X-ray generating device and x-ray photography system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9980357-B1
Application number	US-201715797212-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Oct 30, 2017
Priority date	Nov 17, 2016
Publication date	May 22, 2018
Grant date	May 22, 2018

Abstract

An X-ray generating device includes an X-ray tube, an X-ray tube drive circuit, an electron acceleration voltage generation circuit, and a control unit communicating with the drive circuit and the voltage generation circuit, the X-ray tube, the drive circuit, and the voltage generation circuit are arranged inside a storage container filled with an insulating oil, a path connecting the drive circuit and the control unit includes an optical fiber cable arranged inside the storage container, the optical fiber cable has a coating that suppresses fluctuation due to a convective flow of the insulating oil, the coating is cured by, from a resin material containing a plasticizer, a part of the plasticizer being leaching out, and the control unit is configured to facilitate leaching of the plasticizer by driving the voltage generation circuit to apply a voltage to the optical fiber cable in a state of no X-ray being generated.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An X-ray generating device comprising:
an X-ray tube;
a drive circuit that drives the X-ray tube;
a voltage generation circuit that generates an electron acceleration voltage applied to the X-ray tube; and
a control unit that communicates with the drive circuit and the voltage generation circuit,
wherein at least the X-ray tube, the drive circuit, and the voltage generation circuit are arranged inside a storage container filled with an insulating oil,
wherein at least a part of a path connecting the drive circuit and the control unit is formed of an optical fiber cable arranged inside the storage container,
wherein the optical fiber cable has a coating that suppresses fluctuation of the optical fiber cable due to a convective flow of the insulating oil generated at driving of the voltage generation circuit,
wherein the coating is cured by, from a resin material containing a plasticizer, at least a part of the plasticizer being leaching out, and
wherein the control unit is configured to facilitate leaching of the plasticizer by driving the voltage generation circuit to apply a voltage for a predetermined time to the optical fiber cable in a state of no X-ray being generated.

2. A method of manufacturing an X-ray generating device including an X-ray tube, a drive circuit that drives the X-ray tube, a voltage generation circuit that generates an electron acceleration voltage applied to the X-ray tube, and a control unit that communicates with the drive circuit and the voltage generation circuit, wherein at least the X-ray tube, the drive circuit, and the voltage generation circuit are arranged inside a storage container filled with an insulating oil, and wherein at least a part of a path connecting the drive circuit and the control unit is formed of an optical fiber cable arranged inside the storage container, the method comprising:
installing the X-ray tube, the drive circuit, the voltage generation circuit, and the optical fiber cable inside the storage container;
filling the insulating oil in the storage container, and
curing, after filling the insulating oil in the storage container, a coating of the optical fiber cable by driving the voltage generation circuit, without driving the drive circuit, to apply a voltage for a predetermined time to the optical fiber cable having the coating of a resin material containing a plasticizer and causing the plasticizer to leach out from the coating.

3. An X-ray photography system comprising:
the X-ray generating device according to claim 1 ;
an X-ray detection device that detects an X-ray that has been emitted from the X-ray generating device and has transmitted through a subject; and
a signal processing unit that converts a transmission X-ray image of the subject detected by the X-ray detection device into an image signal.

Assignees

• Canon Anelva Corp

Inventors

• Kawase Junya
• Ando Yoichi

Classifications

• H05G1/30

  Controlling · CPC title

• G02B6/00

  Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings · CPC title

• H05G1/32

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

• H05G1/06 Primary

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

• H05G1/08 Primary

  Electrical details · CPC title