The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 25, 2012
Filed:
Sep. 04, 2009
Sergio Lemaitre, Whitefish Bay, WI (US);
Carey Rogers, Brookfield, WI (US);
Yun Zou, Clifton Park, NY (US);
Jizhong Chen, Columbia, MD (US);
Sergio Lemaitre, Whitefish Bay, WI (US);
Carey Rogers, Brookfield, WI (US);
Yun Zou, Clifton Park, NY (US);
Jizhong Chen, Columbia, MD (US);
General Electric Company, Schenectady, NY (US);
Abstract
In one embodiment, an X-ray tube is provided. The X-ray tube comprises at least one thermionic cathode configured to generate an electron beam, a target assembly configured to generate X-rays when impinged with the electron beam emitted from the thermionic cathode, a high voltage supply unit for establishing an output voltage across the thermionic cathode and the target assembly for establishing an accelerating electric field between the thermionic cathode and the target assembly and a mesh grid disposed between the thermionic cathode and the target assembly, the mesh grid configured to operate at a voltage so as to lower the electric field applied at the surface of the thermionic cathode. Further, the voltage at the mesh grid is negatively biased with respect to the voltage at the thermionic cathode.