X-ray generator with a built-in flow sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10014150-B2
Application number	US-201415031221-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 23, 2014
Priority date	Oct 25, 2013
Publication date	Jul 3, 2018
Grant date	Jul 3, 2018

Abstract

An x-ray generator tube comprises a vacuum chamber with a cathode and an anode, the cathode and anode placed in the vacuum chamber, the cathode emits an electron beam in the direction of the anode, the anode includes a target emitting x-rays when it is struck by the electron beam, and the x-rays propagate out of the vacuum chamber by passing through the wall of the chamber via a diamond-based transmission window. According to the invention, a diamond-based x-ray sensor is integrated into the diamond-based transmission window.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An x-ray generator tube comprising a vacuum chamber with a cathode and an anode, said cathode and anode being placed in the vacuum chamber, the cathode emitting an electron beam in the direction of the anode, the anode including a target emitting x-rays when it is struck by the electron beam, the x-rays propagating out of the vacuum chamber by passing through the wall of the chamber via a diamond-based transmission window, wherein a diamond-based x-ray sensor is integrated into the diamond-based transmission window.

2. The x-ray generator tube as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the target is away from the transmission window.

3. The x-ray generator tube as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the target is juxtaposed with the transmission window.

4. The x-ray generator tube as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the x-ray sensor comprises at least one electrode composed of conductive layers.

5. The x-ray generator tube as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the x-ray sensor comprises at least one electrode composed of doped layers of diamond.

6. The x-ray generator tube as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the x-ray sensor includes a surface-mounted current detector.

7. The x-ray generator tube as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a plurality of sensors are integrated into the transmission window.

8. The x-ray generator tube as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a plurality of targets are juxtaposed with the transmission window.

9. The x-ray generator tube as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the x-ray sensor includes a conductive guard ring surrounding the sensor and connected to an electrical voltage source.

10. The x-ray generator tube as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the transmission window is made of polycrystalline diamond.

11. The x-ray generator tube as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the transmission window is made of single-crystal diamond.

12. The x-ray generator tube as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the transmission window is made of polycrystalline diamond with at least one single-crystal diamond inclusion.

13. The x-ray generator tube as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the x-ray sensor is integrated into the transmission window made of diamond in a single-crystal diamond inclusion.

14. The x-ray generator tube as claimed in claim 4 , comprising a feedback control loop for controlling the electron beam of the cathode, this control loop using a measurement of a flux of x-rays emitted by the generator tube as input.

15. The x-ray generator tube as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the cathode is a carbon nanotube photocathode.

Assignees

• Thales Sa
• Commissariat Energie Atomique

Inventors

• Mazellier Jean-Paul
• Delfaure Colin
• Ponard Pascal
• Saada Samuel
• Tranchant Nicolas

Classifications

• H05G1/26

  Measuring, controlling or protecting (measuring X-ray radiation G01T) · CPC title

• H01J35/065

  Field emission, photo emission or secondary emission cathodes · CPC title

• H01J35/18 Primary

  Windows · CPC title

• G01T1/26

  with resistance detectors · CPC title

• H01J2235/18

  Windows, e.g. for X-ray transmission · CPC title