Epsilon High-Voltage Generators

Technical Manual Supplement

BASIC MULTI-ENERGY
Instruction Guide P/N 11050.017.G0
Basic Multi-Energy Instruction Guide Epsilon & Epsilon ETA Generators

Copyright application © 2009 by emd technologies company. All rights reserved. emd
technologies and the EMD Technologies logo are trademarks of emd technologies company,
registered in the U.S.A. and other countries.

Contents of this publication may not be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or
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without the written permission of emd technologies company, 400 rue du Parc, Saint-Eustache
(Québec), Canada, J7R 0A1.

IMPROVEMENTS
emd technologies reserves the right to make changes and improvements to its products and assumes
no obligation to incorporate any changes into units previously sold or shipped.

BASIC MULTI-ENERGY OPTION / Technical Manual Supplement P/N 11050.017.G0

Manual Revision History
N° Revision Number Date Note
1 P/N 11050.017.G0 08 July 09 Initial Release
2

Head Office European Authorized Representative

emd technologies Biocordis France S.A.A
400 du Parc, 1, Route Nationale 448 – B.P. 27
Saint-Eustache (Quebec) F91450 Etiolles
Canada, J7R 0A1 France
Phone : +1-450.491.2100 Phone : +33-(0)160.756.909
Fax : +1-450.491.4138 Fax : +33-(0)160.756.676
www.emd-technologies.com

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Basic Multi-Energy Instruction Guide Epsilon & Epsilon ETA Generators

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................... 3

2 BASIC MULTI-ENERGY IMPLEMENTATION ........................................................................................ 4

2.1 Options Chip Replacement ........................................................................................................................... 4
2.2 Install New PC Tools Version...................................................................................................................... 4

3 FUNCTIONAL SPECIFICATIONS ................................................................................................................ 6

1 INTRODUCTION

The Basic Multi-Energy P/N 10030.000 option permits an external controller to vary the kV and/or
mA during a single exposure (Figure 1) or between exposures of a single run. This is performed
using a CANBUS or RS-232 serial protocol proprietary to EMD Technologies and dedicated to the
serial communication between a console and the Epsilon generator. Refer to emd document
P/N 11050.008 for proper programming.

Legend: ___ = X-ray On

___ = kV
___ = mA

Figure 1 – Typical Multi-Energy Exposure.

(Single exposure with 7 steps of kV)

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Basic Multi-Energy Instruction Guide Epsilon & Epsilon ETA Generators

2 BASIC MULTI-ENERGY IMPLEMENTATION

Perform the following procedure to upgrade an Epsilon generator with the Basic Multi-Energy
option.

2.1 Options Chip Replacement

1. Make sure you have a back up at hand of all generator data (emd, tc, History log & gc files). If
necessary, refer to the Technical Manual, Chapter 8 to make a back up using your current
Epsilon PC Tools software.

2. Remove the input mains power line and wait for 5 minutes allowing
all DC capacitors on the Inverters to discharge.

3. Replace the Options chip on the generator motherboard, between inverters positions # 2 and 4.
If necessary, refer to the Technical Manual, Chapter 7.

4. Reinstall all enclosures onto the generator and reconnect the input mains power line.

2.2 Install New PC Tools Version

This step is necessary only on generators running with Epsilon PC Tools version 1.33 and older. In
case of doubt, contact emd Service Department for information.

5. Install the new Epsilon PC Tools on your laptop or service PC.

6. Update the three generator firmwares coming with the new PC Tools program, available on the
upgrade CD or on your personal emd web page. If necessary, refer to the Technical Manual,
Chapter 7. When completed, the generator will return to normal mode. DO NOT EXPOSE
YET.

7. Connect the generator to the computer and open the configuration file for your generator (emd
file saved in step 1).

8. In the Epsilon PC Tools menu bar, select View/Options to invoke the Options configuration
screen. Select the “Multi-Energy” box (;) and click on “Apply” button to enable the Basic
Multi-Energy functionality (Figure 2, next page).

