Transmission Line With a Grounding Brush for High Data Rate Communication in a Computerized Tomography System

This application is related to patent application Ser. No. 08/307,120, by D. D. Harrison et al, entitled "Apparatus and Method For High Data Rate Communication in a Computerized Tomography System", filed on Sep. 16, 1994; patent application Ser. No. 08/307,118, by D. D. Harrison, entitled "Differentially Driven Transmission Line For High Data Rate Communication In A Computerized Tomography System" filed on Sep. 16, 1994; and patent application Ser. No. 08/307,130 by D. D. Harrison, entitled "Radiation Shielded Apparatus For High Data Rate Communication in a Computerized Tomography System" filed on Sep., 16, 1994. Each of the above listed patent applications is assigned to the assignee of the present invention and is herein incorporated by reference.

The field of the present invention is generally related to computerized tomography (CT) and, particularly, to a transmission line with a grounding brush for high data rate communication in a CT system.

CT systems typically employ a rotating frame or gantry to obtain multiple x-ray images, or views, at different rotational angles. Each set of images is referred to in the art as a "slice". A patient or inanimate object is generally positioned in a central opening of the rotating frame on a table which is movable axially, thus enabling respective slices to be obtained at multiple axial positions as well. Each of the slices obtained is then processed in a computer according to predetermined algorithms to produce enhanced images for diagnostic or inspection purposes.

The rotating frame includes an x-ray source, a detector array and electronics necessary to generate image data for each view. A set of stationary electronics is employed for processing raw image data into the enhanced form. Thus, it is necessary to provide for communication of the image data between the rotating frame and a stationary frame of the CT system.

The data rate for communication between the stationary and rotating frames is an important factor because it is desirable to obtain the desired views as fast as possible to reduce patient discomfort and/or to maximize equipment utilization. In current CT systems, a single view typically comprises about 800 detector channels with a 16 bit representation for each individual detector channel output (i.e., 12.8 Kbits per view) and is typically repeated 1,000 times per second, yielding a net data rate requirement of approximately 13 Megabits per second (Mbit/sec) for image data alone. Future CT systems capable of simultaneously constructing multiple image slices by employing four, eight, or sixteen times as many detector channels will increase the data rate requirement to beyond 150 Mbit/sec for image data alone.

Prior CT systems have employed brushes and slip tings for electrically linking the rotating frame to the stationary frame. However, in general, CT systems utilizing brushes and slip rings for communications have generally suffered from significant limitations in the data rates which can be achieved. This is due to the substantial time required to propagate the signals around the circular slip rings. At the desired data rates, the electrical path length around the rings is an appreciable fraction of a bit period, so that electromagnetic waves propagating around the rings in opposite directions may arrive at a reception point at substantially different times in a bit period, causing garbled reception.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,208,581 issued to A. K. Collins, assigned to the assignee of the present invention and herein incorporated by reference, is another type of gantry in which brushes and slip tings are employed for communication. Although the design of Collins provides relatively high speed communication between the stationary and rotating frames, the fact remains that the slip-ring design of Collins does not support the higher data rates needed for multiple-slice CT systems.

Other CT systems have employed an optical data link for communication between the stationary and rotating frames. Although an optical data link design avoids typical drawbacks of slip rings and brushes, such optical design requires optics which must be fabricated under tight specifications and which in operation require substantial spatial alignment in order to achieve reliable optical coupling along the relatively long circumference of the rotating frame. This leads to high costs and, thus, it is desirable to provide in a CT system an improved communication link which at a low cost provides reliable high data rate communication between the stationary and rotating frames of the CT system.

It is further desirable to provide a communication link between the stationary frame and the rotating frame which is robust with respect to electromagnetic radiation interference such as is typically produced in a hospital environment by cellular telephones, defibrillating devices, surgical saws and even electrical noise produced by any given CT system. Furthermore, it is also desirable to reduce the level of electromagnetic energy which is radiated from such communication link in order to comply with governmental regulations such as regulations imposed by the Federal Communications Commission and/or foreign governments. As disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/307,120, a transmission line and a coupler or probe provide means for implementing such high data rate communication link. As further disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/307130, a U-shaped structure is effectively employed for substantially reducing electromagnetic radiation from the transmission line while providing a passage which allows for the coupler to readily access the transmission line. Although such U-shaped structure effectively shields the transmission line, it is desirable to reduce electromagnetic radiation which escapes or leaks around the coupler. It is also desirable to reduce sensitivity of the coupler to externally produced electromagnetic energy which can interfere with coupler operation.

