Koninklijke Philips Corporation N.v.

Picker International, Inc.

Andrew R Kaczmarek

Mark S Maska

Lester Donald Miller

Qing Kelvin Lu

Paul Xu

A connection device ( ) provides electrical connection between a stator motor ( ) of an x-ray tube and a stator cord ( ). The connection device is connected with the x-ray tube housing ( ) by threading a threaded portion ( ) into a corresponding threaded aperture ( ) in the housing to create a leak-tight seal. The threaded portion is rigidly connected with a connecting portion ( ), such as a bayonet socket, which receives a corresponding fitting ( ) of the stator cord. An electrical conduction path ( ), hermetically sealed in the connecting device, provides electrical connection between the socket and the interior of the housing. The connection device allows the stator cord to be quickly connected or disconnected from the housing yet provides a seal which resists leakage of cooling oil from the housing.

Hermetically sealed stator cord for x-ray tube applications

A CT scanner comprises an x-ray window mounted on an x-ray tube, a cooling fluid circulation line, and a cooling fluid return line. A cold-plate is operatively mounted on the x-ray tube around the x-ray window. The cold plate includes an elongated shell and corrugated fins for rapidly removing heat from the x-ray window. The circulation line is in fluid communication with an inlet of the cold-plate, a cooling fluid reservoir defined between the x-ray tube and a surrounding housing, and a heat exchanger. The return line is in fluid communication with an outlet of the cold-plate, the cooling fluid reservoir, and the heat exchanger. A pump circulates the cooling fluid through the heat exchanger, the suction and return lines, the cold-plate, and the x-ray tube housing.

Cold-plate window in a metal-frame x-ray insert

An x-ray tube is disposed within an x-ray tube housing defining a chamber filled with oil or other cooling medium for cooling the x-ray tube. The x-ray tube includes an envelope enclosing an evacuated chamber in which an anode assembly is rotatably mounted to a bearing assembly and interacts with a cathode assembly for production of x-rays. The bearing assembly includes a bearing housing and a plurality of bearings disposed on a surface of the bearing housing. A heat sink is coupled to the bearing assembly and provides a thermally conductive path between the bearing assembly and the cooling medium in the x-ray tube housing for providing direct cooling of the bearing assembly during operation.

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Compton, IL, United States of America

Andrew R Kaczmarek