Siemens Aktiengesellschaft

Siemens Healthcare Gmbh

Siemens Healthineers Ag

Paul Scherrer Institut

Jörg Freudenberger

Peter Schardt

Stefan Popescu

Thomas Mertelmeier

Martin Hoheisel

Eckhard Hempel

Joachim W Baumann

Manfred Schuster

Martin Engelhardt

Franz Pfeiffer

Christian David

Peter Röhrer

Josef Deuringer

Ernst Neumeier

Anja Fritzler

Peter Geithner

Ronald Dittrich

Detlef Mattern

Erich Hell

Steffen Kappler

Sultan Haider

Peter Hackenschmied

Matthias Seufert

Markus Schild

Thomas Weber

Lothar Werner

Manfred Fuchs

Marcus Radicke

Steffen Walter

Sven Fritzler

Stefan Lampenscherf

Christoph Jud

Jan Matschulla

Jan Berk

Matthias Honal

Manfred Apel

Raimund Schwarz

Holger Baule

Jana Noack

Jens Uecker

Wolfgang Schäff

Peter Molnar

Stefan Prof Popescu

Franz Prof Pfeiffer

Some example embodiments provide an x-ray tube for a stereoscopic imaging having an evacuated x-ray tube housing; an electron emitter apparatus in the x-ray tube housing, the electron emitter apparatus including a first field effect emitter with a first emitter surface and a second field effect emitter with a second emitter surface, at least one of the first emitter surface or the second emitter surface being segmented such that a portion of the at least one of the first emitter surface or the second emitter surface can be set relative to the respective overall emitter surface by selectively switching emitter segments of the at least one of the first emitter surface or the second emitter surface; an anode unit in the x-ray tube housing, the anode unit configured to generate x-ray radiation for the stereoscopic imaging as a function of electrons striking two focal points; and a control unit.

X-ray tube for a stereoscopic imaging

A patient support device including a patient support board including of at least two board sections, wherein at least one of the at least two board sections may be pivoted with respect to another of the board sections around a pivot axis by a pivoting mechanism. The pivoting mechanism includes two ratchets that may be latched in mutually opposite directions of rotation around the pivot axis and at least one operator control device. At least one of the two ratchets may be moved from a latched state into an open state and/or vice versa by the at least one operator control device.

Patient support device

An x-ray imaging system includes an x-ray source configured to emit x-ray radiation towards a sample, and a primary detector configured to detect x-ray radiation from the x-ray source passing through the sample. The x-ray imaging system also includes a secondary detector configured to detect x-ray radiation from the x-ray source scattered in the sample, and imaging optics configured to guide x-ray radiation scattered in the sample onto the secondary detector.

X-ray imaging system and method of x-ray imaging

The present disclosure provides an x-ray device including a housing configured to provide a vacuum therein, a cathode arranged inside the housing and configured to emit electrons, an anode arranged inside the housing and configured to produce x-ray radiation when impacted by electrons emitted by the cathode, and a converter configured to convert the x-ray radiation produced by the anode into monochromatic x-ray radiation, wherein the anode is configured to produce x-ray radiation in transmission and is arranged between the cathode and the converter. The present disclosure may be used in medical imaging, therapy, spectroscopy, and the like. Geometries and configurations may be improved compared to previously known x-ray devices when it comes to requirements for space, materials used, complexity of electrical wiring, distance between cathode and anode, and providing supplementary functions.

X-ray device and method of applying x-ray radiation

A method for generating x-ray images of an examination object is described. In the method, x-rays are emitted in a direction of an x-ray detector, wherein an examination object is arranged between the x-ray detector and an x-ray source emitting the x-rays. An anti-scatter grid, which is arranged between the examination object and the x-ray detector, is moved across the detection surface of the x-ray detector. X-ray detector signals are acquired with temporal and spatial resolution, the x-ray detector signals including the intensity of the x-rays incident on the x-ray detector. The x-ray detector signals are evaluated taking into account a temporal variation of the acquired intensity of the x-ray detector signals caused by the movement of the anti-scatter grid. An x-ray imaging apparatus is also described.

Recording X-ray images without scattered radiation

A device for slot scanning phase contrast x-ray imaging, includes an x-ray emitter, a plurality of x-ray gratings, a patient couch, and an x-ray detector. Position marker elements are arranged and configured in the beam path of the x-ray emitter such that the position marker elements are visible in an x-ray image. In the x-ray image, a relative position of an object on the patient couch in relation to an x-ray beam fan of the x-ray emitter may be established from a location and a distance of the position marker elements from one another.

