Koninklijke Philips Corporation N.v.

Todd Russell Bittner

Qing Kelvin Lu

Salvatore G Perno

Paul Xu

Gerald James Carlson

Allan D Kautz

Mark S Maska

Jason P Harris

Norman Wandke

Thomas R Miller

Patrick P McNally

Jose A Buan

An x-ray tube ( ) includes a heat shield ( ) which intercepts heat radiating from an anode ( ), thereby reducing the temperature of a bearing assembly ( ). The heat shield includes outer and inner concentric cylinders ( ) spaced from each other by a vacuum gap ( ). The heat shield and a stationary portion ( ) of the bearing assembly are both connected to a cold plate ( ) so that heat is not conducted from the cylinders to the bearing assembly but is instead carried away by the cold plate to the surrounding cooling oil.

X-ray tube heat barrier

An x-ray tube assembly ( ) includes a housing ( ) and an insert frame ( ) supported within the housing ( ), such that the insert frame ( ) defines a substantially evacuated envelope in which a cathode assembly ( ) and a rotating anode assembly ( ) operate to produce x-rays. The rotating anode assembly ( ) includes an anode target plate ( ) coupled to a rotor ( ) and bearing shaft ( ), which is rotatably supported within a bearing housing ( ), by a plurality of ball bearings ( ). A heat barrier ( ) substantially surrounds the bearing housing ( ) and is coupled, along with the bearing housing ( ) to an anode cold plate ( ). The anode cold plate ( ) includes a grooved cover ( ), a basin ( ), and a plurality of corrugated fins ( ) disposed therein. Coupling both the bearing housing ( ) and the heat barrier ( ) to the anode cold plate ( ) provides an effective means for cooling the bearing assembly ( ).

X-ray tube anode cold plate

An x-ray tube assembly ( ) includes a housing ( ) and an insert frame ( ) supported within the housing ( ), such that the insert frame ( ) defines a substantially evacuated envelope in which cathode ( ) and anode ( ) assemblies operate to produce x-rays. An x-ray transmissive window assembly ( ) extends between and in a fluid-tight relationship with the housing ( ) and the insert frame ( ). The window assembly ( ) includes an insert window ( ) brazed to the insert frame ( ), a top plate ( ), which is connected to and substantially surrounded by a flange ( ), where the flange ( ) is fastened to the x-ray tube housing ( ). An annular side plate ( ) is connected to a fluid-tight relationship with both the insert frame/window interface ( ) and the flange ( ). The window assembly ( ) cools the window through enhanced heat transfer while preventing housing coolant from contacting the insert window ( ), thereby eliminating coolant carbonization on the window ( ) and enhancing x-ray beam quality.

Liquid-free x-ray insert window

An x-ray tube comprising a first electrode and a second electrode. The first and second electrodes are located in operative relationship with one another to generate x-rays when the electrodes are energized at their respective operating potential. An evacuated envelope encloses the first and second electrodes. The evacuated envelope includes a first envelope wall portion, a second envelope wall portion and an envelope weld member comprising an electrical conductor. The envelope weld member is in electrical communication so as to be at operating potential of one of the first and second electrodes when the x-ray tube is energized. The envelope weld member is adapted for vacuum tight joining to the first envelope wall portion and to the second envelope wall portion. The envelope weld member has an integral corona shield portion.

X-ray tube envelope with integral corona shield

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Chicago, IL, United States of America

Todd Russell Bittner