Generally speaking, the present invention fulfills the foregoing needs by providing in a computerized tomography (CT) system having a stationary frame and a generally annular rotating frame, an apparatus comprising a transmission line attached to the rotating frame and positioned substantially around the rotating frame. The transmission line comprises individual segments each having a respective first end and a respective second end and having a respective electrical length chosen so that a modulated signal simultaneously applied at each respective first end has a predetermined time-delay upon arrival at each respective second end. The individual segments are arranged so that respective first ends of any two consecutive segments are substantially adjacent to one another and respective second ends of any two consecutive segments are substantially adjacent to one another to avoid time-delay discontinuity in the modulated signal propagating therethrough. The apparatus further comprises a transmission line shield affixed to the transmission line for shielding the transmission line from electromagnetic radiation. The shield defines a passage around the rotating frame. A coupler is attached to the stationary frame and is positioned in the passage sufficiently near the transmission line for establishing radio coupling therebetween so as to receive the modulated signal being applied to the respective individual segments. The coupler and the transmission line each has a respective ground plane. Connecting means, such as a brush and slip ring, is provided for establishing a predetermined electrical ground between the respective ground planes of the coupler and the transmission line to substantially reduce electromagnetic radiation leakage around the coupler.

The features of the invention believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like numbers represent like parts throughout the drawings, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a CT system which employs the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exemplary schematic representation of an apparatus employing a transmission line and a coupler in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a cross section of a microstrip which can be utilized for the transmission line and/or coupler in respective exemplary embodiments for the apparatus of FIG. 2; and

FIGS. 4A and 4B are respective cross sectional view showing the transmission line of FIG. 2 and a coupler employing grounding brushes and slip rings in accordance with respective exemplary embodiments of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, a CT system used to produce images of at least a region of interest of the human anatomy has a patient table 10 which can be positioned within the aperture 11 of a generally annular rotating frame or gantry 15 having a predetermined circumference, e.g., outer circumference 16. A stationary frame 12 is conveniently employed to support rotating frame 15. A source of imaging energy 13 which preferably produces highly collimated x-rays is mounted on the rotating frame to one side of its aperture 11, and a detector array 14 is mounted to the other side of the aperture. The rotating frame, together with x-ray source 13 and detector array 14, is revolved about the aperture during a scan of the patient to obtain x-ray attenuation measurements from many different angles through a range of at least 180.degree. of revolution. Detector array 14 may comprise multiple rows each having about 800 detector channels along its length. The individual outputs of each channel in detector array 14 is connected to a data acquisition system, DAS (not shown). When sampled, each channel output is convened by the DAS to, for example, a 16 bit digital value representing X-ray intensity.

The rotating frame further includes additional onboard electronics (not shown) which rotates along with rotating frame 15. The onboard electronics is essentially a slave to stationary electronics systems 30 which is located off rotating frame 15. Stationary electronics systems 30 is a computer-based system for issuing commands to the onboard electronics on rotating frame 15 and for receiving the resulting image data, via suitable electrical leads from stationary frame 12, to perform processing of the received image data.

The present invention is directed to apparatus for communication between the rotating frame and the stationary frame through the use of a transmission line and a coupler which advantageously achieve high data rates by avoiding the use of slip rings and brushes for the purpose of data transmission, and which allow for continuous rotation of rotating frame 15. As discussed above, multiple-slice CT systems require high data rate communication. The present invention advantageously allows for such high data rate communication, (e.g., exceeding 150 Mbits/sec.). Further, the present invention allows for reliable and cost effective high data rate communication notwithstanding the relatively long circumference (approximately 13 ft) of the rotating frame. Although the present invention uses slip rings and brushes for grounding purposes, this use of slip rings and brushes is unrelated to data transmission, and thus the slip rings and brushes do not prevent the achievement of high data rates for multiple-slice CT systems.

In the discussion which follows, it is assumed that all of the communication between rotating frame 15 and stationary frame 12 has been serialized, i.e., converted from parallel to serial data for transmission and vice versa on reception, employing well known multiplexing techniques. This is done so that only a single bit stream need be transmitted, although it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that multiple parallel paths according to the present invention could be employed. In each case, multilevel or multiphase encoding techniques can be employed to further increase the maximum data rate available.

