X-ray irradiator

Abstract

The invention discloses an X-ray irradiator which comprises a support and a control system, a high-voltage generator, a ray tube assembly, a cooling system and a self-shielding irradiation chamber which are installed on the support, the high-voltage generator is connected with the ray tube assembly, the cooling system is used for cooling the ray tube assembly, and the ray tube assembly is installed above the self-shielding irradiation chamber. A ray outlet of the ray tube assembly is aligned with a ray inlet in the upper wall of the self-shielding irradiation chamber, and a conical collimator and a flattening device are arranged at the ray outlet. Through the arrangement of the conical collimator and the flattening device, scattered rays are effectively shielded, meanwhile, the range of electron radiation can be limited so as to protect the outside of a target area from being irradiated, the energy spectrum distribution of X rays is improved, main beam attenuation is reduced, most of stray rays are filtered, the dose is relatively flat in an irradiation area, the dose uniformity is good, and the radiation efficiency is improved. When X-rays are used for irradiation, the radiation dose can be controlled, and better dose uniformity is provided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of irradiators, in particular to an X-ray irradiator. Background Art

[0002] A biological irradiator irradiates organisms with high-energy, ionizing radiation over a predetermined time period, generating ionization and excitation, releasing orbital electrons, and forming free radicals. This in turn produces biological effects or causes irreversible damage and destruction to the organism, achieving biological objectives. It is primarily used in the fields of immunology, oncology, feeder cell irradiation, DNA damage research, radiation medicine and prevention, vaccine inactivation, and radiation mutagenesis.

[0003] Furthermore, biological X-ray irradiators are a type of laboratory equipment developed in recent years. They primarily irradiate cells or small animals, and are therefore used in a variety of biological irradiation studies, including stem cell research, DNA damage, cell cycles, cell culture, blood product irradiation, tumors, signal transduction, gene therapy, radiobiology, and drug development. Compared to gamma-ray biological irradiators, they offer advantages such as increased safety, ease of use, compatibility with standard laboratory environments, and the availability of casters for easy relocation and mobility. In scientific research, they are often used to replace traditional gamma-ray biological irradiators. However, existing X-ray irradiators suffer from uneven irradiation doses, excessive weight, and insufficient irradiation safety measures.

[0004] Therefore, how to provide an X-ray irradiator with uniform irradiation dose is a technical problem that those skilled in the art currently need to solve. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of the present invention is to provide an X-ray irradiator, which improves the energy spectrum distribution of X-rays by setting a conical collimator and a uniformizer, reduces the attenuation of the main beam, filters most of the stray rays, and makes the dose relatively flat in the irradiation area and has good dose uniformity.

[0006] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present invention provides an X-ray irradiator, including a bracket and a control system installed on the bracket, a high-voltage generator, a ray tube assembly, a cooling system and a self-shielded irradiation chamber, the high-voltage generator is connected to the ray tube assembly, the cooling system is used to cool the ray tube assembly, the ray tube assembly is installed above the self-shielded irradiation chamber, and the ray outlet of the ray tube assembly is aligned with the ray inlet on the upper wall of the self-shielded irradiation chamber, and a conical collimator and a uniformizer are provided at the ray outlet.

[0007] Preferably, a mounting frame is installed on the lower side of the upper wall of the self-shielding irradiation chamber, and a filter is installed on the mounting frame, and the filter blocks the lower end opening of the ray inlet.

[0008] Preferably, the ray tube assembly includes a shielding shell assembly and an X-ray tube and a high-voltage cable installed inside the shielding shell assembly. The X-ray tube is connected to the high-voltage generator through the high-voltage cable, and the lower wall of the shielding shell assembly is tightly connected to the upper wall of the self-shielding irradiation chamber.

[0009] Preferably, a protective door is provided on the front of the self-shielding irradiation chamber, and a door interlocking device for controlling the opening and closing of the protective door is installed on the self-shielding irradiation chamber.

[0010] Preferably, a plurality of placement board slots arranged in sequence from top to bottom are provided on the inner wall of the self-shielding irradiation chamber, and the edges of the placement boards are snapped into the placement board slots at different heights to adjust the height of the placement boards.

[0011] Preferably, the high voltage generator is arranged at the lower part of the bracket, the control system, the self-shielded irradiation chamber and the cooling system are arranged at the middle part of the bracket, and the ray tube assembly is arranged at the upper part of the bracket.

[0012] Preferably, a shell is provided outside the bracket.

[0013] Preferably, a radiation leakage detection system connected to the control system is provided outside the self-shielded irradiation chamber.

[0014] Preferably, the radiation leakage detection system comprises a Geiger counter and a control module, and interacts with the control system via serial communication.

