General Electric Company

Ge Precision Healthcare LLC

Mark Alan Frontera

Sergio Lemaitre

Carey Shawn Rogers

Yun Zou

Peter Andras Zavodszky

Vance Scott Robinson

Xi Zhang

Ethan James Westcot

Uwe Wiedmann

John Scott Price

Vasile Bogdan Neculaes

Walter John Smith

George Theodore Dalakos

Aniruddha Dattatraya Gadre

Christopher David Unger

Aparna Chakrapani Sheila-Vadde

Debasish Mishra

Manoharan Venugopal

Edwin L Legall

Mandyam Rangayan Sridhar

Bruno Kristiaan Bernard De Man

Mark Ernest Vermilyea

Antonio Caiafa

Jiahua Fan

Rowland F Saunders

Floribertus P M Heukensfeldt Jansen

Chad Allan Smith

Michael Scott Hebert

Clarence Lavere Gordon, Iii

William Robert Ross

Thangavelu Asokan

Edward Emaci

Kenneth Roger Conway

Michael John Utschig

Manoj Kumar Koyithitta Meethal

Scott Stephen Zelakiewicz

Munishwar Ahuja

James William Sears

Louis Paul Inzinna

Ramasamy Anbarasu

Vivek Walimbe

Sunil Srinivasa Murthy

Jean-Francois Larroux

Adam Budde

Sergiy Zalyubovskiy

Anandraj Sengupta

Harith Vadari

Rammohan Rao Kalluri

Grant Richard Wagner

Hombe Gowda

Julien Bouhraoua

Adam Clark Nathan

Aurelien Gadenne

Floribertus Pm Heukensfeldt Jansen

Matthew Jason Evangelist

Maheshwara Murthy

Jean-François Larroux

Peter Andras Zavodsky

Pramod Kumar Pandey

Savio Sebastian

Aurélien Gadenne

Rowland Frederick Saunders

Adaptively forming a three-dimensional component may include providing a plurality of electron beam sources, and simultaneously controlling the plurality of electron beam sources to direct a plurality of electron beams onto a plurality of deposited layers of metallic powder to sequentially consolidate patterned portions of the plurality of deposited metallic powder layers to adaptively form the three-dimensional component.

Additive manufacturing employing a plurality of electron beam sources

Methods and systems are provided for cooling systems for imaging systems. In one embodiment, a manifold assembly for an imaging system comprises: an intake manifold and a return manifold formed by a plurality of unitary sections, the intake manifold and return manifold positioned adjacent to each other and separated by a shared wall; and a plurality of nozzles, with each nozzle of the plurality of nozzles formed by a corresponding section of the plurality of unitary sections. In this way, an assembly difficulty, expense, and/or manufacturing time of the manifold assembly may be decreased.

Systems and methods for cooling an imaging system

An X-ray tube is provided. The X-ray tube includes an electron beam source including a cathode configured to emit an electron beam. The X-ray tube also includes an anode assembly including an anode configured to receive the electron beam and to emit X-rays when impacted by the electron beam. The X-ray tube further includes a gridding electrode disposed about a path of the electron beam between the electron beam source and the anode assembly. The gridding electrode, when powered at a specific level, is configured to grid the electron beam in synchronization with planned transitions during a dynamic focal spot mode.

X-ray tube with gridding electrode

The present inventors have recognized that fall times between high-kV to low-kV levels (during a 'dual energy' or 'fast-kV' energy scan) are linked to the discharge of HV (high voltage) capacitance. In an embodiment of the invention, a high voltage generator may be activated during fall transitions from first to second energy levels in order to substantially maintain a predetermined fall transition time. Accordingly, substantially equal energy distributions between high-kV and low-kV levels may be achieved.

Energy imaging with generally constant energy separation

A flat emitter configured for use in an X-ray tube is presented. The X-ray tube includes a first conductive section including a first terminal. Further, the X-ray tube includes a second conductive section including a second terminal. Also, the X-ray tube includes a third conductive section disposed between the first conductive section and the second conductive section, wherein the third conductive section is configured to emit electrons toward a determined focal spot, and wherein the third conductive section includes a plurality of slits subdividing the third conductive section into a winding track coupled to the first conductive section and the second conductive section, wherein at least two of the plurality of slits are interwound spirally to compose the winding track, and wherein the winding track is configured to expand and contract based on heat provided to the third conductive section.

Flexible flat emitter for X-ray tubes

In one embodiment, an X-ray source target is provided that includes two or more layers of X-ray generating material at different depths within a source target for an electron beam. In one such embodiment the X-ray generating material in each layer does not extend fully across an underlying substrate surface.