As shown in FIG. 2, a transmission line 40 is attached to rotating frame 15 (FIG. 1) and can be positioned substantially around the rotating frame, for example, around the circumference of the rotating frame. Similarly, the transmission line can be conveniently affixed to the annulus of the rotating frame, i.e., the surface bounded by the concentric circles in the rotating frame; for example, the concentric circle which defines aperture 11 and the larger concentric circle which has circumference 16. Further, it will be appreciated that the present invention is not limited to circular geometric arrangements since geometric arrangements other than circular can equally benefit from the present invention. A transmission line shield 150 is affixed to transmission line 40 for shielding the transmission line from electromagnetic radiation, i.e., shield 150 allows for reducing the level of electromagnetic energy being externally radiated from the transmission line. Similarly, shield 150 allows for reducing the susceptibility of transmission line 40 to externally produced electromagnetic energy. As best seen in FIGS. 4A and 4B, shield 150 defines a passage, such as an open passage, around the rotating frame. Transmission line 40 comprises respective individual segments 50 and 60 each having a respective first end 52 and 62 and a respective second end 54 and 64. Each individual segment 50 and 60 has a respective electrical length chosen so that a predeterminedly modulated signal applied at each respective first end 52 and 62 has a predetermined time-delay upon arrival at each respective second end 54 and 64. It will be appreciated that if the respective electrical lengths for segments 50 and 60 are substantially similar to one another, the above-described segment arrangement results in the modulated signal arriving at each respective second end having a substantially similar time delay relative to one another.

The modulated signal, which can be conveniently supplied by the onboard electronics on rotating frame 15 employing any of a number of readily available modulation techniques such as frequency-shift keying and the like, can be readily split and amplified by a suitable driving circuit 70 comprising amplifiers 72 and 74 and optional matching resistors 76 and 78 having a predetermined resistance value selected to match the impedance characteristics of the respective transmission line segments. Similarly, each respective second end 54 and 64 is respectively connected to termination resistors 80 and 82 having a predetermined resistance value chosen to minimize reflection of energy in individual transmission line segments 50 and 60. Other arrangements may be employed which although having differences in time delay between individual segments, such time-delay differences can be tolerated depending on the specific application. For example, amplifier 74 and matching resistor 78 could be connected to second end 64 in lieu of first end 62 and termination resistor connected to first end 62 in lieu of second end 64. In this case although a predetermined time delay would exist between respective first and second ends, such delay could be acceptable in certain applications. Further, although driving circuit 70 is shown as comprising a pair of amplifiers, it will be apparent that a suitable single amplifier could be employed equally effective for driving individual segments 50 and 60. For example, each respective first end 52 and 62 could be readily connected in parallel to receive the output signal of a single amplifier, and thus, in this case, driving circuit 70 would only comprise a single amplifier. Thus, a transmission line, such as a center tapped transmission line, having respective segments electrically connected in parallel to a single amplifier can be optionally employed.

Individual segments 50 and 60 are preferably arranged so that respective first ends of any two consecutive segments are substantially adjacent to one another and respective second ends of any two consecutive segments are substantially adjacent to one another. The gap size between any two consecutive segments should be small relative to carrier wavelength. For example, about 1/8 in. for a 750 MHz carrier. This arrangement conveniently allows for avoiding time-delay discontinuities between any of the respective individual segments encircling the rotating frame. This allows for effective coupling operation between the transmission line and the coupler at all rotation angles. As shown in FIG. 2, each of the two individual segments 50 and 60 can be designed to subtend a respective angle of about 180.degree. around the rotating frame. In general, it will be appreciated that a number of N individual segments each respectively subtending an angle of about 360.degree./N around the rotating frame wherein N is a predetermined even number will be equally effective in alternative embodiments of the present invention since the modulated signal in each case is available for reception anywhere along the circumference of the rotating frame including any gaps between any of the N individual segments. The foregoing construction for the individual segments assumes that each segment is made up of a material having a substantially similar dielectric constant. However, it will be apparent that segment materials having predetermined different dielectric constants can also be conveniently employed. In this case, the angle subtended by each respective individual segment need not be identical to each other. As suggested above, there may be applications which can tolerate a predetermined time delay between respective first and second ends of the individual segments. In this case, the N number of individual segments need not be limited to an even number since a predetermined odd number of individual segments could be effectively utilized for applications which tolerate such predetermined time delay.

The apparatus of the present invention further comprises a coupler 100 attached to stationary frame 12 (FIG. 1) and being positioned in the passage defined by shield 150 sufficiently near the transmission line for establishing radio coupling therebetween in order to receive the modulated signal being applied to the respective individual segments. As used herein the expression "radio coupling" refers to noncontactive transfer of energy by electromagnetic radiation at radio frequencies.

