Biased cathode assembly of an x-ray tube with improved thermal management and a method of manufacturing same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11990309-B2
Application number	US-202217977825-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 31, 2022
Priority date	Aug 28, 2020
Publication date	May 21, 2024
Grant date	May 21, 2024

Abstract

Various systems and methods are provided for a biased cathode assembly of an X-ray tube with improved thermal management and a method of manufacturing same. In one example, a cathode assembly of an X-ray tube comprises an emitter assembly including an emitter coupled to an emitter support structure, and an electrode assembly including an electrode stack and a plurality of bias electrodes. The emitter assembly including a plurality of independent components that are coupled together. The electrode assembly including a plurality of independent components that are coupled together, and the emitter assembly being coupled to the electrode assembly.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A biased cathode assembly of an X-ray tube, comprising:
an emitter assembly including a cathode cup, at least one emitter insulator, and an emitter;
an electrode assembly including at least one bias electrode and at least one bias electrode insulator;
at least one heat shield positioned between the emitter and the at least one bias electrode insulator, wherein the at least one heat shield is cylindrical;
wherein the cathode cup, the at least one emitter insulator, and the emitter are independent components that are coupled together;
wherein the at least one bias electrode and the at least one bias electrode insulator are independent components that are coupled together; and
wherein the emitter assembly is coupled to the electrode assembly.

2. The biased cathode assembly of claim 1 , wherein the emitter assembly and the electrode assembly are fabricated independently from a plurality of individual components.

3. The biased cathode assembly of claim 1 , wherein the at least one emitter insulator is a separate component from and thermally decoupled from the at least one bias electrode insulator.

4. The biased cathode assembly of claim 1 , wherein the heat shield substantially blocks radiated heat being emitted from the emitter and protects the at least one bias electrode insulator from the radiated heat, keeping the at least one bias electrode insulator cooler by reflecting and/or re-radiating radiated heat back to the emitter.

Assignees

• Ge Prec Healthcare Llc

Inventors

• Cross Andrew Thomas
• Wiedmann Uwe
• Jones Marshall Gordon
• Rogers Carey
• Price John Scott
• Michael Joseph Darryl
• Lemaitre Sergio
• Lopez Fulton Jose
• Neculaes Vasile Bogdan
• Buresh Steve
• Wagner David

Classifications

• H01J35/066 Primary

  Details of electron optical components, e.g. cathode cups · CPC title

• H01J9/18 Primary

  Assembling together the component parts of electrode systems · CPC title

• H01J2235/1291

  Thermal conductivity · CPC title

• H01J2235/1212

  of the cathode · CPC title

• H01J35/064

  Details of the emitter, e.g. material or structure (H01J35/065 takes precedence) · CPC title