Apparatus and method for thermo-electric cooling
A temperature regulator provides thermoelectric temperature control in a X-ray detector. The temperature regulator maintains the temperature within the X-ray detector by controlling current through a thermoelectric device. The temperature regulator can both heat and cool the X-ray detector.
1. A temperature regulator that adjusts a temperature of an X-ray detector, comprising:
a controller;
a thermal sensor reporting temperature data to the controller;
a thermo-electric device having a positive voltage contact and a negative voltage contact that responds to the controller being in receipt of the temperature data from the thermal sensor, the contacts configured to allow reversing a voltage applied thereto;
a heat dissipating plate in contact with an X-ray panel of the X-ray detector;
a cold plate in thermal contact with the heat dissipating plate via a heat pipe, at least one of the heat dissipating plate and cold plate connected to the thermo-electric device; and
thermal insulation configured to thermally isolate the cold plate from electronics of the X-ray detector.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a switch that switches the positive voltage contact and the negative voltage contact.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the thermal sensor is a thermocouple.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the thermal sensor is in contact with an X-ray panel.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a voltage source connected to the positive voltage contact and the negative voltage contract.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the thermo-electric device is a solid state thermo-electric device.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising: a switch that controls current direction at the positive voltage contact controlled by the controller in response to receipt of temperature data.
8. The apparatus of claim 1 , where the thermo-electric device responds to the control to maintain an X-ray panel in the X-ray detector within a predetermined temperature range.
9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the predetermined temperature range is twenty-five to thirty-five degrees Celsius.
10. A method for regulating temperature of a medical X-ray detector, the method comprising the steps of:
measuring a temperature of the medical X-ray detector;
determining if the temperature of the medical X-ray detector is within a predetermined operational range;
adjusting via a positive voltage contact and a negative voltage contact a current that enters a thermo-electric device in order to change the temperature of the medical X-ray detector;
providing a heat dissipating plate in contact with an X-ray panel of the medical X-ray detector and in thermal contact with a cold plate via a heat pipe with heat being transferred from the heat dissipating plate to the cold plate via the heat pipe; and
thermally isolating at least one of the beat pipe and cold plate from electronics of the X-ray detector.
11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising the steps of:
identifying a mode of temperature control the device requires; and
changing polarity of a voltage entering the thermo-electric device in response to the mode of temperature control.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the step of changing further comprises the step of:
switching the voltage with an electromagnetic switch that responds to the controller.
13. The method of claim 10 , where measuring further comprise:
sending data from a thermocouple to the controller.
14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the thermo-electric device is a solid-state thermo-electric device.
15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the predetermined operating range is twenty-five to thirty-five degrees Celsius.
16. A system that adjusts a temperature in a X-ray detector, the system comprising:
a controller;
a thermal sensor reporting temperature data to the controller;
a thermo-electric device having a positive voltage contact and a negative voltage contact that responds to the controller being in receipt of the temperature data from the thermal sensor, the contacts configured to allow reversing a voltage applied thereto;
an external cooling device that removes thermal energy from the thermo-electric device; and
a cold plate and a heat sink connected to the thermo-electric device, the heat sink in contact with an X-ray panel of the X-ray detector;
at least one heat pipe thermally connecting the cold plate and the heat sink; and
thermal insulation between electronics of the X-ray detector and at least one of the heat pipe and cold plate.
17. The apparatus of claim 16 , further comprising:
a switch that switches the positive voltage contact and the negative voltage contact.
18. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the thermal sensor is a thermocouple.
19. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the thermal sensor is a solid-state thermal sensor.
20. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the thermal sensor is in contact with an X-ray panel.
21. The apparatus of claim 16 , further comprising:
a voltage source connected to the positive voltage contact and the negative voltage contract.
22. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the thermo-electric device is a solid-state thermo-electric device.
23. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the external cooling device is a liquid cooling device.
24. The apparatus of claim 16 , where the external cooling device is located more than three meters from the thermo-electrical device.