Koninklijke Philips Corporation N.v.

Plansee Se

Koninklike Philips N.v.

Christoph Helmut Bathe

Rolf Karl Otto Behling

Wolfgang Chrost

Werner Hufenbach

Rainer Pietig

Wolfgang Glatz

Thorben Repenning

Astrid Lewalter

Zoryana Terletska

Jürgen Schatte

Ulrich Hove

Peter Rödhammer

Albert Langkamp

Michael Lübcke

Michael Luebcke

Thomas Behnisch

Van-Minh Duong

Ulrich Hermann Hove

Krishna Swamy

Heiko Richter

Thomas Müller

The rotatable anode of a rotating anode X-ray source has demanding requirements placed upon it. For example, it may rotate at a frequency as high as 200 Hz. X-ray emission is stimulated by applying a large voltage to the cathode, causing electrons to collide with the focal track. The focal spot generated at the electron impact position may have a peak temperature between 2000&#xb0; C. and 3000&#xb0; C. The constant rotation of the rotating anode protects the focal track to some extent, however the average temperature of the focal track immediately following a CT acquisition protocol may still be around 1500&#xb0; C. Therefore, demanding requirements are placed upon the design of the rotating anode. The present application proposes a multi-layer coating for the target region of a rotating X-ray anode which improves mechanical resilience and thermal resilience, whilst reducing the amount of expensive refractory metals required.

Rotary anode for an X-ray source

The present invention relates to mounting of an anode disk. In order to provide a mount of an anode disk to a rotating shaft that is suitable for increased thermal loads on the anode disk, a rotating anode assembly () is provided that comprises an anode disk (), a rotating shaft (), and an anode disk support (). The anode disk is concentrically mounted to a rotating axis () of the rotating shaft via the anode disk support, and the anode disk support comprises a first support () with a first circular axial support surface () that is provided at the rotating shaft in a concentric manner with the rotating axis. Further, the anode disk support comprises a second support () with a second axial support surface () that is at least temporarily attached to the rotating shaft for urging the anode disk against the first support surface in an axial clamping direction. Still further, the first support is provided as a radially flexible support (). Upon heating up of the anode disk during X-ray generation, and a thermal expansion of the anode disk, the radially flexible support bends () radially such that the first axial support surface at least partly follows the thermal expansion in a radial direction.

Rotating anode mount adaptive to thermal expansion

An apparatus () and method for total or partial blanking of an electron beam (e) during a jump between the 2 or more positions of a dynamic focal spot (FP) movement in circumferential direction of the electron beam impinging on the focal track (FPTR) of a rotating target disk () of a X-ray tube (). Alternatively the focal spot size can be increased during this short time interval. Overheating of the anode at the focal spot can be prevented.

Blanking of electron beam during dynamic focal spot jumping in circumferential direction of a rotating anode disk of an X-ray tube

A rotary anode for a rotary anode X-ray tube has an anode disc with a supporting portion. A focal track is located in the vicinity of an outer diameter of the anode disc. The supporting portion has inhomogeneous material properties along a radial coordinate of the anode disc to provide a high mechanical load capacity in the area of an inner diameter of the anode disc and a high thermal load capacity at the focal track. These measures provide for a rotary anode for a rotary anode X-ray tube that meets the extreme thermal and mechanical loads during operation. Further, a method for manufacturing such a rotary anode is described as well.

Rotary anode for a rotary anode X-ray tube and method for manufacturing a rotary anode

An X-ray tube with a rotatable anode for generating X-rays and an X-ray apparatus and a method for balancing the rotary anode of an X-ray tube include balancing of the rotary anode applicable to an anode mounted inside an X-ray tube. The rotatable anode includes an anode disc fixedly mounted to a rotatably driven support body, which is rotatably supported by a bearing arrangement. The anode includes at least one balancing cavity to adjust the center of gravity of the anode. The balancing cavity is partly filled with a balancing material being solid at operating temperature of the X-ray tube and liquid at a higher temperature. The balancing method includes determining an imbalance of the anode; heating liquefy balancing material; dislocating the balancing material inside the balancing cavity to compensate the imbalance; and cooling to solidify the balancing material.

