CT scanner bed materials need to meet strict physical, mechanical and imaging performance requirements to ensure patient safety, imaging quality and equipment durability.
- Low attenuation: The material must be highly transparent to X-rays to avoid artifacts (such as streaks, shadows).
- Uniformity: The density must be uniform to prevent local uneven imaging.
- Load-bearing capacity: It must support the patient’s weight (usually ≥200kg) without bending or sinking.
- Fatigue resistance: No deformation after long-term use.
- Lightweight: Excessive weight of the bed will affect the life of the motor drive system, especially for mobile CT scanners.
- Temperature stability: The material should maintain stable performance within the CT room temperature range (such as 10°C–40°C) to avoid thermal expansion and contraction deformation.
Using PMI foam (polymethacrylimide foam) as the core material of the CT scanner bed is a high-performance solution.
Excellent radiotransmittance
PMI foam has a uniform cell structure and extremely low X-ray attenuation, reducing CT imaging artifacts.
High specific strength and rigidity
High compressive strength (up to 5 MPa or more) and modulus, with better load-bearing performance than ordinary foam.
Thermal stability and chemical resistance
Continuous operating temperature can reach 180°C (higher in the short term), suitable for disinfection processes (such as alcohol wiping, UV irradiation).
Lightweight
Density is 30–200 kg/m³, which reduces the overall weight of the bed board and reduces the motor load.
CT bed design recommendations
PMI foam sandwich composite structure
- Core layer: PMI foam (density ≥110 kg/m³).
- Reinforcement layer: pre-impregnated carbon fiber or glass fiber (0.5–1 mm thick).
- Surface coating: medical polyurethane film.
