Receiving coupler for contactless data link

Abstract

A receiving coupler for large diameter capacitive data links comprises at least two layers of isolating material, having different lengths and being attached to each other. The shorter layer comprises on its outer surface a first pair of conductors, whereas the longer layer comprises a second pair and a third pair of conductors. The conductors are connected to each other by vias. The stack of layers of different lengths can be adapted to various curve radii of transmitting components of a capacitive rotary joint.

Claims

1. A receiving coupler for a capacitive rotary joint, the rotary joint having a transmitting component and a receiving component, the receiving coupler representing a part of the receiving component, the receiving coupler comprising: at least an upper layer of isolating material having a first length and a lower layer of isolating material having a second length, said upper layer having a first upper surface thereof, said lower layer having a second upper surface thereof, the second upper surface facing said upper layer; wherein said upper layer bears on the first upper surface at least one pair of upper conductors, and wherein said lower layer bears on the second upper surface at least one pair of lower conductors, wherein upper conductors from the at least one pair of the upper conductors are electrically connected to lower conductors from the at least one pair of the lower conductors, and wherein the second length is longer than the first length, wherein conductors of the upper conductors and the lower conductors of the at least said upper layer and said lower layer are dimensioned to be oriented along the circumference of the transmitting component when operably cooperated with the transmitting component.

2. A receiving coupler according to claim 1, wherein said upper layer has a first width and said lower layer has a second width, the first and second widths being equal.

3. A receiving coupler according to claim 1, wherein the lower conductors from the at least one pair of the upper conductors are connected to the upper conductors from the at least one pair of the upper conductors through at least one of i) a via and b) edge metallization.

4. A receiving coupler according to claim 1, wherein the lower layer is centered with respect to the upper layer.

5. A receiving coupler according to claim 1, further comprising a bottom conductor at a bottom surface of the lower layer.

6. A receiving coupler according to claim 5, wherein the bottom conductor is electrically connected to an upper conductor from the at least one pair of upper conductors.

7. A receiving coupler according to claim 5, wherein the bottom conductor is connected to an upper conductor, from the at least one pair of upper conductors, by a through-hole or a via.

8. A receiving component for a capacitive data link comprising the receiving coupler according to claim 1 and a receiver board, the receiver board having at least one of active electronic components and passive electronic components.

9. A transceiving assembly for a capacitive data link comprising: a transmitting component comprising a plurality of transmission lines, electrically and mechanically connected by a connecting element and a receiving coupler, including at least an upper layer of isolating material having a first length and a lower layer of isolating material having a second length, said upper layer having a first upper surface thereof, said lower layer having a second upper surface thereof, the second upper surface facing said upper layer; wherein said upper layer bears on the first upper surface at least one pair of upper conductors, and wherein said lower layer bears on the second upper surface at least one pair of lower conductors, wherein the upper conductors from the at least one pair of the upper conductors are electrically connected to the lower conductors from the at least one pair of the lower conductors, and wherein the second length is longer than the first length, and wherein conductors of the upper conductors and the lower conductors of the at least said upper layer and said lower layer are dimensioned to be oriented along a circumference of the transmitting component when operably cooperated with the transmitting component.

10. A transceiving assembly according to claim 9, further comprising a receiving component, wherein the receiving coupler forms a part of the receiving component, wherein the connecting element is at least one of a printed circuit board and a part of the receiving component.

11. A rotary joint comprising at least one receiving component according to claim 8 and a transmitting component comprising at least one transmission line.

12. A rotary joint comprising at least one transceiving assembly according to claim 9.

13. A CT scanner comprising at least one rotary joint according to claim 11.

14. A CT scanner comprising at least one rotary joint according to claim 12.

15. A method for manufacturing a receiving coupler for a capacitive rotary joint, the capacitive rotary joint including a receiving component and a transmitting component, the method comprising: forming an assembly including (i) at least an upper layer of isolating material having a first length and a lower layer of isolating material having a second length, said at least the upper layer and the lower layer dimensioned to be oriented along the circumference of the transmitting component when the receiving coupler is operably cooperated with the transmitting component; wherein said upper layer has a first upper surface thereof, said lower layer having a second upper surface thereof, the second upper surface facing said upper layer; (ii) at least one pair of upper conductors on the first upper surface of said upper layer; and (iii) at least one pair of lower conductors on the second upper surface of said lower layer, wherein upper conductors from the at least one pair of upper conductors are electrically connected to lower conductors from the at least one pair of the lower conductors, and wherein the second length is longer than the first length, and selectively removing parts of a layer of material of an upper surface of the assembly.

