Varian Medical Systems, Inc.

Varex Imaging Corporation

Varian Medical Systems Technologies, Inc.

Robert Steven Miller

Gregory C Andrews

Kasey Otho Greenland

Christopher F Artig

John E Richardson

Deborah L Salmon

Allen C Campbell

Technology is described for an anode including a substrate, a target, and an anode shield. The substrate including a substrate material includes a first portion with a first cross-sectional dimension, and a second portion with a second cross-sectional dimension greater than the first cross-sectional dimension. The target includes a target material attached to a first surface of the first portion of the substrate. The anode shield includes a shield material attached to a second surface of the second portion of the substrate, and the substrate material differs from the target material and the shield material.

Anode shield

The disclosed subject matter includes devices and methods relating to anode assemblies and/or X-ray assemblies. In some aspects, a method of forming an X-ray assembly may include providing an anode base formed of a first material and including a first end. The method may include depositing a second material different from the first material over a first surface of the anode base to form a coated portion of the anode base. The coated portion may be configured such that some backscattered electrons do not travel beyond the coated portion.

X-ray assemblies and coatings

This disclosure concerns cathode assemblies. In one example, a shielded cathode assembly for use in an x-ray tube includes an electron source and a cathode head within which the electron source is at least partially disposed. The cathode head is made from an x-ray shielding material.

Shielded cathode assembly

A shielding disk for managing x-ray emission form a stationary anode x-ray tube is disclosed. The stationary anode x-ray tube includes an anode housing and a stainless steel can that together form an evacuated enclosure and respectively contain a stationary anode and a cathode assembly. The shielding disk, comprised of tungsten, is interposed between the anode housing and the can, and is formed with a region, such as a hole, formed through a central portion thereof. During tube operation, electrons pass through the shielding disk hole to impact a target surface on the anode and produce x-rays. Those x-rays that do not pass through a window defined in the anode housing to exit the tube but instead emanate toward the can, are intercepted and absorbed by the shielding disk before entering the can. This results in a reduced need for lead shielding disposed about external surfaces of the x-ray tube.

X-ray tube having an internal radiation shield

An integrated component mounting system that includes a component mounted to a shaft and secured in place by a nut. The component and the nut each define respective annular shaped surfaces. The shaped surfaces are each inclined at a similar angle and are arranged for sliding contact with respect to each other. As the nut is tightened on the shaft, the shaped surface of the nut exerts both radial and axial forces on the shaped surface of the component, thereby automatically centering the component radially on the shaft as well as securing the component at a desired location along the shaft.

Integrated component mounting system

The present invention is directed to an air-cooled radiographic apparatus, and its method of manufacture, that utilizes a single integral housing for providing an evacuated envelope for an anode and cathode assembly. The integral housing is preferably formed from a substrate material that has a radiation shielding layer comprising a powder metal that is deposited with a plasma spray process. The powder metal includes, for example, tungsten and iron, so that the radiation shield layer provides sufficient radiation blocking and heat transfer characteristics such that an additional external housing is not required. In one alternative embodiment, the integral housing is composed of a solidified, integrated mixture of metallic powders that function together as both the integral housing wall and the radiation shielding. In another alternative embodiment, chromium is intermixed into the mixture of metallic powders to form a thermally emissive surface upon firing the housing in a wet hydrogen environment.

X-Ray tube and method of manufacture

Integrated component mounting system for use in an X-ray tube

A sleeve or cover for preventing the production of secondary x-ray signal contamination from an analytical x-ray tube is disclosed. The x-ray tube includes an evacuated enclosure in which is disposed a cathode and anode. The sleeve or cover is useful in applications such as x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy for improving the spectral purity of the primary stream of x-rays produced by electron bombardment of the anode target surface by the cathode. In one embodiment, the sleeve is disposed about a portion of the anode substrate, and is comprised of beryllium. Electrons back-scattered from the target surface are attracted to the anode substrate and impact the beryllium sleeve, producing secondary x-rays that are not detected by spectroscopic detectors and are therefore not contaminating to the primary x-ray stream.

