Abstract:
A monochromatic X-ray radiation source includes an anode for producing X-ray radiation, a target enclosed by the anode for converting X-ray radiation into fluorescence radiation and a screen located between the target and the anode for screen the target from electrons. A higher output of fluorescence radiation is attained in that the screen comprises an element having an atomic number greater than 50, for example, tungsten or tantalum.
Abstract:
An X-ray source with a cathode formed as a cylindrical electrode having a hollow central anode tube on its axis, with a grid surrounding the anode and interposed between the anode and cathode. The central anode tube is hollow and filled with a working medium. A high negative voltage is applied to the cathode, but the flow of electrons to the anode is blocked by the grid which is held near cathode potential. After a space charge is created at the grid by electrons from the cathode, a very short pulse to ground is applied to one end of the grid, yielding a relativistic wave of potential which propagates along the axial length of the grid. This wave of potential releases the electrons from the cathode, which flow directly to the anode. The impingement of the electrons on the tubular anode produces X-rays from the interior surface of the anode tube. These X-rays, together with the impinging electrons, pump the working medium along the length of the anode, causing a population inversion leading to the release of coherent X-rays in a wave synchronized with the propagating grid potential which exits the structure at the far end of the anode. The X-ray source may consist of identical units coupled together in series to provide a high power X-ray beam, and may be configured in other than cylindrical shapes depending on the output desired.
Abstract:
A cathode cup structure for a high voltage x-ray tube having a base formed of a weldable material and an exposed upper surface of a non-weldable material bonded to the base. The upper surface may be machined from a block of graphite to form an appropriate cathode cup structure configuration and then bonded to a base formed of TZM using a platinum brazing compound. The graphite upper surface may be coated with pyroltic carbon to reduce dust or alternatively, may be formed of a composition of silicon carbide graphite to minimize dusting problems. The graphite composition of the upper section of the cathode cup minimizes the risk of welding of an electron emissive filament passing through the cup structure.
Abstract:
An X-ray tube has a wide area cold cathode with a graphite felt surface which faces and is spaced from a wide area anode of high atomic number material. A grid is interposed between the two and the anode, grid and cathode are enclosed in an envelope which is filled with gas at a low pressure. The graphite surface of the cathode is connected to a relatively high negative potential so that electrons are emitted from the entire surface area and impinge upon the anode, after triggering by the grid. The distribution of the energy of photons emitted from the anode is relatively constant during the ignition period of the tube. An extremely wide area X-ray source is then defined having constant bremstrahlung content which enables good gray scale measurements when employing the X-ray source. A pinhole collimator disposed externally of the tube ensures collimation of the output X-ray field. A polarized electron beam is used as a collimator in place of the pinhole collimator, in a preferred embodiment, to produce a collimated, wide area X-ray flux. The cathode, grid and anode structure can have any desired size or shape. The X-ray source can be flat and sized to illuminate a chest X-ray film or can be arcuate to at least partly wrap around the subject to be exposed to the X-rays. Arcuate X-ray sources can be linked end to end and scanned sequentially to define an X-ray source for use in Computer Axial Tomography (CAT) scan type applications. The same computer algorithm used for conventional CAT scan analysis can be used.
Abstract:
In an illustrated embodiment, the fan-shaped x-ray beam is rotated by electronic switching and a detector ring is gimbaled so that only the desired sector thereof intercepts the beam. A collimator ring may be rotated in step with the beam and have a pin and slot coupling with the detector ring to control the swiveling thereof.
Abstract:
The invention relates to an X-ray tube in which the anode and the cathode are accommodated in two parallel adjacent envelopes which are interconnected by a tubular member through which the electron beam passes. At high voltage (300 kV and higher) the direction of the electron beam and the direction of the maximum of the X-rays are inclined at an obtuse angle to one another. Thus the electrons impinge on the target nearly at grazing incidence. Even at slight deviation of the relative positions of the anode and cathode envelopes from the prescribed positions the focal spot is greatly shifted. According to the invention the two envelopes are relatively movable, causing substantially a deformation of the coupling member only which is capable of deformation owing to the use of an appropriate construction and/or a suitable material.