[0015] Preferably, the cooling system is equipped with a multiple interlocking protection device for detecting water level, flow, water temperature and power supply, the multiple interlocking protection device is integrated with the control system, and the control system is interlocked with the high-voltage generator.

[0016] The present invention provides an X-ray irradiator, comprising a bracket and a control system mounted on the bracket, a high-voltage generator, a ray tube assembly, a cooling system, and a self-shielded irradiation chamber, wherein the high-voltage generator is connected to the ray tube assembly, the cooling system is used to cool the ray tube assembly, the ray tube assembly is mounted above the self-shielded irradiation chamber, and the ray outlet of the ray tube assembly is aligned with the ray inlet on the upper wall of the self-shielded irradiation chamber, and a conical collimator and a homogenizer are provided at the ray outlet. By providing the conical collimator and the homogenizer, scattered rays are effectively shielded, and the range of electron radiation can be limited to protect areas outside the target area from irradiation, thereby improving the energy spectrum distribution of the X-rays, reducing the attenuation of the main beam, filtering out most of the stray scattered rays, making the dose relatively flat in the irradiation area, and having good dose uniformity. When the X-rays are irradiated, the radiation dose can be controlled, providing better dose uniformity. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the internal structure of a specific embodiment of the X-ray irradiator provided by the present invention;

[0018] Figure 2 A schematic top view of a ray tube assembly in a specific embodiment of the X-ray irradiator provided by the present invention;

[0019] Figure 3 A side cross-sectional view of a ray tube assembly in a specific embodiment of the X-ray irradiator provided by the present invention;

[0020] Figure 4 A partial enlarged view of a ray tube assembly in a specific embodiment of the X-ray irradiator provided by the present invention;

[0021] Figure 5 This is a schematic structural diagram of a filter in a specific embodiment of the X-ray irradiator provided by the present invention;

[0022] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the external structure of a specific embodiment of the X-ray irradiator provided by the present invention.

[0023] Among them, the bracket 1, control system 2, high-voltage generator 3, tube assembly 4, cooling system 5, self-shielded irradiation chamber 6, conical collimator 7, homogenizer 8, mounting frame 9, filter 10, shielding shell assembly 11, X-ray tube 12, high-voltage cable 13, protective door 14, door interlock device 15, storage board slot 16, outer shell 17, and radiation leakage detection system 18. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] The core of the present invention is to provide an X-ray irradiator, which improves the energy spectrum distribution of X-rays by setting a conical collimator and a homogenizer, reduces the attenuation of the main beam, filters out most of the stray rays, and makes the dose relatively flat in the irradiation area with good dose uniformity.

[0025] In order to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present invention, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific implementation methods.

[0026] Please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of a specific embodiment of the X-ray irradiator provided by the present invention.

[0027] A specific embodiment of the present invention provides an X-ray irradiator, comprising a support 1, a control system 2 mounted on the support 1, a high-voltage generator 3, a tube assembly 4, a cooling system 5, and a self-shielded irradiation chamber 6. The support 1 supports the various components. The high-voltage generator 3 is connected to the tube assembly 4, providing high voltage to the tube assembly 4, causing it to emit X-rays. The tube assembly 4 is mounted above the self-shielded irradiation chamber 6, with the radiation outlet of the tube assembly 4 aligned with the radiation inlet on the upper wall of the self-shielded irradiation chamber 6. The tube assembly 4 emits X-rays into the self-shielded irradiation chamber 6 to irradiate biological materials within the self-shielded irradiation chamber 6. Furthermore, the cooling system 5 cools the tube assembly 4 to ensure stable operation. A conical collimator 7 and a flattener 8 are provided at the radiation outlet. The tube assembly 4 and the self-shielded irradiation chamber 6 are fixed together by screws, with a conical hole designed between them to allow the passage of X-rays and align their centers.

[0028] Specifically, a high-voltage generator 3 generates high voltage, which acts on the X-ray tube assembly 4 via a high-voltage cable 13, generating X-rays for irradiating small animals, cells, and the like. A cooling system 5 is connected to the X-ray tube assembly 4 to cool it down and maintain the device's normal operating temperature. A conical collimator 7, designed with a conical structure and made of high-density shielding material, effectively shields scattered radiation and limits the range of electron radiation to protect areas outside the target area from irradiation. A leveler 8 is installed below the conical collimator 7. Leveler 8 is made of low-density metal, such as copper. The multi-stage conical leveler design is implemented using Monte Carlo calculations and data fitting methods to improve the X-ray energy spectrum distribution, reducing main beam attenuation and filtering out most stray radiation. This results in a relatively flat dose across the irradiated area and excellent dose uniformity. The control system 2 incorporates kV-level X-ray dose control technology, monitoring and optimizing the entire radiation process through circuit control, ensuring accurate radiation output.