Device and method for x-ray phase contrast imaging

An x-ray tube unit includes an x-ray tube unit housing, in which a vacuum housing is disposed, which includes a high-voltage component. The vacuum housing includes an insulating medium circulating in the x-ray tube unit housing flowing around it. Further, a cathode module and an anode are disposed in the vacuum housing, the cathode module lying at high voltage and including an emitter which emits electrons when heating current is fed to it. In addition, a potential difference is present between the cathode module and the anode for accelerating the emitted electrons. In accordance with an embodiment of the invention a high-voltage feed, a heating transformer and a radiation protection component are integrated into the high-voltage component, the high-voltage component being filled at least partly with an electrically-insulating encapsulation material. This produces a compact and installation-friendly x-ray tube unit which has high operational safety.

X-ray tube unit

A single-pole x-ray emitter includes an emitter housing, in which an x-ray tube with a vacuum housing and a drive motor are arranged. A cathode that generates an electron beam, and a rotating anode that is struck by the electron beam along a focal path are arranged in the vacuum housing. The vacuum housing includes a drive-side housing wall and an anode-side housing wall, and the rotating anode is held in a torsionally rigid manner on an anode tube that is rotatably mounted on a stationary part of a rotor shaft that is coupled to the drive motor. The stationary part of the rotor shaft is joined to the anode-side housing wall of the vacuum housing via a ring-shaped fixing. The anode tube incorporates a temperature compensation element. The focal path is arranged on a side of the rotating anode that faces away from the anode-side housing wall.

Single-pole x-ray emitter

An x-ray tube has a backscatter electron trap to prevent extra focal radiation caused by backscattered electrons from the focal spot from passing through the beam exit window to an exterior of the x-ray tube. The backscatter electron trap has a surface that faces the x-ray beam in the x-ray tube. No portion of that surface is visible both from an arbitrary point in the x-ray beam outside of the x-ray tube and from an arbitrary point at the focal spot.

X-ray tube with a backscattering electron trap

A rotating anode includes a focal track that has a microstructure on a surface of the focal track. The microstructure is produced using deep reactive ion etching.

Focal track of a rotating anode having a microstructure

In a focus detector arrangement and method for an x-ray apparatus for generating projection or tomographic phase-contrast images of an examination subject, a beam of coherent x-rays is generated by an anode that has areas of different radiation emission characteristics arranged in bands thereon, that proceed parallel to grid lines of a phase grid that is used to generate the phase-contrast images.

Focus detector arrangement and method for generating contrast x-ray images

A method and a measurement system are disclosed for the noninvasive determination of properties of an object to be examined and to the use of a contrast medium for X-ray phase-contrast measurement. in at least one embodiment of the invention, a mixture (suspension) consisting of a base liquid and a multiplicity of particles contained therein is used, the refractive index of the base liquid being different to the refractive index of the particles.

Measurement system and method for the noninvasive determination of properties of an object to be examined and contrast medium X-ray phase-contrast measurement

An X-ray optical transmission grating of a focus-detector arrangement of an X-ray apparatus is disclosed, for generating projective or tomographic phase contrast recordings of a subject. In at least one embodiment, the grating includes a multiplicity of grating bars and grating gaps arranged periodically on at least one surface of at least one wafer, wherein the X-ray optical transmission grating includes at least two sub-gratings arranged in direct succession in the beam direction.

X-ray optical transmission grating of a focus-detector arrangement of an X-ray apparatus for generating projective or tomographic phase contrast recordings of a subject

A focus-detector arrangement of an X-ray apparatus is disclosed for generating projective or tomographic phase contrast recordings with a phase grating. According to at least one embodiment of the invention, in the gaps between its bars, the phase grating includes a filler material whose linear attenuation coefficient in the relevant energy range is greater than that of the bars. The height of the filler material in the gaps is dimensioned on the one hand so that the X-radiation with the energy used for measuring the phase shift generates a phase shift in the X-radiation such that, after the phase grating, the rays which pass through the bars are phase shifted by one half wavelength relative to the rays which pass through the gaps with the filler material. Further, the height of the filler material in the gaps on the other hand is dimensioned so that the attenuation of the X-radiation, at least in relation to the energy used for measuring the phase shift, is the same when passing through the bars and when passing through the filler material.

Focus-detector arrangement for generating projective or tomographic phase contrast recordings with X-ray optical gratings

A focus-detector arrangement includes a radiation source with a focus, arranged on a first side of the subject, for generating a fan-shaped or conical beam of rays; at least one X-ray optical grating arranged in the beam path, with at least one phase grating arranged on the opposite second side of the subject in the beam path generating an interference pattern of the X-radiation preferably, in a particular energy range; and an analysis-detector system which detects at least the interference pattern generated by the phase grating in respect of its phase shift with position resolution. According to at least one embodiment of the invention, at least one X-ray optical grating including bars which are free from overhangs form shadows in the beam path of the fan-shaped or conical beam of rays.

Focus-detector arrangement of an X-ray apparatus for generating projective or tomographic phase contrast recordings

Growing community of inventors

Eckental, Germany

Jörg Freudenberger