General Electric Company

Ge Medical Systems

Global Technology Company, LLC

Thomas Saint Martin

Frédéric Dahan

Mark Ernest Vermilyea

Mayank Tiwari

Harith Vadari

Hombe Gowda

Ram Turaga

A system and method for providing a sealing arrangement in an X-ray tube are provided. The X-ray tube includes a rotating portion having a plurality of ball bearings and a liquid metal within a housing having the ball bearings therein. The rotating portion is configured to rotate an anode. The X-ray tube further includes a sealing portion formed by a liquid metal vacuum interface configured in a radial direction to resist flow of liquid metal from the housing to a vacuum portion.

System and method for providing sealing arrangement in X-ray tube

Liquid metal gaskets for use in vacuum tubes are provided. Such liquid metal gaskets are ideal for use in x-ray tubes in x-ray imaging systems. These liquid metal gaskets comprise an internal plug incorporating a liquid metal filling, a first seal connected to a first end of the internal plug so as to isolate a bearing assembly from a vacuum vessel portion of the vacuum tube, and a second seal connected to a second end of the internal plug so as to prevent particles and vapors in a cavity of the bearing assembly from migrating into a vacuum area of the x-ray tube. The liquid metal gaskets incorporate any suitable liquid metal, such as mercury, gallium, or a gallium alloy. The liquid metal gaskets allow any suitable type of bearing assembly lubricant to be used, such as oils, powders, liquids, solids, wetting metals, and the like.

Liquid metal gasket in x-ray tubes

Growing community of inventors

Limours, France

Thomas Saint Martin