CT Basics

CT components
Gantry Basics

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CT Basics

CT comp. General
gantry bas.

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CT Basics

CT comp. General
gantry bas.
Gantry: The mechanical arrangement of a CT-system which executes the rotation of the X-ray tube and the
detector during a scan is called the Gantry.
The Gantry consists of the rotating part and the stationary part.

Tilt: The Gantry can be tilted up to ±30°.

Bearing: A ball bearing connects the rotating part and the stationary part of the gantry.

Drive principle: Two drive principles are used:

- Emotion family: Gantry drive via a belt. The motor is an AC-Motor,i.e., the speed is controlled by
controlling the frequency of the AC-supply to the motor.
- Sensation family: Direct drive of the Gantry with a linear motor. The coils are stationary, the
magnets are rotating. Technically, this is an AC-motor, i.e., the rotation speed is controlled by
controlling the frequency of the coil current.

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CT Basics

CT comp.
Transmission of High Tension, Signals and Data
gantry bas.

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CT Basics

CT comp.
Transmission of High Tension, Signals and Data
gantry bas.
General: The X-ray tube is supplied with high tension, filament current and rotating power. The
components of the rotating part need supply voltages and control signals.

DMS: Data from the DMS are transmitted to the image processor.

Slip rings: Sliprings are used to transmit supply voltages and signal lines.

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CT Basics

CT comp. Scan control system

gantry bas.

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CT Basics

CT comp. Scan control system

gantry bas. The scan control system connects the Gantry to the Host Computer.

Safety functions: The Gantry operation must always be in a safe state to prevent harm to the patient, to the user and
to the machine.

Therefore, several conditions are monitored for safety reasons:

•Gantry rotation
•generation of radiation and
•table movements.

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CT Basics

CT comp. Stop and reset logic

gantry bas.

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CT Basics

CT comp. Stop and reset logic

gantry bas.
General: For safety reasons, the scanner system has to be enabled by performing a system-reset prior to
using mechanical movements. As soon as any stop button is pressed, the movements are disabled.

Stop state: After switching the system ON, it is in the Stop state:
•no rotation is possible
•no radiation
•no patient positioning movements(feed, lift, tilt) are possible.

Reset: The reset state is reached by pressing the Reset key/continue key.
The following part receive a Reset signal:
The host computer(Reset command)
•The scan control processors(Reset commandSs from the Host)
•The stop and Reset logic (Reset signal and Reset command). The Reset Logic checks
the safety status, If all conditions are o.k., the systems goes into the Rest state.

Activating Stop: During normal operation, the Stop state is activated by:
•pressing any STOP switch
•a rotating failure
•a software or firmware Stop

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CT Basics

CT comp. Pulse generation

gantry bas.

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CT Basics

CT comp. Pulse generation

gantry bas.

Light Barriers: To control the rotation, the actual position and the actual speed are measured. These
measurements are done with the help of the light barrier systems.

AP: The angular pulses AP are generated from a slotted ring. Depending on the type of machine,
there are 1440 APs in one revolution.

Speed: Measuring the time from one AP to the following one, the speed is determined.

Position: Counting the Aps from a reference position onward, the actual position is measured. To know the
actual position is important to position the tube for a Topogram. During the scan, the actual
position has to be sent to the image processor, so that the back projections can be performed
under the precise angle under which the profiles where measured.
In the Sensation family, two light barriers scan the AP- slots, enabling the controller to determine
the rotation direction.

IP: The index pulse slot is the reference for the 0-degree position. It is the start from where the APs
are counted for positioning the gantry, e.g. for Topogram.

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CT Basics

CT comp. Plus 4 Electrical Components

gantry bas.

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CT Basics

CT comp. Plus 4 Electrical Components

gantry bas.

Some important electrical components for the rotation of the gantry are:

Rotation motor: This is a three phase permanent-magnet synchronous ring motor(linear motor). The stator is
made of 100 field coils for each of the three phases, whereas the rotor contains 100
permanent magnets.

Light Barrier: the light barrier is for Rotation, Position and Speed control(LPS), to provide the pulses for
monitoring the speed and also for the logic positioning.

MCU: The Master Controller Unit(MCU) and the

RTC: Rotate and Tilt Controller/RTC) coordinate and supervise the rotation.

Rotate converter: supplies the motor with a variable frequency.

Safety Switch: disconnect the rotation motor from the Rotate converter. Metal rod for service inside the
gantry. Also, to deactivate the safety switch, the rotation should be blocked by the metal rod.

Metal rod: For service inside the Gantry. In addition to deactivating the safety switch, the rotation should
be blocked by the metal rod.

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CT Basics

CT comp. Diaphragm Control

gantry bas.

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CT Basics

CT comp. Diaphragm Control

gantry bas. In order to keep the radiation burden of the patient as low as possible, a tube side collimation
system is necessary.This system can be separated into a:
•Diaphragm system to define the slice thickness and,
•collimation system to limit the scan field.

Two diaphragms: In most SOMATOM CT scanners,there are two diaphragms. One is mounted close to focal spot,
and the other is close to the detector.

Slice thickness: The slice thickness is defined in the center of rotation, which is equal to the center of the
measurement field or scan field. The diameter of the scan field is given by the fan angle and the
distance between tube and detector. The slice thickness is a result of the collimation in Z-
direction.

Spiral CT: In spiral CT, the selected pitch and the reconstruction algorithm can also influence the effective
slice thickness.

EF-collimator: The EF-collimator isused to reduce the Extra Focal Radiation.

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AR
CT Basics

CT comp. Gantry Cooling

gantry bas.

Plus 4

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CT Basics

CT comp. Gantry Cooling

gantry bas.

General: In the Gantry, there are various parts like power supplies, an X-ray tube and a rotate motor that
produce excess of heat.
An oil filled cooling system consisting of an oil pump, oil/air heat exchanger and a radial fan is
used to cool the X-ray tube.

AR: Radial fans on top of the Gantry blow the air of the gantry room into the Gantry. The heated air is
exhausted through various openings back to the Gantry room.

Plus 4: Heat exchangers are mounted within the Gantry. The gantry has a closed housing, i.e., there is no
air exchange between inside and outside.
The two air/ water heat exchangers are located on the left top corner and on the bottom right
corner of the Gantry. Each heat exchanger has two radial fans, which produce a forced airflow.

Cooling unit: An additional cooling unit provides cold water to cool:

 The Gantry
 The X-Ray generator and
 The image system.
Water/Water heat exchangers pick up the thermal energy of the Plus 4 system and emit the
dissipated heat to the cold water supply of the building.

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CT Basics

CT comp.

gantry bas.

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