EP0063190B1 - Mikrofokus-Röntgenröhre - Google Patents

Mikrofokus-Röntgenröhre Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0063190B1
EP0063190B1 EP81301744A EP81301744A EP0063190B1 EP 0063190 B1 EP0063190 B1 EP 0063190B1 EP 81301744 A EP81301744 A EP 81301744A EP 81301744 A EP81301744 A EP 81301744A EP 0063190 B1 EP0063190 B1 EP 0063190B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
ray tube
target anode
electron beam
microfocus
rays
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired
Application number
EP81301744A
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English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0063190A1 (de
Inventor
Robert S. Ledley
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Individual
Original Assignee
Individual
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Priority to AT81301744T priority Critical patent/ATE14953T1/de
Priority to EP81301744A priority patent/EP0063190B1/de
Priority to DE8181301744T priority patent/DE3171782D1/de
Publication of EP0063190A1 publication Critical patent/EP0063190A1/de
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0063190B1 publication Critical patent/EP0063190B1/de
Expired legal-status Critical Current

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    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
    • H01J35/00—X-ray tubes
    • H01J35/24—Tubes wherein the point of impact of the cathode ray on the anode or anticathode is movable relative to the surface thereof
    • H01J35/28—Tubes wherein the point of impact of the cathode ray on the anode or anticathode is movable relative to the surface thereof by vibration, oscillation, reciprocation, or swash-plate motion of the anode or anticathode
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H05G—X-RAY TECHNIQUE
    • H05G1/00—X-ray apparatus involving X-ray tubes; Circuits therefor
    • H05G1/08—Electrical details
    • H05G1/66—Circuit arrangements for X-ray tubes with target movable relatively to the anode

Definitions

  • This invention relates to microfocus X-ray tubes such as are used to take medical X-rays.
  • the electron beam is focused on an extremely small point on the target, which has the medical advantage that the X-ray silhouette is very clear and crisp.
  • the highly dense, small spot of electrons quickly melts the target no matter what kind of cooling device is used, and therefore either the X-ray target is consumed in one use or fewer electrons are used in the beam than would otherwise be desirable.
  • it is highly desirable in medical X-rayworkto use an extremely short exposure time so that the motion of the patient or of the patient's inside organs does not smear the picture.
  • the exposure time must be relatively long to get enough X-rays to form the picture because the rate of X-ray production is so small.
  • the target anode may be in the form of a ribbon.
  • X-ray tubes of the type used in taking medical X-rays are known in which similarly elaborate devices are employed to bring a cooling fluid into thermal contact with the target anode during impingement of the electron beam.
  • the cooling fluid may, for example, be water or air.
  • U.S. patent no. 3,290,540 discloses an electron discharge tube having a movable cathode tape.
  • the tape serves as an emissive element, and the tape can be incremented after it has become pitted from use.
  • the pitting of an emissive cathode from use is very different, both physically and conceptually, from the melting of a portion of a target anode due to the impingement of an electron beam.
  • the presently preferred embodiment of the subject invention comprises a conventional evacuated glass envelope 10 and a high voltage line 12, filament current wires 14, a heater cathode 16, and an electron beam collimator 18 which together constitute means for producing a dense, narrow electron beam 20.
  • the subject X-ray tube preferably has a target anode in the form of a ribbon 22 trained around two spools 24 mounted within the X-ray tube on bracket 26.
  • the ribbon 22 is preferably made of tungsten, but in any event the working surface of the ribbon 22 is made of a single anode material.
  • a stepping motor 28 which is operatively connected to the spools 24 via a drive belt 30. Power for the motor 28 is supplied by motor wires 32, and the motor 28 and the target anode 22 are grounded by ground wire 34.
  • the roughened portions of the ribbon 22 caused by impingement of the electron beam 20 are, of course, greatly exaggerated in size for clarity.
  • the roughened portions are approximately 50 microns in diameter, and their center-to-center distance (i.e., the amount by which the stepping motor 28 increments the ribbon 22 each time it is actuated) is approximately 100 microns.
  • activation of the heater cathode 16 and the motor 28 is coordinated so that the ribbon 22 is stationary during production of X-rays 36, but a fresh portion of the surface of the ribbon 22 is presented to the electron beam 20 each time the X-ray tube is used.
  • Each use of the X-ray tube therefore melts at least the surface portion of the spot on the ribbon 22 on which the electron beam 20 is focused, but the ribbon 22 is then moved on by a short distance, much in the fashion of a typewriter ribbon, before the X-ray tube is used again.
  • FIG. 2 shows in schematic form exemplary means for coordinating the electron producing means and the ribbon advancing means.
  • Such means comprises three ganged switches 38, 40, and 42 and three circuits, one of which is controlled by each of the switches.
  • the ganged switches may be operated simultaneously by a single push button (not shown).
  • One of the three circuits comprises a voltage source 44, the switch 42, and the filament current wires 14.
  • Another of the three circuits comprises a high voltage generator 46 grounded at 48, the switch 40, and the high voltage line 12. Since these circuits are conventional, they will not be described further.
  • the third circuit is not conventional, for it is the circuit which coordinates the first two circuits and the stepping motor 28. It comprises the switch 38, a battery 50 (which may be the same as battery 44), a timer 52, which may for instance be a two second timer, a pulse generator 54, a driver card 56, and motor wires 32.
  • Activation of the ganged switches 40 and 42 causes generation of an electron beam lasting less than 1/10 of a second in the conventional manner.
  • Simultaneously actuation of the switch 38 actuates the two-second timer 52.
  • the pulse generator 54 emits a pulse which actuates the driver card 56, and the driver card 56 causes the stepping motor 28 to increment.
  • the increment of the stepping motor 28 may, for instance, be 1.8°, and the spools 24 and the take-off spool connected to the stepping motor 28 are sized so that a 1.8° increment of the stepping motor causes the ribbon 22 to advance by approximately 100 microns. Since the time elapse between X-rays is much more than two second, the illustrated apparatus insures that a fresh portion of the surface of the ribbon 22 is presented to the electron beam upon each actuation of the beam.
  • the target anode may take on shapes other than the illustrated ribbon shape. It may, for instance, be in the shape of a wheel or a cone. No matter what its shape, however, the common feature of the invention is that the target is moved intermittently to present a new target area for each shot, but remains stationary during each shot.
  • a particular advantage of the subject invention is that it is reusable, yet it generates a relatively large number of X-rays in a relatively short period of time from a narrowly focused electron beam.
  • Another advantage of the subject invention is that it-produces X-ray silhouettes which are very clear and crisp.
  • the X-ray silhouettes are made in a short time exposure, motion of the patient's organs does not smear the picture.