9. Perform a compatibility check. The message “Options OK” should display in the left down
corner of PC Tools window.

10. In the menu bar, select View/Tube to invoke the Tube Selection menu. Verify that the tube
data corresponds exactly to your tube setup.

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Basic Multi-Energy Instruction Guide Epsilon & Epsilon ETA Generators

The appearance of this screen could vary as a function of the generator configuration.
Figure 2 – Options Configuration Screen.

11. If everything is correct, save the new emd file on the computer.
Double-click on the "Connection status" icon (bottom right-hand corner) of PC Tools until the
connection status icon toggles to “Monitor/Transfer”. Send the emd file to the generator.

12. Before exposing with the generator, perform a new tube calibration. This step is mandatory after
a firmware update. Note also that the tube calibration has been improved with the following
modifications:
a. On a cold X-ray tube, the generator performs an automatic tube warm up session prior to
calibration. The anode is heated to 5% HU, automatically.
b. Then the system performs a kV sweep (several steps from 40 to 110 kV) at fixed filament
values to determine the appropriate mA for every specific kV value.
c. A complete small & large filament calibration is performed in approximately 90 seconds.

At the end of the x-ray tube calibration, the system is ready to make exposure with the new basic
multi-energy functionality. Refer to the next section for a short primer.

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3 FUNCTIONAL SPECIFICATIONS

Normally, performing consecutive exposures at different parameters (kV, mA) requires having the
generator going back to idle mode in order to change those parameters. With the basic multi-energy
functionality and CON2 serial protocol, the Epsilon generator will respond to any change of the kV
or of the mA (or both) during a single exposure or in-between x-ray pulses of a RAD sequence. The
functionality is described below.
1. A message (RAD-3 message) is sent to the generator that includes kV, mA, and exposure time
parameters for the current RAD exam (see a, b, c below).
a. kV in steps of 1 kV.
b. mA in steps of 100μA.
c. Exposure time in steps of 1ms, instead or regular R-20 values in standard exposure
modes.

No
tes
Refer to the emd’s serial protocol document P/N 11050.008.G8, Section 4.5, for
information on RAD-3 message.

It is possible to select the exact mA and exposure time desired. No mAs value is included in the
coded message; the Epsilon generator calculates a BUmAs equal to about 1.4 times the mA-time
product.

2. The above message received by the generator will be accepted if and only if the generator is in
IDLE state. Reception of a valid message places the generator in the multi-energy exposure
mode.
Any one of the following events causes the generator to exit the multi-energy exposure mode.
a. Reception of a CON2 RAD exam.
b. Reception of a CON2 Cardiac exam (on EPS CV generator configurations only).
c. Reception of any exam from the EMD operator console.

3. Another message can then be sent to the generator, hereafter referred as RAD-Δ message, to
enable the Multi-Energy exposure. The message consists of only three bytes of data, kV and
mA. The scale factors for kV and mA are identical to those used in the RAD-3 message, steps
of 1kV and 100μA. The RAD-Δ message is ignored unless:
a. The generator is in the multi-energy exposure mode.
b. The values of both mA and kV are lower than the multi-energy RAD-3 message values.
c. The kV value is no more than 25 kV above the current kV value (kV cannot be increased
by more than 25 kV in order to protect the x-ray tube, and limit the power increase from
one exposure to the consecutive).

No
tes
Refer to the emd’s serial protocol document P/N 11050.008.G8, Section 4.6, for
information on RAD-Δ message.

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4. Valid RAD-Δ messages are accepted regardless of the generator state (Idle, Prep, Ready, Run).
The kV and mA values, if valid, are applied as soon as received, between exposures or during
an exposure.

5. If the generator is in Idle state when a RAD-Δ message is received, the generator recalculates
BUT (Back up time) and BUmAs (backup current-time product) and uses the tube calibration
table to find filament current.
If the generator is not in Idle state, BUT and BUmAs are not recalculated and filament current
is corrected by the real time closed loop. Under certain circumstances (high mA and large
positive changes in kV), the generator will make immediate small corrections to the filament
current.

End of document

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