X-ray generator and X-ray imaging apparatus including the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9748069-B2
Application number	US-201414315519-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 26, 2014
Priority date	Jun 26, 2013
Publication date	Aug 29, 2017
Grant date	Aug 29, 2017

Abstract

An X-ray includes: electron emission devices that are arranged in one dimension or in two dimensions and are configured to emit electrons; and an anode electrode configured to emit an X-ray by using the electrons emitted by the electron emission devices and comprising regions having irregular thicknesses.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An X-ray generator comprising:
electron emission devices that are arranged in one dimension or in two dimensions and are configured to emit electrons; and
an anode electrode configured to emit X-rays by using the electrons emitted by the electron emission devices and comprising regions having irregular thicknesses such that the X-rays emitted from an emission surface of the regions having irregular thicknesses are focused or dispersed,
wherein the anode electrode comprises:
first and second layers formed of different materials and disposed in parallel to the electron emission devices;
wherein a wavelength of the X-rays emitted from the first layer and a wavelength of the X-rays emitted from the second layer are different from each other.

2. The X-ray generator of claim 1 , wherein the regions with the irregular thicknesses are disposed so that the anode electrode is configured to be symmetrical with respect to a center axis of the X-ray generator.

3. The X-ray generator of claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the anode electrode increases in a direction of edge portions of the anode electrode disposed further away from a center axis of the X-ray generator.

4. The X-ray generator of claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the anode electrode decreases in a direction of edge portions of the anode electrode disposed further away from a center axis of the X-ray generator.

5. The X-ray generator of claim 1 , wherein at least one among a surface of the anode electrode, on which the electrons are incident, and the emission surface is a curved surface.

6. The X-ray generator of claim 1 , wherein at least one among a surface of the anode electrode, on which the electrons are incident, and the emission surface is at least one among a concave surface and a convex surface.

7. The X-ray generator of claim 1 , wherein when at least one of the electrons is incident on the first layer, none of the electrons are incident on the second layer.

8. The X-ray generator of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the electron emission devices comprises:
a cathode electrode;
a gate electrode spaced apart from the cathode electrode; and
electron emission sources that are disposed on the cathode electrode and are configured to emit the electrons due to a voltage difference between the cathode electrode and the gate electrode.

9. The X-ray generator of claim 8 , wherein the cathode electrode included in the electron emission devices is formed on the same substrate.

10. The X-ray generator of claim 8 , wherein the gate electrode comprises a mesh structure.

11. The X-ray generator of claim 8 , further comprising:
gate insulation layers disposed between the cathode electrode and the gate electrode.

12. The X-ray generator of claim 11 , wherein the gate insulation layers and the electron emission sources are alternately disposed, with respect to one another.

13. An X-ray generator comprising:
an electron emission device configured to emit electrons; and
an anode electrode configured to emit X-rays by using the electrons emitted by the electron emission device and comprising regions having irregular thicknesses such that the X-rays emitted from an emission surface of the regions having irregular thicknesses are focused or dispersed,
wherein the anode electrode comprises: first and second layers formed of different materials and disposed in parallel to the electron emission devices;
wherein a wavelength of the X-rays emitted from the first layer and a wavelength of the X-rays emitted from the second layer are different from each other.

14. The X-ray generator of claim 13 , wherein the regions with the irregular thicknesses are disposed so that the anode electrode is configured to be symmetrical with respect to a center axis of the X-ray generator.

15. The X-ray generator of claim 13 , wherein at least one among a surface of the anode electrode, on which the electrons are incident, and the emission surface is at least one among a concave surface and a convex surface.

16. An X-ray imaging apparatus comprising:
the X-ray generator of claim 1 ; and
an X-ray detector configured to detect the X-ray having passed through an object.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Jong-Pil
• Han Woo-Sup
• Yoon Kyung-Hun

Classifications

• A61B6/025

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• H01J2235/068

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• A61B6/02

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• H01J2235/087

  Electricity · mapped topic

• A61B6/502

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