16. A method according to claim 15, wherein the selectively removing comprises at least one of machining and cutting.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) In the following, the invention will be described by way of example, without limitation of the general inventive concept, on examples of embodiment and with reference to the drawings.

(2) FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment.

(3) FIG. 2 shows a sectional side view of a receiving coupler.

(4) FIG. 3 shows a top view of a receiving coupler.

(5) FIG. 4 shows a further embodiment of a receiving coupler.

(6) FIG. 5 shows an embodiment of a transmission line.

(7) FIG. 6 shows a transmitting/receiving assembly.

(8) FIG. 7 shows a transmitting/receiving assembly in a sectional view.

(9) FIG. 8 shows a CT scanner gantry

(10) Embodiments of the invention may be subject to various modifications and alternative forms. Specific embodiments of the invention are shown by way of example in the drawings and will herein be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the drawings and detailed description thereto are not intended to limit the invention to the particular form disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(11) In the following embodiments, reference is made to an upper layer, lower layer, upper conductors and lower conductors. These relate to an orientation as shown in the Figures, specifically in FIG. 2. It is obvious that such a receiving coupler may be oriented in any orientation in three-dimensional space. The terms upper and lower are only used for simplification of explanation.

(12) In FIG. 1, a first embodiment is shown. A contactless rotary joint which for example may be used in a computed tomography (CT) scanner may comprise a transmitting component 200 and a receiving component 100. The transmitting component 200 preferably is connected to the rotating part of a CT scanner gantry, whereas the receiving component 100 is connected to the stationary part for coupling data from the rotating to the stationary part of the CT scanner. The transmitting component 200 preferably comprises a transmitter support 210. This transmitter support may be a circular plastic carrier. It may also comprise metal or other materials suitable for supporting a structure of the required size. A typical CT scanner rotary joint has a diameter in a range between 1 and 1.5 meters. In this embodiment, the transmitter support 210 bears a transmission line 220 at its inner side. It may also have the transmission line at the outer side. There may also be multichannel embodiments having at least one transmission line at the inner side and at least one transmission line at the outer side. The receiving coupler 120 is arranged at the other component, which preferably is the stationary component of a CT scanner, in a comparatively small distance to the transmission line for coupling signals. The distance must be larger than the maximum run out of the rotating part plus additional tolerances from manufacturing, aging, and others. In a typical CT scanner environment, this distance may be between 2 and 10 millimeters. The receiving coupler 120 may be mounted to a receiver board 110 which may hold electronic components for amplification, forming filtering or processing of a signal received by the receiving coupler 120.

(13) In FIG. 2, a sectional side view of a receiving coupler 120 is shown. The receiving coupler 120 basically coupler comprises a lower layer 121 and an upper layer 122, both made of electrically isolating material. There is a pair of other conductors 123 on top of the upper layer 122. Furthermore, there are two pairs of lower conductors 124, 125 on top of the lower layer 121. A first pair of lower conductors 124 is at a first side of the lower layer 121, whereas a second pair of lower conductors 125 is at a second side of lower layer 121. Preferably, the lower layer 121 and the upper layer 122 are centered. It is further preferred, if the first pair of lower conductors 124 has the same length as the second pair of lower conductors 125.

(14) The upper conductors 123 are electrically connected to the lower conductors 124, 125. This connection is preferably done by through-hole or vias 127, 128, which preferably are holes through the upper layer with a metalized inner surface or filled by an electrically conductive material. This means that the vias may also be realized by implementing embedded passive components into the isolating material. Furthermore, there may be a bottom conductor 126 at the bottom of the lower layer 121. It is further preferred, if the bottom conductor 126 is electrically connected to at least one of the upper conductors or lower conductors. Preferably, this connection is made by a center via 129 and/or a metallization of the edge of at least one layer. A larger edge metallization 151 may be used to hold multiple layers together. Most preferably, it is connected to the upper conductors. In an alternative embodiment, the bottom conductor may be a ground conductor or a ground plane. Also signals can be contacted by partial metallization e.g. of a half round indentation of the edge.

(15) In FIG. 3, a top view of a receiving coupler is shown. Here, the pair of conductors can be seen. The reference numbers are the same as in the previous Figures, with added letters a, b. The letter a refers to a first conductor of the pair of conductors, whereas the letter b refers to the second conductor of the pair of conductors. Preferably, both conductors are made symmetrical. For example, the pair of upper conductors 123 comprises a first upper conductor 123a and a second upper conductor 123b. There may further be at least one mounting or centering hole 130, 131.