Landscapes

  • X-Ray Techniques (AREA)
  • Image-Pickup Tubes, Image-Amplification Tubes, And Storage Tubes (AREA)

Claims (10)

1. Eine Mikrofokus-Röntgenröhre mit:
(a) einem Apparat (16, 18) zum Erzeugen eines dichten, schmalen Elektronenstrahls und
(b) einer Auftreffanode (22), wobei
die Röntgenröhre außerdem einen Apparat (22, 28) aufweist, um die Auftreffanode (22) so zu bewegen, daß diese während der Erzeugung von Röntgenstrahlen still steht, daß aber ein frischer Abschnitt der Oberfläche der Auftreffanode dem Elektronenstrahl jedesmal dargeboten wird, sooft die Röntgenröhre benutzt wird, so daß
eine verhältnismäßig große Anzahl von Röntgenstrahlen in einer verhältnismäßig kurzen Zeitperiode unter Verwendung eines schmal fokussierten Elektronenstrahls erzeugt werden kann, ohne die Röntgenröhre zu zerstören.
2. Mikrofokus-Röntgenröhre nach Anspruch 1, bei der die Auftreffanode in der Form eines Bandes (22) ausgebildet ist.
3. Mikrofokus-Röntgenröhre nach Anspruch 2, bei der die Auftreffanode aus Wolfram gefertigt ist.
4. Mikrofokus-Röntgenröhre nach Anspruch 2, bei der die Auftreffanode um zwei Rollen (24) geführt ist, die innerhalb der Röntgenröhre angeordnet sind.
5. Mikrofokus-Röntgenröhre nach Anspruch 4, bei der der Apparat (22, 28) einen Motor (28) aufweist, der innerhalb der Röntgenröhre angeordnet und wirkungsmäßig mit zumindest einer der Rollen (24) verbunden ist, um die Rolle anzutreiben und das Anodenband zu bewegen.
6. Mikrofokus-Röntgenröhre für medizinische Röntgenaufnahmen mit:
(a) einem Apparat (16, 18) zum Erzeugen eines dichten, schmalen Elektronenstrahls und
(b) einer Auftreffanode (22); wobei
ein Apparat (24, 28) zum Bewegen der Auftreffanode (22) innerhalb der Röntgenröhre angeordnet ist; und wobei
ein Apparat (52, 54, 56) zum Koordinieren des ersten Apparats zum Erzeugen des Elektronenstrahls und des Apparates zum Bewegen des Auftreffzieles vorhanden ist, derart, daß die Auftreffanode (22) während der Erzeugung von Röntgenstrahlen im Stillstand ist und ein frischer Abschnitt der Oberfläche der Auftreffanode dem Elektronenstrahl jedesmal dargeboten wird, wenn die Röntgenröhre benutzt wird,
so daß eine verhältnismäßig große Anzahl von Röntgenstrahlen in einer verhältnismäßig kurzen Zeitperiode erzeugt werden kann unter Benutzung eines schmal fokussierten Elektronenstrahls, ohne die Brauchbarkeit der Röntgenröhre zu zerstören.
7. Mikrofokus-Röntgenröhre nach Anspruch 6, bei der die Auftreffanode die Form eines Bandes hat, das auf Rollen gewickelt ist.
8. Mikrofokus-Röntgenröhre nach Anspruch 7, bei der die Auftreffanode aus Wolfram gefertigt ist.
9. Verfahren zum Erzeugen einer verhältnismäßig großen Anzahl von Röntgenstrahlen in einer verhältnismäßig kurzen Zeitperiode unter Verwendung einer mehrmals benutzbaren Mikrofokus-Röntgenröhre mit einem Apparat (16, 18) zum Erzeugen eines dichten, schmalen Elektronenstrahls und einer Auftreffanode (22),
einschließlich des folgenden Verfahrensschrittes:
Bewegen der Auftreffanode (22) derart, daß sie während des Erzeugens eines Röntgenstrahls still steht, daß jedoch eine frischer Abschnitt der Oberfläche der Auftreffanode dem Elektronenstrahl jedesmal dargeboten wird, sooft die Röntgenröhre benutzt wird.
10. Verfahren nach Anspruch 9, bei dem die Auftreffanode zwischen den Benutzungen der Röntgenröhre eine kurze Strecke bewegt wird, so daß die benutzten Abschnitte der Auftreffanode einander eng benachbart sind.
EP81301744A 1981-04-21 1981-04-21 Mikrofokus-Röntgenröhre Expired EP0063190B1 (de)

