Scanning parts at target temperatures
AssigneeWest Pharmaceutical Services, Inc.
InventorsMd Abu Hasan, Ngoc Van Le, Linda M. Trebing, Patrick Shambayati
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Computed tomography (CT) scanning while a part is maintained at low temperatures is described. A system includes a CT scan machine performing at least one 360° CT scan of the part. The system also includes a cooler to contain and maintain the part at the low temperature during the CT scans. The cooler includes a chamber and a cooling material provided within the chamber sufficient to maintain the part at the low temperature during the CT scans. The cooler includes a holder provided within the chamber that holds the part within a region of the chamber that substantially surrounds the part and that provides the CT scanner a 360-degree view of the part unobstructed by the cooling material.
Claims20
A system for scanning one or more parts, the system comprising:
- a computed tomography scan machine comprising a platen and a scanner comprising a X-ray source and a detector configured to perform at least one 360° computed tomography scan of the one or more parts positioned between the X-ray source and detector over a period of time;
- and
- a cooler arranged on the platen, wherein the cooler is configured to contain and maintain the one or more parts at a target temperature of 0° C. or below during the period of time, the cooler comprising:
- a chamber;
- a cooling medium provided within the chamber that is configured to maintain the one or more parts at the target temperature during the period of time;
- a holder provided within the chamber, the holder being configured to hold the one or more parts within a region of the chamber that surrounds the one or more parts and that is configured to provide the scanner a 360-degree view of the one or more parts unobstructed by the cooling medium;
- and
- a temperature sensor configured to measure the temperature within the chamber or the temperature of the one or more parts within the chamber during the period of time, the temperature sensor being arranged in the chamber and offset from a line of sight between the scanner and the one or more parts.
A cooler for holding and maintaining one or more par at a target temperature during a computed tomography scan, the cooler comprising:
- a plurality of walls that define a chamber, the plurality of walls include side walls comprising a material that is radiolucent;
- a first and a second cooling medium respectively arranged in a top and a bottom of the chamber, the first and second cooling medium are together configured to cool the one or more parts to the target temperature and maintain the one or more parts at the target temperature during an entire period of the computed tomography scan;
- and
- a holder arranged between the first and second cooling medium that is configured to hold the one or more parts in a region of the chamber where the one or more parts are substantially surrounded by the side walls and an entirety of the one or more parts are between and spaced apart from each of the first and second cooling medium.
A method of evaluating a tolerance of one or more parts at a target temperature, the method comprising:
- cooling the one or more parts to the target temperature, wherein the target temperature is −80° C. or below;
- maintaining, using a temperature sensor and an active cooling medium, the one or more parts at the target temperature over a period of time;
- imaging the one or more parts using a computed tomography scan machine over the period of time;
- determining a characteristic of the one or more parts at the target temperature based on images of the one or more parts received from the computed tomography scan machine;
- and
- evaluating, based on the characteristic of the one or more parts at the target temperature relative to the characteristic of the one or more parts at a second target temperature that is different from the target temperature, the tolerance of the one or more parts at the target temperature.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.