(16) In FIG. 4, a further embodiment of a receiving coupler is shown. Here, the through-holes of the center vias 129a,b are replaced by a different design. There may be a hole 132 which may be round or rectangular. Preferably, this hole has conductive surfaces 133, 134 at its inner side to connect the upper conductors 123 with the bottom conductors 126.

(17) In FIG. 5, an embodiment of a transmission line 220 is shown. On a dielectric or isolating material, there is a pair of transmission line conductors 221a, 221b. The pair of transmission line conductors is preferably symmetrical and most preferably a pair of strip lines, most preferably configured as differential strip lines. It is further preferred, if the size of the conductors as shown in the previous Figures of the receiving coupler matches the size (width and distance) of the transmission lines. Alternatively, they may have a slightly larger distance and a slightly smaller width.

(18) FIG. 6 shows a transmitting/receiving (that is, transceiving) assembly 300 comprising a receiving component 100 and a transmitting component 200. Preferably, the receiving component 100 has a structure as described in the other figures, but there may also be a flat or flexible printed circuit board. Furthermore, there is a transmitting component 200 comprising transmission line conductors 221, 222 or any other at a great structure for guiding RF signals, preferably without radiating them. The transmitting component 200 is electrically and mechanically connected via a connecting element 310 to the receiving component 100. It is preferred, if the connecting element 310 is part of the receiving component 100. The connecting element preferably is a printed circuit board or a printed circuit board layer.

(19) FIG. 7 shows a transmitting/receiving assembly in a sectional view. It is further preferred, if an electronic module 320 is attached to the transmitting/receiving assembly 300. The electronic module may be connected by a connector 330 which may be a coaxial connector or a multi pin PCB connector. The transmitting/receiving assembly 300 as shown herein offers a fixed spatial relationship between the receiving component 100 and the transmitting component 200. It further offers a well-defined electrical connection. During assembly it is no more necessary to solder RF connections. Furthermore, it results in a comparatively compact size. It is preferred that the receiving element 100 at the position of the receive coupler 125 has the same thickness as the receive element at the position of the transmitter support 210 and/or connecting element 310 with the transmitting component 200 mounted.

(20) FIG. 8 shows schematically a CT (Computed Tomography) scanner gantry. The stationary part is suspended within a massive frame 810. The rotating part 809 of the gantry is rotatably mounted with respect to the stationary part and rotates along the rotation direction 808. It supports an X-ray tube 801 for generating an X-ray beam 802 that radiates through a patient 804 lying on a table 807 and which is intercepted by a detector 803 and converted to electrical signals and imaging data thereof. Electrical power from power supply unit 811 may be transmitted by a slipring (not shown) to the rotating part. The data obtained by the detector 803 are transmitted via contactless rotary joint 800 to an evaluation unit 806 by means of a data bus or network 805.

(21) It will be appreciated to those skilled in the art having the benefit of this disclosure that this invention is believed to provide receiving coupler for a contactless data link. Further modifications and alternative embodiments of various aspects of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of this description. Accordingly, this description is to be construed as illustrative only and is for the purpose of teaching those skilled in the art the general manner of carrying out the invention. It is to be understood that the forms of the invention shown and described herein are to be taken as the presently preferred embodiments. Elements and materials may be substituted for those illustrated and described herein, parts and processes may be reversed, and certain features of the invention may be utilized independently, all as would be apparent to one skilled in the art after having the benefit of this description of the invention. Changes may be made in the elements described herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as described in the following claims.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

(22) 100 receiving component

(23) 110 receiver board

(24) 120 receiving coupler

(25) 121 lower layer

(26) 122 upper layer

(27) 123 upper conductors

(28) 124, 125 lower conductors

(29) 126 bottom conductor

(30) 127, 128 vias

(31) 129 center via

(32) 130, 131 mounting holes

(33) 132 hole

(34) 133, 134 conductors

(35) 151 edge metallization

(36) 200 transmitting component

(37) 210 transmitter support

(38) 220 transmission line

(39) 221 transmission line conductor

(40) 222 transmission line conductor

(41) 230 vias

(42) 300 transmitting/receiving assembly

(43) 310 connecting element

(44) 320 electronic module

(45) 330 connector

(46) 800 contactless rotary joint

(47) 801 x-ray tube

(48) 802 x-ray beam

(49) 803 x-ray detector

(50) 804 patient

(51) 805 network

(52) 806 evaluation unit

(53) 807 patient table

(54) 808 rotation direction

(55) 809 rotating part

(56) 810 frame

(57) 811 power supply unit