X-ray tube receptacle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11729894-B2
Application number	US-202017114849-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 8, 2020
Priority date	Dec 8, 2020
Publication date	Aug 15, 2023
Grant date	Aug 15, 2023

Abstract

An apparatus including an X-ray tube is provided. The X-ray tube can include a cathode and an input receptacle coupled to the cathode. The input receptacle can include a connector configured within the input receptacle. The connector can operatively couple the cathode and the input receptacle. The connector can include at least one circuit configured to receive an input signal via the input receptacle. The input signal can be between 20 kV and 400 kV. The input signal can be received as an auxiliary supply voltage. The at least one circuit can be configured to generate an output signal indicative of at least one operational characteristic of the X-ray tube. Related systems, and methods of use are also provided.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
an X-ray tube including
a cathode; and
an input receptacle coupled to the cathode, the input receptacle including
a connector configured within the input receptacle and operatively coupling the cathode and the input receptacle, the connector including
at least one circuit configured to receive an input signal via the input receptacle, the input signal received as an auxiliary supply voltage, and to generate an output signal indicative of at least one operational characteristic of the X-ray tube, and
a transceiver configured to establish a communication channel between the connector and a data processor of a computing device coupled to the connector via the communication channel, wherein the transceiver is powered by a portion of the auxiliary supply voltage.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the connector is configured for insertion into and removal from an inner volume of the input receptacle.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the X-ray tube is a bipolar X-ray tube.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one operational characteristic of the X-ray tube includes a filament temperature, a filament current, an electron emission current, or at least one parameter associated with a beam shape emitted by the X-ray tube.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the data processor is configured to determine a tube setting associated with the at least one operational characteristic of the X-ray tube, the tube setting corresponding to a tube-identifier setting stored in a memory of the computing device, wherein the data processor is further configured to transmit the determined setting to a controller coupled to the data processor and to a voltage generator coupled to the input receptacle, which causes the controller to control the voltage generator to provide at least one of an input voltage to the cathode or a heating current to the cathode based on the determined setting of the X-ray tube.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the input signal is between 20 kV and 400 kV.

7. A system comprising:
an X-ray tube including
a cathode;
an input receptacle coupled to the cathode, the input receptacle including
a connector configured within the input receptacle and operatively coupling the cathode and the input receptacle, the connector including
at least one circuit configured to receive an input signal via the input receptacle, the input signal received as an auxiliary supply voltage and to generate an output signal indicative of at least one operational characteristic of the X-ray tube, and
a transceiver configured to transmit the output signal generated via the at least one circuit; and

a computing device operatively coupled to the connector via a communication channel established by the transceiver, the computing device comprising at least one data processor; and a memory storing instructions, which when executed by the at least one data processor causes the at least one data processor to perform operations comprising
receiving data characterizing the output signal,
determining, based on the received data, the at least one operational characteristic of the X-ray tube; and
providing the at least one operational characteristic of the X-ray tube.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the transceiver is powered by a portion of the auxiliary supply voltage.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein the at least one operational characteristic of the X-ray tube includes a filament temperature, a filament current, an electron emission current, or at least one parameter associated with a beam shape emitted by the X-ray tube.

10. The system of claim 7 , wherein the at least one operational characteristic is provided in a graphical user interface of a display coupled to the data processor.

11. The system of claim 7 , wherein the input signal is between 20 kV and 400 kV.

12. A method comprising:
receiving, by a data processor, data characterizing an output signal generated via at least one circuit located on a connector configured within an input receptacle of an X-ray tube, the connector operatively coupling a cathode of the X-ray tube to the input receptacle and comprising a transceiver configured to establish a communication channel communicably coupling the connector and the data processor, wherein the transceiver is powered by a portion of an auxiliary supply voltage, the at least one circuit configured to receive an input signal via the input receptacle, the input signal received as the auxiliary supply voltage, and to generate the output signal indicative of at least one operational characteristic of the X-ray tube;
determining, by the data processor and based on the received data, the at least one operational characteristic of the X-ray tube; and
providing, by the data processor, the at least one operational characteristic of the X-ray tube.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the connector is configured for insertion into and removal from an inner volume of the input receptacle.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the X-ray tube is a bipolar X-ray tube.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the at least one operational characteristic of the X-ray tube includes a filament temperature, a filament current, an electron emission current, or at least one parameter associated with a beam shape emitted by the X-ray tube.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein responsive to providing the at least one operational characteristic indicative of a tube-type identifier corresponding to a type of X-ray tube, the method further comprises
determining, by the data processor, a tube setting corresponding to the tube-type identifier; and
transmitting, by the data processor, the tube setting to a controller coupled to the data processor and to a voltage generator coupled to the input receptacle, which when received, causes the controller to control the voltage generator to provision at least one of an input voltage to the cathode or a heating current to the cathode based on the determined tube setting.

17. The method of claim 12 , wherein the input signal is between 20 kV and 400 kV.

18. The method of claim 12 , wherein the at least one operational characteristic is provided in a graphical user interface provided in a display coupled to the data processor.

Assignees

• Baker Hughes Oilfield Operations Llc

Inventors

• Friedemann Reinhard
• Aslami Farid
• Schmitt Andreas

Classifications

• H05G1/06 Primary

  X-ray tube and at least part of the power supply apparatus being mounted within the same housing · CPC title

• H05G1/10

  Power supply arrangements for feeding the X-ray tube {(supply circuits with converters in general H02M; supply circuits for emitters and amplifiers H04B1/16 - H04B1/1623)} · CPC title

• H05G1/26

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

• H05G1/30

  Controlling · CPC title

• H01J35/025 Primary

  X-ray tubes with structurally associated circuit elements · CPC title