Smart power system and method to protect an X-ray tube during a power outage
AssigneeGE Precision Healthcare LLC
InventorsXiaoxu Liu, Tao Hou, David Pitterle, Yoshio Takaichi
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Abstract
A smart power system and method to protect an X-ray tube of a CT imaging system during a power outage, the system and method comprising monitoring a remining amount of power from a backup power source supplied by an UPS coupled to a PDU that is providing power to the CT imaging system. The X-ray tube having a liquid metal bearing rotating assembly. The system and method automatically strategizing and determining where to supply the remaining amount of backup power to prevent a hot landing of the X-ray tube liquid metal bearing rotating assembly.
Claims18
A method for providing backup power to a computed tomography (CT) imaging system, the method comprising:
- monitoring the availability of power from a main power source to the CT imaging system;
- providing backup power to the CT imaging system via an uninterruptible power supply (UPS);
- distributing, via a power distribution unit (PDU), the backup power from the UPS to the CT imaging system;
- initiating, after waiting a period of time, a cooling sequence for an X-ray tube of the CT imaging system;
- and
- monitoring, during the cooling sequence, the remaining backup power from the UPS.
A computed tomography (CT) imaging system, comprising:
- a gantry;
- an X-ray source including an X-ray Generator and an X-ray tube;
- coupled to the gantry;
- a gantry controller coupled to the gantry;
- an X-ray controller coupled to the X-ray source;
- a power distribution unit (PDU) coupled to the gantry;
- a main power source coupled to the PDU for supplying power to the CT imaging system;
- a PDU controller coupled to the PDU;
- and
- an uninterruptable power supply (UPS) coupled to the PDU to provide backup power to the CT imaging system;
- wherein the PDU is configured to distribute the backup power from the UPS to the CT imaging system during a power outage of the main power source;
- and
- wherein the gantry controller is configured to initiate a cooling sequence for the X-ray tube during the power outage of the main power source, wherein the PDU controller is configured to send at least one signal to an X-ray controller to begin the cooling sequence and prevent hot landing of the X-ray tube.
A smart power method to protect an X-ray tube of a CT imaging system during a power outage, the method comprising:
- monitoring a remining amount of power from a backup power source supplied by an UPS coupled to a PDU that is providing power to the CT imaging system;
- the X-ray tube having a liquid metal bearing rotating assembly;
- and
- automatically determining where to supply the remaining amount of backup power to prevent a hot landing of the X-ray tube liquid metal bearing rotating assembly.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.