System and method to maintain engagement of gears for X-ray imaging system

Abstract

An X-ray imaging system includes a gantry, rotatable about an axis of rotation, a radiation source mounted on the gantry and configured to emit radiation, and one or more detectors configured to detect the emitted radiation. The gantry includes a gear assembly coupled to a motor to enable rotation of the gantry, wherein the gear assembly comprises a gantry gear. The gantry includes an encoder for detecting position of the gantry, wherein the encoder comprises an encoder gear meshed with the gantry gear. The gantry also includes a gear re-engagement assembly configured to couple to the encoder and to force the encoder gear into correct engagement with the gantry gear when the encoder gear becomes disengaged from the gantry gear. As such, the gear re-engagement assembly keeps engagement of the encoder gear and the gantry gear to maintain the important gantry position tracking.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.