X-ray imaging device and driving method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10566170-B2
Application number	US-201816123374-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 6, 2018
Priority date	Sep 8, 2017
Publication date	Feb 18, 2020
Grant date	Feb 18, 2020

Abstract

Provided is an X-ray imaging device and a driving method thereof, the X-ray imaging device including an electron beam generation unit including a plurality of nano-emitters and a cathode, a first focusing electrode configured to focus an electron beam emitted from the electron beam generation unit, a deflector configured to deflect the electron beam focused by the first focusing electrode, a limited electrode configured to limit traveling of the electron beam deflected by the deflector, and an anode configured to be irradiated with the electron beam to emit an X-ray, wherein the limited electrode includes a limited aperture which the electron beam pass.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An X-ray imaging device comprising:
an electron beam generation unit comprising a plurality of nano-emitters and a cathode;
a first focusing electrode configured to focus an electron beam emitted from the electron beam generation unit;
a deflector configured to deflect the electron beam focused by the first focusing electrode;
a limited electrode configured to limit traveling of the electron beam deflected by the deflector; and
an anode configured to be irradiated with the electron beam to emit an X-ray,
wherein the limited electrode comprises a limited aperture which the electron beam pass.

2. The X-ray imaging device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a gate electrode configured to apply an electric field to the nano-emitters.

3. The X-ray imaging device of claim 1 , further comprising:
an image acquisition unit configured to acquire an X-ray image using the X-ray emitted from the anode.

4. The X-ray imaging device of claim 1 , wherein the deflector comprises:
electrodes separated from each other with an electron beam path therebetween; and
a voltage source configured to apply voltages to the electrodes.

5. The X-ray imaging device of claim 1 , wherein the deflector comprises:
coils separated from each other with an electron beam path therebetween; and
a current source configured to provide a current to the coils.

6. The X-ray imaging device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second focusing electrode configured to focus the electron beam passing through the limited aperture.

7. The X-ray imaging device of claim 1 , wherein the limited electrode further comprises a current meter configured to measure a current flowing through the limited electrode.

8. A driving method of an X-ray imaging device comprising:
emitting a plurality of electron beams from an electron beam generation unit;
limiting the traveling of the electron beams emitted from the electron beam generation unit by using a limited electrode; and
irradiating at least part of the electron beams to an anode,
wherein the limited electrode comprises a limited aperture which the electron beam pass.

9. The driving method of claim 8 , wherein the limiting the traveling of the electron beams comprises one of the electron beams emitted from the electron beam generation unit passes the limited aperture.

10. The driving method of claim 9 , wherein the irradiating at least part of the electron beams comprises using a second focusing electrode to focus the one electron beam.

11. The driving method of claim 8 , wherein the limiting the traveling of the electron beams comprises using a first focusing electrode to focus the electron beams emitted from the electron beam generation unit.

12. The driving method of claim 11 , wherein the limiting the traveling of the electron beams further comprises using a deflector to deflect the electron beams focused by the first focusing electrode.

13. The driving method of claim 12 , wherein the limiting the traveling of the electron beams further comprises measuring a current flowing through the limited electrode to acquire a current intensity map of the limited electrode.

14. The driving method of claim 13 , wherein the using a first focusing electrode to focus the electron beams comprises:
determining whether the current intensity map is clear; and
controlling the first focusing electrode to adjust focusing of the electron beams.

15. The driving method of claim 14 , wherein the controlling the first focusing electrode to adjust focusing of the electron beams comprises adjusting the focusing of the electron beams to minimize a planar area of the electron beams in a same level as a bottom surface of the limited electrode.

16. The driving method of claim 13 , wherein the using a deflector to deflect the electron beams comprises controlling the deflector so as to correspond to a darkest spot on the current intensity map.

17. The driving method of claim 16 , wherein the controlling the deflector comprises optimizing a magnitude of a voltage from a voltage source of the deflector.

18. The driving method of claim 16 , wherein the controlling the deflector comprises optimizing a magnitude of a current from a current source of the deflector.

Assignees

• Electronics & Telecommunications Res Inst

Inventors

• Jeong Jin-Woo
• Song Yoon-Ho

Classifications

• H01J35/065

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

• H05G1/32

  Supply voltage of the X-ray apparatus or tube · CPC title

• H05G1/52

  Target size or shape; Direction of electron beam, e.g. in tubes with one anode and more than one cathode · CPC title

• H05G1/02

  Constructional details · CPC title

• H05G1/265

  Measurements of current, voltage or power · CPC title