X-ray source

Abstract

The utility model relates to an X-ray source, belongs to the technical field of X-rays, and solves the problem that the existing X-ray source is short in service life. The X-ray source comprises a gas discharge chamber, a lead-out plate, focusing electrode plates and a target, the lead-out plate is arranged at an outlet of the gas discharge chamber, lead-out holes are formed in the lead-out plate, the focusing electrode plates are arranged below the lead-out plate at intervals, and the target is arranged below the focusing electrode plates; plasma generated by the gas discharge chamber passes through an extraction hole of the extraction plate to extract an electron beam, and the electron beam passes through the focusing electrode plate and then bombards the target so as to generate a micro-focus X-ray beam. The X-ray source is obtained on the basis of plasma electron beams generated by the gas discharge chamber, is long in service life and is not limited by heat management.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The utility model relates to X ray technical field especially relates to a kind of X ray sources. BACKGROUND

[0002] CT equipment needs to emit X ray by X ray source to irradiate target object, realizes imaging.X ray source is usually composed of an electron emitting device and a metal target, electron gun emits high-speed electron, these electrons are accelerated by acceleration field, and form an electron beam, when electron beam hits metal target, X ray is generated.Electron emitting device is the core part of X ray source, it is responsible for emitting electron.

[0003] The existing electron emitting device of X ray source includes thermionic and cold cathode type, thermionic electron emitting device is usually short in service life due to its high-temperature working environment, cold cathode type electron emitting device can emit electron without heating, for example, carbon nanotube field emission cathode is a typical cold cathode, they utilize the high aspect ratio and excellent conductivity of carbon nanotube to realize electron emission under lower voltage, cold cathode type electron emitting device is usually longer in service life than thermionic cold cathode type electron emitting device, but cold cathode has certain requirements for its use environment, when its use environment cannot meet the requirements, it will have great influence on its service life and field emission stability. SUMMARY

[0004] In view of the above analysis, the utility model aims at providing a kind of X ray source to solve the problem of short service life of the existing X ray source.

[0005] The utility model provides a kind of X ray source, the X ray source includes: gas discharge chamber, lead-out plate, focusing electrode plate and target,

[0006] The lead-out plate is arranged at the outlet of the gas discharge chamber, the lead-out plate is provided with lead-out hole, the focusing electrode plate is arranged below the lead-out plate and has spacing between the lead-out plate, the target is arranged below the focusing electrode plate and has spacing between the focusing electrode plate;

[0007] Wherein, the plasma generated by the gas discharge chamber leads out electron beam through the lead-out hole of the lead-out plate, the electron beam hits the target after passing through the focusing electrode plate to generate microfocus X ray beam.

[0008] Based on the further improvement of the above X ray source, the shape of the lead-out hole is circular, triangular, rectangular or straight line.

[0009] Based on the further improvement of the above X ray source, the inner diameter of the lead-out hole is 100 μm to 1000 μm.

[0010] Further improvement based on the above X-ray source, the extraction plate is provided with a plurality of extraction holes, a plurality of the extraction holes are arranged in an array on the extraction plate.

[0011] Further improvement based on the above X-ray source, the distance between two adjacent extraction holes is 0.5mm to 10mm.

[0012] Further improvement based on the above X-ray source, the number of focusing electrode plates is one or three.

[0013] Further improvement based on the above X-ray source, the target is a reflection target or a transmission target.

[0014] Further improvement based on the above X-ray source, the cross section of the gas discharge chamber is circular or rectangular.

[0015] Further improvement based on the above X-ray source, the gas in the gas discharge chamber is argon or neon.

[0016] Further improvement based on the above X-ray source, the focal point size of the micro-focus X-ray beam is 5um to 100um.

[0017] Compared with the prior art, the utility model can realize at least one of the following beneficial effects:

[0018] 1、 the utility model discloses, through gas discharge chamber generates plasma and is extracted electron beam through extraction plate, and the micro-focus X-ray beam is generated after the focusing electrode plate is focused and hits the target. The X-ray source of the utility model is obtained based on plasma cathode, and the service life is long, is not limited by heat management, has good stability, good focal point repeatability and light source intensity and the like advantages.

