X-ray tube grating for clean pulse generation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing X-ray imaging technologies face challenges in generating clean X-ray pulses with high tube currents, leading to unnecessary patient dose due to lower-energy radiation and difficulties in blocking large emission surfaces.
Innovation Solution
The high voltage of the X-ray tube is automatically switched off, and a grating is activated once a threshold voltage is reached, preventing electrons from reaching the anode and thus cutting off the tube current, allowing for high currents while preventing lower-energy radiation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If the high voltage is switched off to generate X-ray pulses, then patient dose is reduced, but lower-energy electrons strike the anode causing unnecessary high patient doses
Solution Approach 1:
The grating is positioned and configured in advance to block electrons before they can reach the anode. The grating's potential is adjusted preliminarily to ensure that when high voltage is switched off, only electrons with sufficient energy can pass through the grating, preventing lower-energy electrons from striking the anode and generating harmful radiation.
Solution Approach 2:
The grating acts as an intermediary element between the electron source and the anode. It mediates the electron flow by selectively blocking electrons based on their energy, allowing only high-energy electrons to reach the anode while preventing lower-energy electrons from doing so, thus eliminating the harmful lower-energy radiation.
2Manufacturing precision
If a grating is used to shield electrons for secondary pulsed X-ray radiation, then clean X-ray pulses are generated, but large emission surfaces are difficult to block
Solution Approach 1:
The grating is positioned and configured in advance to block electrons before they can reach the anode. The grating's potential is adjusted preliminarily to ensure that when high voltage is switched off, only electrons with sufficient energy can pass through the grating, preventing lower-energy electrons from striking the anode and generating harmful radiation.
Solution Approach 2:
The potential of the grating is dynamically adjusted based on the tube voltage. As the tube voltage decays, the grating potential is changed to maintain effective blocking of electrons. This parameter change allows the grating to adapt to different emission conditions and effectively block large emission surfaces across varying operational states.
3Reliability
If high tube currents are used, then imaging quality is improved, but blocking the emission surface becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The potential of the grating is dynamically adjusted based on the tube voltage. As the tube voltage decays, the grating potential is changed to maintain effective blocking of electrons. This parameter change allows the grating to adapt to different emission conditions and effectively block large emission surfaces across varying operational states.
Solution Approach 2:
The grating acts as an intermediary element between the electron source and the anode. It mediates the electron flow by selectively blocking electrons based on their energy, allowing only high-energy electrons to reach the anode while preventing lower-energy electrons from doing so, thus eliminating the harmful lower-energy radiation.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method enables the generation of clean X-ray pulses with high tube currents, reducing patient dose by ensuring only high-energy quanta are produced, even with large emission surfaces.
Implementation Method 1
The high voltage of the X-ray tube is switched off. The high voltage decays rapidly with the strong currents in the X-ray tube.
Implementation Method 2
a grating arranged between the emitter and the anode and which, when a grating voltage is applied, deflects the electrons of the emitter
Implementation Method 3
the grating is activated. The applied high voltage then remains at that value. High currents may be used, while the lower-energy radiation that is undesirable in medical imaging is prevented.
Implementation Method 4
electrons 3 are released into the vacuum by heating an emitter 2 (e.g. cathode)
Implementation Method 5
The electrons 3 are accelerated towards the anode 4 by a high voltage, that is applied between the emitter 2 and an anode 4.
Implementation Method 6
Upon striking the anode 4, approximately 1% of the energy of the electrons 3 is converted into X-ray radiation 5, the remaining energy transitioning into heat.
Implementation Method 7
Upon striking the anode 4, approximately 1% of the energy of the electrons 3 is converted into X-ray radiation 5, the remaining energy transitioning into heat.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods are provided for generating X-ray pulses during X-ray imaging. A high voltage of an X-ray tube is automatically switched off. The tube voltage decays and upon reaching a predefined threshold value of the tube voltage or a predefined waiting time after switching off the high voltage, a grating voltage of a grating arranged between an emitter and an anode of the X-ray tube is automatically switched on. No electrons reach the anode from the emitter, and the tube current drops to the value zero.