Sleeve for a stationary anode in an x-ray tube

&ldquo;A cooling disk to transfer heat from an anode to a circulated coolant. The cooling disk includes an annular body that defines an aperture and includes extended surfaces. The cooling disk resides in a fluid passageway defined by the anode, and contacts the anode so as to transfer heat from the anode to a coolant circulated through the fluid passageway by an external cooling unit. The coolant passes through a coolant supply passageway which includes a converging portion that serves to accelerate the coolant as it exits the coolant supply passageway. The accelerated coolant passes through the aperture and contacts a flow diverter disposed in the fluid passageway, as well as the extended surfaces of the cooling disk, so as to remove heat therefrom. The flow diverter transmits heat from the anode to the coolant. The coolant enters the coolant return passageway and returns to the external cooling unit.&rdquo;

Cooling system for stationary anode x-ray tubes

A cooling system for use with high-power x-ray tubes. The cooling system includes a dielectric coolant disposed in the x-ray tube housing so as to absorb heat dissipated by the stator and other electrical components, as well as absorbing some heat from the x-ray tube itself. The cooling system also includes a coolant circuit employing a pressurized water/glycol solution as a coolant. Pressurization of the water/glycol solution is achieved by way of an accumulator which, by pressurizing the coolant to a desired level, raises its boiling point and capacity to absorb heat. A coolant pump circulates the pressurized coolant through a fluid passageway defined in an aperture of the x-ray tube and through a target cooling block disposed proximate to the x-ray tube in the x-ray tube housing, so as to position the coolant to absorb some of the heat generated at the aperture by secondary electrons, and the heat generated in the target cooling block by the target anode of the x-ray tube. The target cooling block is in contact with the dielectric fluid so that some of the heat absorbed by the dielectric coolant is transferred to the coolant flowing through the target cooling block. The heated coolant is then passed through an air/water radiator where a flow of air serves to remove some heat from the coolant. Thus cooled, the coolant then exits the radiator to repeat the cycle.

Dual fluid cooling system for high power x-ray tubes

The present invention relates to an x-ray tube that utilizes a stationary anode assembly. The stationary anode assembly includes an anode target portion that is disposed on the target end of an anode substrate. The anode target includes an overhang portion, that functions to prevent rebounding electrons from striking the underlying anode substrate that would otherwise result in the production of errant x-rays, and that also functions to block errant x-rays produced at the substrate from exiting the x-ray tube. Embodiments also include an anode target having a target surface that is formed with a contoured shape that functions to direct any rebounding electrons towards the center of the anode target surface, and away from the underlying anode substrate. The present invention is particularly useful in preventing a secondary electron stream from emitting errant x-rays that would compromise the particular quality of the x-ray that the x-ray device is designed to generate.

Stationary anode assembly for X-ray tube

An x-ray target assembly is formed by passing a rotary shaft through the center hole of a graphite disk such that the back surface of the disk rests on a flange part of the rotary shaft and the front surface is contacted by a nut which engages with the tip of the rotary shaft. Annular brazing materials are placed adjacent contact areas where the disk contacts the rotary shaft and the nut such that braze joints are made to secure the disk with the nut and the rotary shaft. Grooves may be formed on the surfaces of the nut and the flange part of the rotary shaft which contact the disk such that the brazing material can more efficiently fill the gaps between contacting surfaces.

Graphite x-ray target assembly

A graphite-backed metallic x-ray tube target assembly has a rotary shaft which passes through the central opening of the annular graphite substrate and is secured to the metallic disk-shaped target. In order to protect the shaft from heat radiated from the graphite substrate, at least one tubular heat shield is brazed to the target and disposed between and separate from the inner wall of the annular graphite substrate and the outer peripheral surface of the shaft. For further protection, a tubular heat shielding member may be disposed inside the other heat shield, between the outer heat shield and the shaft. In order to minimize the heat conduction from the outer heat shield to the inner heat shielding member, they are mostly separated and attached to each other only along their bottom edges where they are tack-welded together at mutually separated positions such that the inner heat shielding member is supported entirely by the outer heat shield.

Growing community of inventors

Sandy, UT, United States of America

Robert Steven Miller