Patent ID: 8526571

Claim:
An imaging system, comprising: a stationary gantry; a rotating gantry that rotates around an examination region about a z-axis; an air bearing that rotatably couples the rotating gantry to the stationary gantry; a radiation source affixed to the rotating gantry, wherein the radiation source rotates with the rotating gantry and emits radiation that traverses the examination region; a detector array affixed to the rotating gantry on an opposite side of the examination region with respect to the radiation source, wherein the detector array detects radiation traversing the examination region; a balance mass affixed to the rotating gantry; a dynamic z-axis imbalance determination system that determines an imbalance of the rotating gantry in the z-axis direction directly from the air bearing, wherein the determination system uses the determined imbalance to position a balance mass affixed to the rotating gantry in the z-axis direction, thereby balancing the rotating gantry along the z-axis; a bearing block pad; a vibrational load measurement device; and a mounting bracket, wherein the mounting bracket is affixed to the stationary gantry, the vibrational load measurement device is affixed to the mounting bracket, the bearing block pad is affixed to the vibrational load measurement device, and the bearing block is affixed to the bearing block pad.