[0029] The tapered collimator 7 and flattener 8 effectively shield scattered radiation, limiting the range of electron radiation to protect areas outside the target area from irradiation. This improves the X-ray energy spectrum, reduces main beam attenuation, and filters out most stray radiation. The dose is relatively flat across the irradiated area, resulting in excellent dose uniformity. This allows for controllable X-ray dose during irradiation, providing enhanced dose uniformity. The artificial electronic high-voltage device generates radiation to irradiate small animals and cells. When not in operation, radiation is absent. When in operation, radiation protection is excellent, close to the natural background, effectively protecting operators and avoiding the potential accumulation of radiation doses from long-term use. Furthermore, the device does not require a dedicated machine room or dedicated personnel.

[0030] Please refer to Figures 2 to 5 , Figure 2A schematic top view of a ray tube assembly in a specific embodiment of the X-ray irradiator provided by the present invention; Figure 3 A side cross-sectional view of a ray tube assembly in a specific embodiment of the X-ray irradiator provided by the present invention; Figure 4 A partial enlarged view of a ray tube assembly in a specific embodiment of the X-ray irradiator provided by the present invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic structural diagram of a filter in a specific embodiment of the X-ray irradiator provided by the present invention.

[0031] In the X-ray irradiator provided in a specific embodiment of the present invention, a mounting bracket 9 is installed on the lower side of the upper wall of the self-shielded irradiation chamber 6, and a filter 10 is installed on the mounting bracket 9. The filter 10 blocks the lower opening of the ray inlet. The filter 10 is made of low-density metal, such as copper or titanium, and is designed with different thicknesses. It also effectively filters the rays by utilizing different metal properties and metal thicknesses. It cooperates with the equalizer 8 to even out the rays, achieving precise ray irradiation. The kV-level ray evenness technology achieves even X-rays through the conical collimator 7, the equalizer 8, and the filtering device, so that the irradiation dose reaches the effect of clinical application.

[0032] Specifically, the tube assembly 4 includes a shielding housing assembly 11, an X-ray tube 12 and a high-voltage cable 13 mounted within the shielding housing assembly 11. The X-ray tube 12 is connected to the high-voltage generator 3 via the high-voltage cable 13. The lower wall of the shielding housing assembly 11 is tightly connected to the upper wall of the self-shielded irradiation chamber 6. A protective door 14 is provided on the front of the self-shielded irradiation chamber 6, and a door interlock device 15 is installed on the self-shielded irradiation chamber 6 to control the opening and closing of the protective door 14. The shielding housing assembly 11, the self-shielded irradiation chamber 6, and the protective door 14 are all cast from high-density shielding material, effectively shielding the radiation and preventing radiation leakage.

[0033] Preferably, the inner wall of the self-shielded irradiation chamber 6 is provided with multiple slots 16 arranged sequentially from top to bottom. The edges of the storage panels snap into slots 16 at different heights to adjust the height of the panels. The panels are used to hold animals and cells to be irradiated. The slots 16 are designed at different heights based on the intensity of the radiation, allowing for different levels to be selected based on the irradiated objects.

[0034] In the X-ray irradiator provided in a specific embodiment of the present invention, the support 1 is a rectangular parallelepiped frame, forming a cabinet structure. The high-voltage generator 3 is disposed at the bottom of the support 1, the control system 2, the self-shielded irradiation chamber 6, and the cooling system 5 are disposed in the middle of the support 1, and the tube assembly 4 is disposed at the top of the support 1. The positions of the various components may be adjusted as appropriate, and all such adjustments are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0035] Please refer to Figure 6 , Figure 6 The figure is a schematic diagram of the external structure of a specific embodiment of the X-ray irradiator provided by the present invention.

[0036] Specifically, a housing 17 is provided outside the bracket 1. The control system 2 is installed on the housing 17 and the bracket 1 and includes a control computer, an electrical control cabinet, etc. It controls the entire irradiation process by computer, displays relevant information such as irradiation time and irradiation dose in real time, and has an external network interface for transmitting and printing irradiation data via the network.

[0037] Based on the X-ray irradiators provided in the aforementioned embodiments, a radiation leakage detection system 18 connected to the control system 2 is provided outside the self-shielded irradiation chamber 6. Specifically, the radiation leakage detection system 18 includes a Geiger counter and a control module, which interacts with the control system 2 via serial communication to display and detect the dose leakage rate in the environment in real time, ensuring user safety.