[0019] 2、 the utility model discloses, through setting up a plurality of extraction holes on extraction plate, can extract multiple electron beams, and the target is hit by multiple focused electron beams, thereby can produce distributed micro-focus X-ray beam, and the consistency of each electron beam is high, and then the distributed micro-focus X-ray beam with higher consistency can be obtained.

[0020] 3、 the utility model discloses, adopt plasma cathode, and the shape, size, number and arrangement of extraction hole on extraction plate are set up, thereby can control the position, interval and shape of micro-focus X-ray beam, and controllability is higher.

[0021] In this invention, the above-described technical solutions can be combined with each other to achieve more preferred combinations. Other features and advantages of this invention will be set forth in the following description, and some advantages will become apparent from the description or be learned by practicing this invention. The objectives and other advantages of this invention can be realized and obtained from the details specifically pointed out in the text and accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0022] The accompanying drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Throughout the drawings, the same reference numerals denote the same parts.

[0023] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an X-ray source according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the lead-out plate according to Embodiment 1 of this utility model;

[0025] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the lead-out plate according to Embodiment 2 of this utility model;

[0026] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the lead-out plate according to Embodiment 3 of this utility model;

[0027] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the lead-out plate of Embodiment 4 of this utility model.

[0028] Figure label:

[0029] 1-Gas discharge chamber; 2-Lead plate; 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d-Lead holes;

[0030] 3-Focusing electrode plate; 4-Target; 5-Plasma; 6-Electron beam; 7-Microfocus X-ray beam. Detailed Implementation

[0031] The preferred embodiments of this utility model will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, which constitute a part of this application and, together with the embodiments of this utility model, serve to illustrate the principles of this utility model, but are not intended to limit the scope of this utility model. The positions and orientations in this utility model are based on the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 The description is as follows: for example, the gas discharge chamber is located "above" and the lead-out plate is located "below".

[0032] One embodiment of this utility model discloses an X-ray source, such as... Figure 1The X-ray source comprises a gas discharge chamber 1, an extraction plate 2, a focusing electrode plate 3 and a target 4. The extraction plate 2 is arranged at the outlet of the gas discharge chamber 1, the extraction plate 2 is provided with an extraction hole, the focusing electrode plate 3 is arranged below the extraction plate 2 and has a spacing with the extraction plate 2, and the target 4 is arranged below the focusing electrode plate 3 and has a spacing with the focusing electrode plate 3.

[0033] The gas discharge chamber 1 generates plasma 5, the plasma 5 passes through the extraction hole of the extraction plate 2 to form an electron beam 6, the electron beam 6 passes through the focusing electrode plate 3 to hit the target 4, and the micro-focus X-ray beam 7 is generated.

[0034] In the implementation, the gas discharge chamber 1 works by the gas discharge principle. When the voltage applied to the two electrode ends of the gas discharge chamber 1 reaches the breakdown voltage of the gas in the gas discharge chamber 1, the gas discharge chamber 1 starts to discharge, and the gas generates plasma 5 in the discharge process. The generated plasma 5 is extracted by the extraction plate 2 to form an electron beam 6. The focusing electrode plate 3 affects the electron beam 6 by generating an electric field to focus the electron beam 6. After the electron beam 6 is focused, the electron beam 6 hits the target 4, which can improve the efficiency and effect of the interaction between the electron beam 6 and the material of the target 4. The electron beam 6 interacts with the atomic nucleus of the target 4, thereby generating a micro-focus X-ray beam 7.

[0035] Compared with the prior art, in the utility model, the gas discharge chamber 1 generates plasma 5 and the extraction plate 2 extracts an electron beam 6, the focusing electrode plate 3 focuses the electron beam 6 to hit the target 4, thereby generating a micro-focus X-ray beam 7. The X-ray source of the utility model is obtained based on the plasma electron beam generated by the gas discharge chamber 1, has a long service life, is not limited by heat management, has the advantages of good stability, good focal point repeatability and large light source intensity.

