Cathode control multi-cathode distributed X-ray apparatus and CT device having said apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9398677-B2
Application number	US-201314135035-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 19, 2013
Priority date	Dec 31, 2012
Publication date	Jul 19, 2016
Grant date	Jul 19, 2016

Abstract

This invention relates to an apparatus producing distributed X-ray, and in particular to a cathode control multi-cathode distributed X-ray apparatus, which produces X-ray that changes focal position in a predetermined order by arranging multiple independent hot cathodes and controlling cathodes in an X-ray source device, and a CT device having said X-ray apparatus.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A cathode control multi-cathode distributed X-ray apparatus, characterised in that, comprising:
a vacuum box with the perimeter sealed and a high vacuum inside;
a plurality of cathodes independent of each other and arranged as a linear array and mounted at one end inside the vacuum box, each cathode having a cathode filament, a cathode surface connected to the cathode filament and a filament lead drawn out from both ends of the cathode filament;
a plurality of focal current limiters arranged as a linear array corresponding one by one to the cathodes and mounted at a position near the cathodes in the middle part inside the vacuum box, the focal current limiters being connected to one another;
an anode made of metal and mounted at another end inside the vacuum box, being parallel to the focal current limiters in the length direction and forming an included angle of predetermined degrees with the focal current limiters in the width direction;
a power supply and control system, having a cathode power supply, a focal current limiter power supply connected to the interconnected focal current limiters, an anode high voltage power supply, and a control apparatus for exercising comprehensive logical control over the respective power supplies;
a pluggable high voltage connector, for connecting the anode to the anode high voltage power supply, and installed at the side face of one end of the vacuum box near the anode; and
a plurality of pluggable cathode power supply connectors, for connecting the cathode to the cathode power supply, and installed at the side face of one end of the vacuum box near the cathode,
wherein the focal current limiters comprise: an electric field isostatic surface made of metal and having a current limiting aperture in the center thereof; a focus electrode made of metal and in the shape of a cylinder, with its tip pointing right to a beam stream aperture of the cathode, the size of the current limiting aperture is less than or equal to a central aperture of the focus electrode.

2. The cathode control multi-cathode distributed X-ray apparatus according to claim 1 , characterised in that:
the cathodes further comprise: a cathode housing, surrounding the cathode filament and the cathode surface, and a beam stream aperture being disposed at a position corresponding to the center of the cathode surface, a planar structure being disposed at the outer edge of the beam stream aperture, a slope being disposed at the outer edge of the planar structure; a cathode shield outside the cathode housing, surrounding other faces besides the one having a beam stream aperture of the cathode housing, the filament lead passes through the cathode housing and the cathode shield is drawn out to the pluggable cathode power supply connectors.

3. The cathode control multi-cathode distributed X-ray apparatus according to claim 2 , characterised in that:
the cathode housing and the cathode shield are in the shape of cuboids, while the cathode surface and the beam stream aperture corresponding to the center of the cathode surface are both rectangles.

4. The cathode control multi-cathode distributed X-ray apparatus according to claim 2 , characterised in that:
the cathode housing and the cathode shield are in the shape of cuboids, while the cathode surface and the beam stream aperture corresponding to the center of the cathode surface are circles.

5. The cathode control multi-cathode distributed X-ray apparatus according to claim 2 , characterised in that:
the cathode housing and the cathode shield are in the shape of cuboids, while the cathode surface is a spherical arc, the beam stream aperture corresponding to the center of the cathode surface is a circle.

6. The cathode control multi-cathode distributed X-ray apparatus according to claim 1 , characterised in that:
the vacuum box is made of glass or ceramic.

7. The cathode control multi-cathode distributed X-ray apparatus according to claim 1 , characterised in that:
the vacuum box is made of metal material.

8. The cathode control multi-cathode distributed X-ray apparatus according to claim 1 , characterised in that:
the inside of the pluggable high voltage connector is connected to the anode, the outside runs out from the vacuum box to closely connect to the wall of the vacuum box, together forming a vacuum sealing structure.

9. The cathode control multi-cathode distributed X-ray apparatus according to claim 1 , characterised in that:
each of the pluggable cathode power supply connectors is connected inside the vacuum box to the filament lead of the cathode, the outside runs out from the vacuum box to closely connect to the wall of the vacuum box, together forming a vacuum sealing structure.

10. The cathode control multi-cathode distributed X-ray apparatus according to claim 1 , characterised in that:
further comprising: a vacuum power supply included in the power supply and control system; a vacuum apparatus mounted on the side wall of the vacuum box, using the vacuum power supply to operate and maintain the high vacuum inside the vacuum box.

11. The cathode control multi-cathode distributed X-ray apparatus according to claim 1 , characterised in that:
further comprising: a shielding and collimator apparatus mounted outside the vacuum box, having a rectangular opening corresponding to the anode at the exit position of a wanted X-ray.

12. The cathode control multi-cathode distributed X-ray apparatus according to claim 11 , characterised in that:
the shielding and collimator apparatus uses lead material.

13. The cathode control multi-cathode distributed X-ray apparatus according to claim 1 , characterised in that:
the plurality of cathodes are arranged as a straight line, and the plurality of focal current limiters are also arranged in a straight line accordingly.

14. The cathode control multi-cathode distributed X-ray apparatus according to claim 1 , characterised in that:
the plurality of cathodes are arranged as a circular arc, and the plurality of focal current limiters are also arranged as a circular arc corresponding to the plurality of cathodes,
the anode is a conical arc, and accordingly the arrangement is in order of said cathodes, said focal current limiters and said anode, and the plane where the outer edge arc of the anode is located is a third plane parallel to the first plane where the plurality of cathodes are located and the second plane where the plurality of focal current limiters are located, the distance from the inner edge of the anode to the focal current limiters is farther than that from the outer edge of the anode to the focal current limiters.

15. A CT device comprising the cathode control multi-cathode distributed X-ray apparatus according to claim 1 .

Assignees

• Nuctech Co Ltd
• Univ Tsinghua

Inventors

• Tang Huaping
• Tang Chuanxiang
• Chen Huaibi

Classifications

• H01J2235/068

  Multi-cathode assembly · CPC title

• H05G1/70 Primary

  Circuit arrangements for X-ray tubes with more than one anode; Circuit arrangements for apparatus comprising more than one X ray tube {or more than one cathode (H05G1/58 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• H05G1/32 Primary

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

• H01J35/06

  Cathodes · CPC title

• H01J35/066

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