Balancing of the rotary anode of an X-ray tube

An X-ray tube for generating X-radiation includes a rotary structure having a rotating anode, a stationary structure for rotatably supporting the rotary structure, and a hydrodynamic bearing which is arranged between the rotary structure and the stationary structure. The bearing includes a gap between the rotary structure and the stationary structure, a stabilizer configured to stabilize dimensions of the gap with respect to distortions because of thermo-mechanical causes.

Bearing within an X-ray tube

In a rotatable anode () of an X-ray tube, a heat transfer between the rotating disc of the anode () and the second bearing element () is achieved by providing a contact material () within a gap () between the anode disc () and the second bearing element (). Contact elements () protrude from the second bearing element () into the contact material (), thus allowing a heat transfer from anode disc () to second bearing element () via contact material () and contact element ().

Rotatable anode and X-ray tube comprising a liquid heat link

This invention relates to high power X-ray sources, in particular to those equipped with a rotating X-ray anode capable of delivering a higher short time peak power than conventional rotating x-ray anodes. This invention can overcome the thermal limitation of peak power by allowing fast rotation of the anode and by introducing a lightweight material with high thermal conductivity in the region adjacent to the focal track material. The fast rotation can be provided by using sections of the rotating anode disk made of anisotropic high specific strength materials with high thermal stability that can be specifically adapted to the high stresses of anode operation. Uses include high speed image acquisition for X-ray imaging, for example, of moving objects in real-time such as in medical radiography.

Hybrid design of an anode disk structure for high prower X-ray tube configurations of the rotary-anode type

An anode plate for an X-ray tube includes an outer edge, a center region, and a plurality of slots disposed along the outer edge and extending toward the center region () with each of the plurality of slots including a slot end. The anode plate further includes slot termination material disposed around a least a portion of the periphery of one or more of the slot ends, the slot termination material operable to reduce the tension stress or compression stress at the slot end.

Anode plate for X-ray tube and method of manufacture

The invention relates to a device for generating X-rays (). The device comprises a source () for generating an electron beam (), and a carrier () which is rotatable about an axis of rotation () and which is provided with a material () which generates the X-rays as a result of the incidence of the electron beam thereon. The device further comprises a heat absorbing member () which is arranged between the source and the carrier to catch electrons, which are scattered back from an impingement position () of the electron beam on the carrier, and to absorb a portion of the radiant heat generated by the carrier when heated during operation. The heat absorbing member is in thermal connection with a cooling system () of the device. According to the invention, the thermal connection between the heat absorbing member () and the cooling system () comprises a thermal barrier () which limits a rate of heat transfer (( ) occurring via the thermal connection per unit of temperature difference between the heat absorbing member and the cooling system. In a particular embodiment, said thermal barrier comprises an annular mounting member () having a limited dimension (hB), by means of which the heat absorbing member is mounted in the device. As a result of said thermal barrier, the heat absorbed by the heat absorbing member is gradually transferred to the cooling system, so that thermal peak loads on the cooling system and problems like boiling of the cooling liquid are avoided. In addition, relatively high temperatures of the heat absorbing member are allowed, so that the mass and volume of the heat absorbing member, which are necessary to provide the heat absorbing member with a sufficiently large heat absorbing capacity, are considerably reduced.

Device for generating x-rays having a heat absorbing member

A device for generating X-rays includes source for emitting electrons; a carrier having a material that generates X-rays in response to the electrons; and dynamic groove bearing configured to rotate the carrier. The dynamic groove bearing has a portion with grooves. The carrier includes a member that extends away from the carrier to cover at least the portion having the grooves. The carrier and the member are a single piece.

Device for generating X-rays having an integrated anode and bearing member

The invention relates to a rotary-anode X-ray tube which includes an axial bearing arrangement which is particularly suitable for combination with a radial spiral groove bearing. It is a problem of known axial magnet bearings, which generally comprise two tooth-like structures which are oriented in the radial direction and are oppositely situated, consists in that substantial radial forces are generated during the starting and the stopping phase, which radial forces can cause substantial wear of notably radial spiral groove bearings. An axial bearing which involves significantly lower radial forces and hence a less loading of the radial bearings, is realized by an arrangement of at least two magnetic elements which are spaced apart in the axial direction and are connected in such a manner that they take up axial bearing forces. A further solution to this problem is achieved by means of an axial bearing in the form of a single-point ball bearing.

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Hamburg, Germany

Christoph Helmut Bathe