Cable Carriers for Innovative X-Ray Systems

• What was needed: E4.1 energy chain
• Requirements: A space-saving system was needed that is highly stable, quiet and guarantees at least 20 years of service life without maintenance.
• Industry: Medical technology
• Success for the customer: The E4.1 energy chain was selected because it combines minimal-noise operation with particularly high stability and service life. The use of "quick opening" spacers also makes it much easier to add and maintain the cables, which saves valuable time during installation.

The Discovery IGS 730 is a vascular imaging system introduced by GE Healthcare in 2011. It is an X-ray and digital detector system mounted on an Advanced Guided Vehicle (AGV), which is a motorized and fully mobile system. This requires cable routing that must be able to transport power, data and water from the ceiling so that the AGV can move freely from multiple imaging positions to parking or retraction positions.

The cable routing needed to make the Discovery IGS 730 particularly fast, predictable, accurate and easy to use to enable precise control and positioning at any point during the procedure.

Other requirements for the guidance solution included reduced volume due to the presence of the laser beam and several suspended monitors in patient rooms. The cable management system needs to adapt to the movements of the AGV or the load-bearing capacity despite only one possible fixation of the guidance system to the ceiling of the operating theatre. Additionally, a line load of 7 kg/m with a safety factor of 12 needed to be supported, as required by the medical IEC60601. The system had to operate as quietly as possible, should only sag to a very small extent and should fulfil a service life of at least 20 years without any maintenance.

The Discovery IGS 730 is a revolutionary tool in laboratory imaging. The system is neither floor nor ceiling mounted which allows full patient access without the need to suspend the system above the patient. It has the mobility of a manual mobile gantry with the performance and image quality of a stationary system. This laser-guided, motorized mobile gantry creates an interventional environment without limitation. It allows full patient access and unlimited parking while preserving sterility for a flexible and safe operating theatre environment.

This performance was made possible thanks to the design choice for the cable management system based on one of our versatile E4.1 plastic energy chains. The cable system was also chosen for its particularly high service life and stability. The e-chain® was installed at the side of the application and travels back and forth horizontally. The span of the system, which consists of a total of 29 links, is approximately 3.2 meters. The use of "quick opening" spacers also makes it much easier to add and maintain the cables, which saves valuable time during installation. The e-chain® is also protected against overvoltage by an electrical and mechanical device.