It will be appreciated that coupler 100 has a predetermined length dimension along a coupler axis which, for example, can be substantially parallel relative to individual segments 50 and 60. The coupler length dimension is conveniently chosen to be sufficiently short to avoid any substantial frequency-dependent directional coupling effects, and to be sufficiently long to avoid any substantial signal attenuation or reduction in coupler 100 whenever the coupler passes about any gap between respective ones of the individual segments. For example, a coupler having a length dimension of 1.5 in. has been found to be suitable for a carder frequency of 750 MHz and for 1/8 in. gaps between respective ends of the individual transmission line segments. As indicated by arrows 104 and 106, the modulated signal applied to respective segments 50 and 60 propagates in opposite directions and thus to avoid blind spots near any of the gaps, coupler 100 preferably has a first end 110 directly connected to output port means 112, such as a coaxial line or other suitably shielded electrical conductor, and has a second end 108 which is substantially free of any termination impedance, i.e., termination resistors. In this manner, the modulated signal received by coupler 100 passes to coaxial line 112 independently of the propagation direction of the received modulated signal, i.e., independently of the propagation direction of the electromagnetic wave traveling in individual segments 50 and 60. For instance, waves arriving at second end 108 readily propagate toward the first end and from there to coaxial line 112, whereas waves arriving at first end 110 are eventually reflected back from the resistively unterminated second end 108 toward the first end and from there to coaxial line 112. In each case, coupler 100 advantageously allows for noncontactively extracting the modulated signal in the transmission line along the full circumference of the rotating frame. An amplifier 114 can readily provide a predetermined amplification to the signal being supplied by coupler 100. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the length dimension of the coupler can vary depending on the specific value of the carrier frequency being utilized for the modulated signal. By way of example and not of limitation, the coupler length dimension can be chosen in the range of 1/4 to 1/8 wherein 1 represents the wavelength of the carder in the transmission line material. Other configurations for the coupler will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. For example, a relatively short (e.g., about 1/16) center-tapped coupler can alternatively be employed in lieu of a coupler having a resistively unterminated end. Furthermore, any suitable conductor, such as a short piece of wire, aligned substantially parallel to the driven transmission line, will also work effectively.

Both transmission line 40 and coupler 100 have respective ground planes, best shown in FIG. 3, which, if not properly grounded, or electrically compensated, can lead to undesirable electromagnetic radiation leakage around the coupler. For example, patent application Ser. No. 08/307,118, describes a differential compensation technique which substantially reduces electromagnetic radiation leakage around the coupler. In accordance with the present invention, connecting means 140 (FIGS. 4A and 4B) is provided for establishing a common electrical ground between the respective ground planes of the coupler and the transmission line to substantially reduce electromagnetic radiation leakage around the coupler.

FIG. 3 illustrates a cross section of a substantially planar transmission line which can be effectively used both for the transmission line segments and for the coupler. For example, FIG. 3 shows a microstrip 200 wherein a signal conductor 202 and a ground plane 206 are separated from one another by a suitable dielectric material 204. It will be appreciated that such substantially planar transmission line can be readily fabricated employing well known printed circuit techniques which allow for substantial savings in cost as compared to an optical data link. Similarly, a stripline transmission line wherein the first and second signal conductors are "sandwiched" in a respective dielectric material between two ground planes can be alternatively employed both for the transmission line segments and for the coupler. Furthermore, the coupler need not consist of a microstrip or a stripline transmission line. A suitable conductor, such as a short piece of wire, aligned substantially parallel to the driven transmission line, will also work effectively.