[0038] The cooling system 5 is equipped with a multiple interlocking protection device for detecting water level, flow, water temperature and power supply. The multiple interlocking protection device is integrated with the control system 2 , and the control system 2 is interlocked with the high-voltage generator 3 .

[0039] Specifically, a protective door 14 is installed on the self-shielded irradiation chamber 6. A door interlock 15 is installed above the self-shielded irradiation chamber 6. This door interlock 15 comprises two independently controlled door lock control elements. Control system 2 controls the opening and closing of the electronic access control in door interlock 15 to open or close the protective door 14. If the door is opened during irradiation, beam emission is halted, ensuring personnel safety. A radiation leakage detection system 18 is installed on one side of the self-shielded irradiation chamber 6. This system also detects residual radiation in the environment and automatically emits beams if a threshold is exceeded, ensuring personnel safety. The cooling system 5 is equipped with multiple interlock protection devices, including water level, water flow, water temperature, and water power supply. These are integrated with control system 2. If a problem occurs in the cooling system 5, beam emission is halted, ensuring safe operation of the equipment. Similarly, through the electrical design of control system 2, the interlock signals of the cooling system 5, radiation leakage detection system 18, and door interlock 15 are directly interlocked with the high-voltage generator 3, ensuring the stability of the X-ray tube 12, the core component of the equipment.

[0040] The above is a detailed introduction to the X-ray irradiator provided by the present invention. Specific examples are used herein to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of the present invention. The description of the above embodiments is only intended to help understand the method and core concept of the present invention. It should be noted that, for those skilled in the art, without departing from the principles of the present invention, several improvements and modifications may be made to the present invention, and such improvements and modifications also fall within the scope of protection of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. An X-ray irradiator, characterized in that: The invention comprises a bracket (1), a control system (2) installed on the bracket (1), a high-voltage generator (3), a ray tube assembly (4), a cooling system (5) and a self-shielding irradiation chamber (6), wherein the high-voltage generator (3) is connected to the ray tube assembly (4), the cooling system (5) is used to cool the ray tube assembly (4), the ray tube assembly (4) is installed above the self-shielding irradiation chamber (6), and the ray outlet of the ray tube assembly (4) is aligned with the ray inlet on the upper wall of the self-shielding irradiation chamber (6), and a conical collimator (7) and a homogenizer (8) are provided at the ray outlet.

2. The X-ray irradiator according to claim 1, characterized in that A mounting frame (9) is installed on the lower side of the upper wall of the self-shielding irradiation chamber (6), and a filter (10) is installed on the mounting frame (9). The filter (10) blocks the lower end opening of the ray inlet.

3. The X-ray irradiator according to claim 1, characterized in that The ray tube assembly (4) comprises a shielding shell assembly (11), an X-ray tube (12) and a high-voltage cable (13) installed inside the shielding shell assembly (11); the X-ray tube (12) is connected to the high-voltage generator (3) via the high-voltage cable (13); and the lower wall of the shielding shell assembly (11) is tightly connected to the upper wall of the self-shielding irradiation chamber (6).

4. The X-ray irradiator according to claim 3, characterized in that: A protective door (14) is provided on the front of the self-shielding irradiation chamber (6), and a door interlocking device (15) for controlling the opening and closing of the protective door (14) is installed on the self-shielding irradiation chamber (6).

5. The X-ray irradiator according to claim 4, characterized in that: A plurality of placement board slots (16) arranged in sequence from top to bottom are provided on the inner wall of the self-shielding irradiation chamber (6), and the edges of the placement boards are snapped into the placement board slots (16) at different heights to adjust the height of the placement boards.

6. The X-ray irradiator according to claim 1, characterized in that The high-voltage generator (3) is arranged at the lower part of the bracket (1), the control system (2), the self-shielded irradiation chamber (6) and the cooling system (5) are arranged at the middle part of the bracket (1), and the ray tube assembly (4) is arranged at the upper part of the bracket (1).

7. The X-ray irradiator according to claim 6, characterized in that: A shell (17) is provided outside the bracket (1).

8. The X-ray irradiator according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: A radiation leakage detection system (18) connected to the control system (2) is provided outside the self-shielded irradiation chamber (6).

9. The X-ray irradiator according to claim 8, characterized in that: The radiation leakage detection system (18) comprises a Geiger counter and a control module, and interacts with the control system (2) via serial port communication.

10. The X-ray irradiator according to claim 9, characterized in that: The cooling system (5) is equipped with a multiple interlocking protection device for detecting water level, flow, water temperature and power supply, the multiple interlocking protection device is integrated with the control system (2), and the control system (2) is interlocked with the high-voltage generator (3).

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