Priority Applications (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
AT81301744T ATE14953T1 (de) 1981-04-21 1981-04-21 Mikrofokus-roentgenroehre.
EP81301744A EP0063190B1 (de) 1981-04-21 1981-04-21 Mikrofokus-Röntgenröhre
DE8181301744T DE3171782D1 (en) 1981-04-21 1981-04-21 Microfocus x-ray tube

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP81301744A EP0063190B1 (de) 1981-04-21 1981-04-21 Mikrofokus-Röntgenröhre

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0063190A1 EP0063190A1 (de) 1982-10-27
EP0063190B1 true EP0063190B1 (de) 1985-08-14

Family

ID=8188281

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP81301744A Expired EP0063190B1 (de) 1981-04-21 1981-04-21 Mikrofokus-Röntgenröhre

Country Status (3)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0063190B1 (de)
AT (1) ATE14953T1 (de)
DE (1) DE3171782D1 (de)

Families Citing this family (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4700371A (en) * 1984-11-08 1987-10-13 Hampshire Instruments, Inc. Long life x-ray source target
WO2013185827A1 (de) 2012-06-14 2013-12-19 Siemens Aktiengesellschaft Röntgenstrahlungsquelle, verfahren zum erzeugen von röntgenstrahlung sowie verwendung einer monochromatischen röntgenstrahlung aussendenden röntgenstrahlungsquelle
US9237872B2 (en) * 2013-01-18 2016-01-19 General Electric Company X-ray source with moving anode or cathode

Family Cites Families (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3290540A (en) * 1964-04-16 1966-12-06 Westinghouse Electric Corp Electron discharge tube having a movable cathode tape
NL6912349A (de) * 1968-08-17 1970-02-19
NL7115946A (de) * 1971-11-19 1973-05-22
US3753020A (en) * 1971-11-26 1973-08-14 Philips Electronics And Pharm Multi-anode x-ray tube
DE2204773A1 (de) * 1972-02-02 1973-08-09 Einighammer Verfahren zur leistungssteigerung von roentgenroehren sowie vorrichtung zur durchfuehrung des verfahrens
US3925660A (en) * 1972-05-08 1975-12-09 Richard D Albert Selectable wavelength X-ray source, spectrometer and assay method
NL7406496A (nl) * 1974-05-15 1975-11-18 Philips Nv Werkwijze voor het vervaardigen van een anode voor een roentgenbuis alsmede anode vervaardigd met de werkwijze.

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP0063190A1 (de) 1982-10-27
DE3171782D1 (en) 1985-09-19
ATE14953T1 (de) 1985-08-15

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