[0036] Specifically, the shape of the extraction hole is circular, triangular, rectangular or linear. By changing the shape of the extraction hole, different shapes of micro-focus X-ray beams 7 can be obtained.

[0037] It should be noted that the shape of the extraction hole can also be any other shape according to actual needs.

[0038] Specifically, the inner diameter of the extraction hole is 100-1000 μm. By changing the size of the extraction hole, the size of the electron beam 6 can be controlled, thereby affecting the spot size of the micro-focus X-ray beam 7.

[0039] Specifically, the extraction plate 2 is provided with a plurality of extraction holes, and the plurality of extraction holes are arranged at intervals on the extraction plate 2. The number of extraction holes is set according to actual needs.

[0040] The utility model discloses a plurality of electron beams 6 can be led out through setting multiple leading-out holes on the leading-out plate 2, and the multiple focused electron beams 6 bombard the target 4, thereby generating the distributed microfocus X-ray beam 7, the consistency of each electron beam 6 is high, and the distributed microfocus X-ray beam 7 with higher consistency can be obtained.

[0041] In the prior art distributed X-ray source, multiple independent carbon nanotube field emission cathodes or thermal emission cathodes are arranged at different positions in an X-ray tube to generate X-rays. These cathodes can be controlled individually, but there are certain technical challenges in achieving precise synchronization control among them. In addition, due to possible differences in structure or material among the individual cathodes, these differences can cause inconsistencies in the electron beam 6 flow characteristics generated by them, thereby affecting the consistency and uniformity of the microfocus X-ray beam 7 ultimately generated. Such inconsistencies can adversely affect the quality of X-ray imaging.

[0042] Compared with the prior art, in the utility model, the plasma 5 generated by the gas discharge chamber 1 is led out through the multiple leading-out holes on the leading-out plate 2, which can simultaneously generate multiple electron beams 6 at different positions, and the consistency of the electron beams 6 is high, thereby ensuring the consistency of the microfocus X-ray beam 7 and facilitating control, simple process, and low cost, which is conducive to improving the quality of X-ray imaging.

[0043] Specifically, the multiple leading-out holes are arranged in an array on the leading-out plate 2, such as circular array, rectangular array, triangular array, straight line array, or multiple straight line arrays (orthogonal array).

[0044] Specifically, the spacing between two adjacent leading-out holes is 0.5 mm to 10 mm.

[0045] In this embodiment, by adjusting the layout of the leading-out holes, the focus layout of the generated distributed microfocus X-ray beam 7 is realized, different application requirements are met, and high flexibility and customizability are achieved.

[0046] The existing distributed X-ray source uses multiple independent cathodes arranged, which are not easy to adjust in position, spacing, and shape, and are uncontrollable. Compared with the prior art, the microfocus X-ray source of this embodiment uses a plasma cathode, and by setting the shape, size, number, and arrangement of the leading-out holes on the leading-out plate 2, the position, spacing, and shape of the microfocus X-ray beam 7 can be controlled, and the controllability is higher.

[0047] Specifically, the number of the focusing electrode plates 3 is set to one or three. Further specifically, the three focusing electrode plates 3 are arranged in parallel and equidistantly below the leading-out plate 2.

[0048] The three focusing electrode plates 3 can achieve better focusing effect and smaller focal point.

[0049] Specifically, the target 4 is a reflective target or a transmission target, preferably a reflective target 4.

[0050] Specifically, the cross section of the gas discharge chamber 1 is circular or rectangular. The shape of the gas discharge chamber 1 is one of the key factors to achieve efficient, stable and uniform discharge. The cross section of the gas discharge chamber 1 is circular or rectangular, which is beneficial to ensure the discharge efficiency and stability of the plasma 5.

[0051] Specifically, the gas in the gas discharge chamber 1 is argon or neon. Argon or neon is a commonly used inert gas that can produce a microfocus X-ray beam 7 with high energy during discharge.

[0052] In addition, the gas in the gas discharge chamber 1 can be krypton or other inert gases.

[0053] Specifically, the focal point size of the microfocus X-ray beam 7 is 5-100 μm, preferably 5 μm. The smaller the focal point size of the microfocus X-ray beam 7, the more concentrated the X-ray projection, which is beneficial to improve the imaging quality and obtain better detail recognition ability.