FIGS. 4A and 4B show that, as discussed in the context of FIG. 2, connecting means 140 is provided for establishing a common electrical ground between the respective ground planes of the coupler and the transmission line. Connecting means 140 is made up of at least one electrically conductive brush 142 having a first end or edge thereof connected to a ground plane 306 of coupler 100. Connecting means 140 further comprises at least one electrically conductive strip, such as a ring 144, that in operation is slidably connected to the second end of the conducting brush. The ring can be electrically connected to the ground plane of the transmission line, for example, via suitable feed through wires (not shown). Ring 144 is conveniently employed in applications which require a circular geometric configuration, however, in general and as previously suggested, any suitably shaped strip can be employed for applications which do not require a circular configuration. The signal carded by the coupler signal conductor can be readily supplied to amplifier 114 (FIG. 2) via a suitable coaxial line 112 having an inner conductor 308 in a suitable dielectric 310 enclosed by an outer shield 312. As shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, outer shield 312 is connected to coupler ground plane 306 and in turn connected to the transmission line ground plane 206 by way of connecting means 140. As described in the context of FIG. 5 of patent application Ser. No. 08/307,118, the common electrical ground provided by connecting means 140 is equivalent to replacing capacitor C.sub.5 with a short circuit and this substantially avoids induction of current in the outer shield of the coaxial line. Thus, the present invention advantageously allows for minimizing the level of any outer shield current which otherwise would cause degradation to the communications link. For example, if the outer shield current were left uncorrected, the operation of the communications link would be degraded due to undesirable electromagnetic radiation around the coupler or due to susceptibility of the coupler to externally produced electromagnetic energy.

FIGS. 4A and 4B further show a transmission line shield 150 affixed to the transmission line for shielding the transmission line from electromagnetic radiation, i.e., shield 150 allows for reducing the susceptibility of the transmission line to externally produced electromagnetic energy. As seen in FIGS. 4A and 4B, transmission line shield 150 comprises a U-shaped electrically conductive structure which defines a passage, such as an open passage, around the circumference of the rotating frame. As seen in FIG. 4A, the transmission line shield can be made-up of a pair of opposite side walls 152 and 154 having a respective end or edge affixed to ground plane 206 of the transmission line segments. In this embodiment, ground plane 206 of the transmission line segments can conveniently provide the bottom wall of the U-shaped structure. In addition, walls 152 and 154 can be electrically connected to conductive ring 144, and thus conductive ground plane 206 can be alternatively connected to conductive ting 144 via the conducting walls of shield 150, in lieu of employing any feed through wires. The opposite side walls can have a predetermined height H and ground plane 206 can have a predetermined width W. The ratio defined by H/W is suitably chosen so that the U-shaped structure forms a waveguide which is below cutoff for the frequencies of interest. For example, below cutoff, waves having respective transverse magnetic (TM) and transverse electric (TE) propagation modes are evanescent and thus such waves decay rapidly and substantially along the Z axis direction. Electromagnetic waves having a transverse electric and magnetic (TEM) propagation mode can readily propagate in the U-shaped structure, but only if their respective electric fields E are aligned along the X axis direction, i.e., electromagnetic waves having a respective TEM mode and having their respective electric fields aligned other than along the X axis are effectively filtered out from the U-shaped structure. This is because signal conductor 202 is substantially parallel to the opposite side walls. In particular, waves propagating in the transmission line have respective E fields that are predominantly Z directed. Hence, the U-shaped structure forms a waveguide which is below cutoff for waves having respective TE and TM propagation modes and which is an effective cross-polarization choke or filter for waves having a TEM propagation mode. The electromagnetic amplitude attenuation in the U-shaped structure for waves having a sufficiently long wavelength relative to width W (e.g., W<1/2), and having respective TE and TM propagation modes can be described by

wherein z represents a variable along the Z axis direction, and A represents wave amplitude. For example, external waves having respective TE and TM propagation modes are attenuated by 55 dB at the bottom of the U-shaped structure if H/W=2.

FIG. 4B shows that the transmission line shield 150 can be made up of a pair of opposite side walls 152 and 154 having a predetermined height H and a bottom wall 156 having a predetermined width W. Each of the separate transmission line segments is respectively attached to the bottom wall within opposite side walls 152 and 154. As described in the context of FIG. 4A, the U-shaped structure for the transmission line shield has a ratio defined by H/W chosen to substantially attenuate electromagnetic waves having respective TM and TE propagation modes, wherein H is the height of the opposite side walls 152 and 154 and W is the width of bottom wall 156.

Although various specific constructions have been given for the present invention, it is to be understood that these are for illustrative purposes only. Various modifications and adaptations will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the substance or scope of the invention. For example, although the shielded transmission line segments have been described as rotating along with rotating frame or gantry 15 (FIG. 1) and the coupler has been described as attached to stationary frame 12 (FIG. 1), it is equally possible to instead have the shielded transmission line segments stationary and the coupler mounted on the rotating frame, i.e., stationary and rotating mechanical mounting for the coupler and transmission line segments can be readily interchanged with equally effective results. Accordingly, it is intended that the invention be limited only by the spirit and scope of the claims appended hereto.