Siemens Aktiengesellschaft

Lothar Werner

Jörg Freudenberger

Ernst Neumeier

Joerg Freudenberger

Ulrich Kühn

Petra Maurer

Jan Berk

Raimund Schwarz

Andreas Körner

Herbert Gruchatka

Sebastian Kaufmann

Jana Noack

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

The embodiments relate to a CT system with a stationary part and a rotatable part, which is supported rotatably in the stationary part. At least one x-ray tube unit cooled by a cooling fluid, an x-ray detector lying opposite the x-ray tube unit, and a cooling device coupled in terms of fluid technology to the x-ray tube unit via a coolant circuit are disposed in the rotatable part. A cooling air channel, through which cooling air is able to be fed into the rotatable part, and an exhaust air channel, through which heated exhaust air is able to be taken away from the rotatable part, are disposed in the stationary part. In accordance with the embodiments, at least one overpressure relief valve is disposed in the coolant circuit, through which the cooling fluid is able to be conveyed away in the exhaust air channel.

CT system

An x-ray emitter housing includes a first housing part and a second housing part that are connected to one another in a form-fit manner using an axially acting threaded ring.

X-ray emitter housing

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 computed tomography system has a gantry with a rotor side that can be rotated around a system axis during operation, at which at least one x-ray tube is mounted. To cool the at least one x-ray tube a liquid cooling system is equipped with a fluid volume filled with cooling liquid, the fluid volume extends over distances of different sizes from the system axis. The fluid volume is located on the rotor of the gantry and thus is exposed to centrifugal force during operation. To increase pressure in the cooling system, a flexible compensation volume and a movable mass element that rotate with the gantry are provided. The mass element is arranged such that the centrifugal force acting on the mass element during operation causes pressure to be exerted on the cooling liquid.

Growing community of inventors

Weissenohe/Dorfhaus, Germany

Lothar Werner