Patent ID: 6997609

Claim:
A method for cooling an x-ray tube in a computerized tomography system comprising the steps of: providing a gantry that is rotated about a gantry axis, said gantry comprising an x-ray tube mounted on the gantry, said x-ray tube having a x-ray tube axis; providing a heat exchanger for removing heat generated by the x-ray tube, said heat exchanger comprising at least one cooling passage for receiving a coolant for cooling said x-ray tube and being formed to define a tubular passageway having a heat exchanger axis, a first open area and a second open area; situating a first axial fan having a first fan axis at said first open area and a second axial fan having a second fan axis at said second open area to cause air to be forced axially through said first and second axial fans and then through said heat exchanger to cool said x-ray tube; and mounting the heat exchanger on said gantry so that said gantry axis, said first fan axis and said second fan axis are generally parallel.