according to claim 15, further comprising a measuring device included in said computed tomography apparatus for measuring a signal at each component part of said X-ray high-voltage generating device mounted on said rotating frame unit.