Siemens Aktiengesellschaft

Kurt Dietz

Manfred Pfeiler

Rudolf Friedel

Peter Grassmann

Friedrich Meinel

In an exemplary embodiment, a portion of the tube vacuum envelope is disposed between the rotor and stator of the anode drive motor. Taking into account the required high voltage safety, hitherto concessions as to the anode drive had to be made. The disclosure provides an improvement in this regard in that the anode and stator are connected to the same potential until a desired rotational frequency is attained. Only then, subsequent to disconnection of the drive voltage, is the radiography voltage applied for the necessary exposure period. If necessary, subsequently a braking voltage, or again a drive voltage, respectively, can be applied to the stator. Methods and installations in which, in accordance with the disclosure, the drive of the rotary anode is intensified, are, in particular, suited for utilization in medical x-ray diagnostics, mainly computer tomography.

Method and apparatus for the operation of rotary anode X-ray tubes

In illustrated laminographic embodiments, longitudinal body layers are scanned by arranging individual x-ray tubes along a path or surface parallel to the body layer. The intensity of each conical beam focused on the body layer may be individually selected according to the absorption of the associated beam path through the body, for the sake of a fluoroscopic image of uniform brightness. For scanning either longitudinal or transverse body layers, a stationary detector may be utilized, sequentially activated conical or thin fan-shaped beams impinging on respective sets of time-shared detector locations to provide sets of measured values identified with the respective beams.

Apparatus for displaying fluoroscopic tomographic images of the body

The organ-related keys for selecting radiographic exposure parameters according to a predetermined programming may include special correction keys to be actuated according to an estimate of patient transparency, or in any event the keys representing respective organs imply a range of expected attenuations of the incident radiation due to the presence of the patient. The disclosed system senses the implied patient transparency range from the setting of the control keys, and compares the same with an actual value signal due to the specific patient and takes suitable control action in the event that patient bulk does not fall within the predetermined range. For example, the control action may comprise a shut off of the radiation source, or a change of X-ray tube high voltage setting or of anode current. It is also possible for the system to automatically store data on the parameters selected such as the geometry of the camera and/or the X-ray film in service, and to utilize such data to improve the accuracy of the transparency actual value signal, or to aid in determining the response to be made by the system to detected discrepancies.

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Erlangen, Germany

Kurt Dietz