Systems for a heat transfer bolted joint
AssigneeGE Precision Healthcare LLC
InventorsKevin S Kruse, Richie Tran
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems are provided a heat transfer bolted joint of an X-ray detector module. The heat transfer bolted joint includes a first surface comprising an alignment protrusion, a first alignment datum vertically extending from the alignment protrusion, a first bolt hole passing through the alignment protrusion, a compressible metal washer circumferentially surrounding the alignment protrusion and in direct face-sharing contact with the first surface, and a second surface including a second alignment datum adapted to mate to the first alignment datum, and a second bolt hole passing through the second surface. The second surface is in direct face-sharing contact with the compressible metal washer and with the alignment protrusion.
Claims20
A heat transfer bolted joint of an X-ray detector module, comprising:
- a first surface comprising an alignment protrusion;
- a first alignment datum vertically extending from the alignment protrusion;
- a first bolt hole passing through the alignment protrusion;
- a compressible metal washer circumferentially surrounding the alignment protrusion and in direct face-sharing contact with the first surface, wherein the compressible metal washer is compressible in a vertical direction and is positioned essentially within the heat transfer bolted joint;
- and
- a second surface including a second alignment datum adapted to mate to the first alignment datum, and a second bolt hole passing through the second surface, wherein the second surface is in direct face-sharing contact with the compressible metal washer and the alignment protrusion.
A detector module of a computed tomography imaging system, comprising:
- a first rail assembly and second rail assembly positioned parallel to each other along lateral sides of the detector module;
- a beam assembly comprised of a heat transfer portion extending between the first rail assembly and second rail assembly,
- wherein a first end of the beam assembly is physically coupled to the first rail assembly by a first heat transfer bolted joint and a second end, laterally opposite the first end of the beam assembly is physically coupled to the second rail assembly by a second heat transfer bolted joint,
- wherein the first heat transfer bolted joint and second heat transfer bolted joint each include a compressible metal washer circumferentially surrounding an alignment protrusion protruding from a surface at the first and second ends of the beam assembly, respectively;
- wherein a first alignment datum vertically extends from the alignment protrusion;
- and
- wherein a surface of the first and second rail assemblies included in the first and second heat transfer bolted joints respectively, is in face-sharing contact with the alignment protrusion and the compressible metal washer.
A computed tomography system, comprising:
- an X-ray source, configured to project a beam of X-ray radiation for use in imaging a subject;
- a detector module, configured to receive X-rays that pass through the subject to acquire projection data, the detector module comprising:
- A plurality of photon counting computed tomography (PCCT) detector units, each of the plurality of PCCT detector units stacked in a longitudinal direction within the detector module and each of the plurality of PCCT detector units including a sensor assembly physically coupled to a beam assembly, wherein the sensor assembly is configured to interact with the received X-rays;
- a first rail assembly physically coupled to a first end of the beam assembly of each of the plurality of PCCT detector units;
- and
- a second rail assembly positioned parallel to the first rail assembly and physically coupled a second end of the beam assembly of each of the plurality of PCCT detector units,
- wherein each interface between the first end of each beam assembly and the first rail assembly and between the second end of each beam assembly and the second rail assembly are formed as a heat transfer bolted joint, the heat transfer bolted joint including a compressible metal washer circumferentially surrounding an alignment protrusion protruding from a first surface of the heat transfer bolted joint,
- wherein a first alignment datum vertically extends from the alignment protrusion;
- and
- wherein a vertical height of the heat transfer bolted joint is determined by a vertical height of the alignment protrusion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.