[0054] Example One

[0055] The X-ray source of the embodiment includes a discharge chamber, an extraction plate 2, a focusing electrode plate 3 and a target 4. The cross section of the gas discharge chamber 1 is rectangular. As shown in Figure 3 The extraction plate 2 has extraction holes 2a arranged in a linear array. The extraction holes 2a are circular with a diameter of 100 μm. The number of extraction holes is determined according to actual needs, and the hole spacing is 0.5 mm. The focusing electrode plate 3 is arranged below the extraction plate 2 and has one focusing electrode plate.

[0056] Example Two

[0057] The X-ray source of the embodiment includes a discharge chamber 1, an extraction plate 2, a focusing electrode plate 3 and a target 4. The cross section of the gas discharge chamber 1 is circular. The extraction plate 2 has extraction holes 2b arranged in a circular array. The extraction holes 2b are circular with a diameter of 200 μm. The number of extraction holes is determined according to actual needs, and the hole spacing is 1 mm. The focusing electrode plate 3 is arranged below the extraction plate 2 and has three focusing electrode plates.

[0058] Example Three

[0059] The X-ray source of the embodiment comprises a discharge chamber 1, an extraction plate 2, a focusing electrode plate 3 and a target 4. The cross section of the gas discharge chamber 1 is rectangular. As shown in the figure, the extraction plate 2 is provided with extraction holes 2c arranged in a rectangular array, the extraction holes 2c are circular in shape and have a diameter of 500 μm, the number of the extraction holes is set according to actual needs, and the hole spacing is 5 mm. The focusing electrode plate 3 is arranged below the extraction plate 2 and has three pieces. Figure 4

[0060] Example Four

[0061] The X-ray source of the embodiment comprises a discharge chamber 1, an extraction plate 2, a focusing electrode plate 3 and a target 4. The cross section of the gas discharge chamber 1 is circular. As shown in the figure, the extraction plate 2 is provided with extraction holes 2d arranged in a triangular array, the extraction holes 2d are triangular in shape and have a side length of 1000 μm, the number of the extraction holes is set according to actual needs, and the hole spacing is 10 mm. The focusing electrode plate 3 is arranged below the extraction plate 2 and has three pieces. Figure 5

[0062] The above is only the preferred specific embodiment of the present application, but the protection scope of the present application is not limited to this, any person skilled in the art can easily think of the changes or replacements within the technical range disclosed by the present application, which should be covered in the protection scope of the present application.​​

Claims

1. An X-ray source, characterized in that, The X-ray source includes: a gas discharge chamber, an extraction plate, a focusing electrode plate, and a target. The lead-out plate is disposed at the outlet of the gas discharge chamber, and the lead-out plate is provided with lead-out holes. The focusing electrode plate is disposed below the lead-out plate and is spaced apart from the lead-out plate. The target is disposed below the focusing electrode plate and is spaced apart from the focusing electrode plate. The plasma generated in the gas discharge chamber is drawn out as an electron beam through the lead-out hole of the lead-out plate. The electron beam then bombards the target after passing through the focusing electrode plate, thereby generating a micro-focus X-ray beam.

2. The X-ray source according to claim 1, characterized in that, The shape of the outlet hole can be circular, triangular, rectangular, or straight.

3. The X-ray source according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The inner diameter of the outlet hole is 100μm to 1000μm.

4. The X-ray source according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The lead-out plate is provided with a plurality of lead-out holes, which are arranged in an array on the lead-out plate.

5. The X-ray source according to claim 4, characterized in that, The spacing between two adjacent outlet holes is 0.5 mm to 10 mm.

6. The X-ray source according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The number of focusing electrode plates is set to one or three.

7. The X-ray source according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The target is either a reflective target or a transmissive target.

8. The X-ray source according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The gas discharge chamber has a circular or rectangular cross-section.

9. The X-ray source according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The gas in the gas discharge chamber is argon or neon.

10. The X-ray source according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The focal size of the microfocus X-ray beam is from 5 μm to 100 μm.

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