Multilayer X-ray source target with high thermal conductivity

An emitter device having an emission surface includes a plurality of ligaments configured to emit electrons in response to an applied electric field resulting from an applied electrical voltage. Further, the emitter device includes a plurality of slots configured to provide physical separation between two or more adjacently disposed ligaments of the plurality of ligaments, where one or more slots of the plurality of slots define an electrical path. Moreover, the emitter device includes a low work function layer disposed on at least a portion of a ligament of the plurality of ligaments.

Emitter devices for use in X-ray tubes

In various embodiments, a multi-layer X-ray source target is provided having two or more layers of target material at different depths and different thicknesses. In one such embodiment the X-ray generating layers increase in thickness in relationship to their depth relative to the electron beam facing surface of the source target, such that X-ray generating layer further from this surface are thick than X-ray generating layers closer to the electron beam facing surface.

In accordance with one aspect of the present system, an X-ray detector of an X-ray imaging system includes a communication module configured to receive a pre-shot image from a detection circuitry and receive one or more pre-shot parameters from a source controller of the X-ray imaging system. The X-ray detector further includes an analysis module configured to determine one or more image characteristics of the pre-shot image. The X-ray detector further includes a determination module configured to calculate one or more main-shot parameters based on the one or more pre-shot parameters and the one or more image characteristics. The determination module is further configured to send the one or more main-shot parameters to the source controller of the X-ray imaging system.

System and method for determining X-ray exposure parameters

An X-ray tube includes an emitter, and an electrode assembly. The emitter is configured to emit an electron beam toward a target. The electrode assembly includes at least one electrode having a bias voltage with respect to the emitter. At least one electrode of the electrode assembly is a segmented electrode including a plurality of segments. The plurality of segments includes a first member and a second member. The first member is configured to have a first bias voltage and the second member is configured to have a second bias voltage that is different from the first bias voltage.

X-ray tube with adjustable intensity profile

Embodiments of the disclosure relate to electron emitters for use in conjunction with X-ray emitting devices. In certain embodiments the emitter includes features that prevent, limit, or control deflection of the electron emitter at operating temperatures. In this manner, the electron emitter may be kept substantially flat or at a desired curvature during operation.

Electron emission surface for X-ray generation

Embodiments of the disclosure relate to electron emitters for use in conjunction with X-ray devices. In one embodiment, the emitter features a round emission area capable of emitting electrons when heated, wherein the round emission area comprises at least one of a gap, a channel, or a combination thereof that separates a first portion of the round emission area from a second portion of the round emission area and permits thermal expansion of the first portion and the second portion within the at least one gap or channel without permitting the first portion and the second portion to touch one another. The two electrically conductive legs coupled to the surface at respective locations outside the round emission area and that are capable of supplying current to the round emission area.

Emission surface for an X-ray device

An X-ray tube assembly is provided including an emitter configured to emit an electron beam, an emitter focusing electrode, an extraction electrode, and a downstream focusing electrode. The emitter focusing electrode is disposed proximate to the emitter and outward of the emitter in an axial direction. The extraction electrode is disposed downstream of the emitter and the emitter focusing electrode. The extraction electrode has a negative bias voltage setting at which the extraction electrode has a negative bias voltage with respect to the emitter. The downstream focusing electrode is disposed downstream of the extraction electrode, and has a positive bias voltage with respect to the emitter. When the extraction electrode is at the negative bias voltage setting, the electron beam is emitted from an emission area that is smaller than a maximum emission area from which electrons may be emitted.

X-ray tube with adjustable electron beam

An X-ray tube assembly includes an electron beam transport tube, a beam tube protection assembly, and a control module. The electron beam transport tube includes an opening configured for passage of an electron beam, and includes an inner surface bounding the opening along a length of the electron beam transport tube. The beam tube protection assembly includes a plurality of beam protection electrode segments disposed within the opening of the electron beam transport tube and configured to protect the inner surface of the electron beam transport tube from contact with the electron beam. The control module is configured to determine a direction of the electron beam responsive to information received from the beam tube protection assembly.

Systems and methods for monitoring and controlling an electron beam

An apparatus for modifying an aspect ratio of an electron beam to form a focal spot having a desired size and aspect ratio on a target anode is disclosed. The apparatus includes an emitter element configured to generate an electron beam having a first aspect ratio shape and an extraction electrode positioned adjacent to the emitter element to extract the electron beam out therefrom, the extraction electrode including an opening therethrough. The apparatus also includes at least one shaping electrode positioned to receive the electron beam after passing through the extraction electrode, the shaping electrode defining a non-circular aperture therein and being configured to provide at least one of shaping and focusing of the electron beam to have a second aspect ratio shape different from the first aspect ratio shape so as to form a focal spot having a desired size and aspect ratio on a target anode.

Apparatus for modifying electron beam aspect ratio for X-ray generation

Growing community of inventors

Ballston Lake, NY, United States of America

Mark Alan Frontera