High Capacity Wireless CT Data Link (Fall 2012 - Spring 2013)

The Analogic-Olin SCOPE team consulted for Analogic to improve the wireless data link between the rotating gantry and the stationary frame of a CT scanner. The team's work resulted in a significant increase in data rate across the link while maintaining data integrity.

Analogic-Olin SCOPE team photo: [top] Lou Poulo (Analogic), Jared Kirschner (me), Siddhartan Govindasamy (Olin faculty adviser), Dan Abenaim (Analogic), Teddie Vidolova, Jose Oscar Mur-Miranda (Olin faculty adviser); [bottom] John O'Connor (Analogic), Philip Loh, Eric Kolker, Nathaniel Ting.

The Goal

Analogic produces custom medical imaging systems for other companies to incorporate into their CT and MRI scanners. In the medical imaging field, the more detailed information captured, the better the final image and the better the doctors can see and diagnose. As the number of elements in 2-D CT detector arrays and rotation speed both increase in order to support faster scan times and higher resolution, newer scanners will produce more data at higher rates, and demand a higher throughput on the wireless image data link that the team investigated. The team’s goal was to increase the data transfer rate using the same basic antenna design as in the current system.

The Process

The team spent the Fall 2012 semester ideating different approaches to the problem, selecting an approach, designing a solution, and specifying and purchasing parts for construction of a prototype. The Spring 2013 was spent building and continuously improving the prototype and system design.

The Solution

At the end of the Spring 2013 semester, the team had completed a prototype which demonstrated that the full system design meets the target specifications. The team provided Analogic a full report documenting the full system design, prototype implementation and results, and next steps for further development of the design. The team also gave an on-site presentation at Analogic regarding the project to several important stakeholders at Analogic. Analogic expressed that the team had provided considerable value to Analogic by removing the performance bottleneck of the wireless CT data link in future CT scanner systems.

Note: Details of the solution and my work are commercially sensitive and protected by a Non-Disclosure Agreement.

My Responsibilities

• Project manager and team liaison to Analogic
• Defined tasks and risk management strategies
• Participated in full system design, part specification, prototype implementation, and system redesign