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US 11,683,879 B2Granted
Scanning x-ray system
AssigneeMoxtek, Inc.
InventorsRick Steck, Scott Hardy, Vincent F. Jones
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A raster scanning x-ray source can be light and small, and can have high resolution. A raster-assembly can be attached directly to and can encircle an x-ray tube. The raster-assembly can adjoin or can be very close to the x-ray tube, resulting in a small and lightweight scanning x-ray source. X-rays can backscatter back into the x-ray tube instead of into a detector, thus improving resolution of the resulting image. A voltage-multiplier, which can be used with the x-ray source, can include separate voltage-multiplier-stages in a stack.
Claims20
A scanning x-ray system comprising:
- a bipolar x-ray source including a power-supply electrically-coupled to an x-ray tube;
- the power-supply including a positive-voltage-source and a negative-voltage-source;
- the positive-voltage-source:
- (a) having a low-voltage-end and a high-voltage-end and (b) capable of producing a bias voltage with absolute value of ≥1 kV at the high-voltage-end;
- the negative-voltage-source (a) having a low-voltage-end and a high-voltage-end and (b) capable of producing a bias voltage with absolute value of ≥1 kV at the high-voltage-end;
- the x-ray tube including (a) an anode with a target-material configured for production, and emission of x-rays in response to impinging electrons:
- (b) a cathode capable of emitting electrons towards the target-material on the anode;
- (c) an evacuated-region between the anode and the cathode;
- (d) an enclosure encircling the cathode, the anode, and the evacuated-region;
- and (e) an x-ray window configured and located to allow x-rays from the target-material to emit out of the x-ray tube;
- the high-voltage-end of the positive-voltage-source electrically-coupled to the anode of the x-ray tube and the high-voltage-end of the negative-voltage-source electrically-coupled to the cathode of the x-ray tube;
- the enclosure of the x-ray tube:
- (a) comprising ceramic:
- (b) electrically insulating the cathode from the anode;
- and (c) having a thin-region configured as the x-ray window;
- a raster-assembly attached to and encircling the x-ray tube, the raster-assembly including a collimator and a raster-wheel;
- the collimator:
- (a) encircling the x-ray window;
- (b) separated from the x-ray window by a distance of ≤1 cm;
- (c) having an opening aligned with the target-material and with the x-ray window to allow x-rays to transmit out through the opening;
- and (d) including a material composition and thickness capable of blocking x-rays except through the opening;
- the raster-wheel:
- (a) encircling the x-ray window:
- (b) separated from the collimator by a distance of ≤1 cm;
- (c) capable of rotating around the enclosure and the collimator;
- (d) including an aperture capable of repeatedly aligning with the opening of the collimator as the raster-wheel rotates around the collimator, and allowing x-rays to pass out of the integrated raster scanning x-ray system when so aligned;
- and (e) including a material composition and thickness capable of blocking x-rays except through the aperture;
- a vector from the low-voltage-end to the high-voltage-end of the positive-voltage-source, defining a p-vector;
- and a vector from the low-voltage-end to the high-voltage-end of the negative-voltage-source, defining an n-vector;
- the p-vector and the n-vector both extending in the same direction, parallel to each other, towards the x-ray tube;
- and
- a control-circuit extending between and electrically coupled to the low-voltage-end of the positive-voltage-source and the low-voltage-end of the negative-voltage-source;
- the p-vector, the x-ray tube, the n-vector, and the control-circuit forming a rectangle-shape.
30 more elements
A scanning x-ray system comprising:
- a bipolar x-ray source including a power-sum electrically-coupled to an x-ray tube;
- the power-supply including a positive-voltage-source and a negative-voltage-source;
- the positive-voltage-source:
- (a) having a low-voltage-end and a high-voltage-end and (b) capable of producing a bias voltage with absolute value of ≥1 kV at the high-voltage-end;
- the negative-voltage-source (a) having a low-voltage-end and a high-voltage-end and (b) capable of producing a bias voltage with absolute value of ≥1 kV at the high-voltage-end;
- the x-ray tube including:
- (a) an anode with a target-material configured for production and emission of x-rays in response to impinging electrons;
- (b) a cathode capable of emitting electrons towards the target-material on the anode;
- (c) an evacuated-region between the anode and the cathode;
- (d) an enclosure encircling the cathode, the anode, and the evacuated-region;
- and (e) an x-ray window configured and located to allow x-rays from the target-material to emit out of the x-ray tube;
- the high-voltage-end of the positive-voltage-source electrically-coupled to the anode of the x-ray tube and the high-voltage-end of the negative-voltage-source electrically-coupled to the cathode of the x-ray tube;
- the enclosure of the x-ray tube:
- (a) comprising ceramic;
- (b) electrically insulating the cathode from the anode;
- and (c) having a thin-region configured as the x-ray window;
- a raster-assembly attached to and encircling the x-ray tube, the raster-assembly including a collimator and a raster-wheel;
- the collimator:
- (a) encircling the x-ray window;
- (b) separated from the x-ray window by a distance of ≤1 cm;
- (c) having an opening aligned with the target-material and with the x-ray window to allow x-rays to transmit out through the opening;
- and (d) including a material composition and thickness capable of blocking x-rays except through the opening;
- the raster-wheel:
- (a) encircling the x-ray window;
- (b) separated from the collimator by a distance of ≤1 cm;
- (c) capable of rotating around the enclosure and the collimator;
- (d) including an aperture capable of repeatedly aligning with the opening of the collimator as the raster-wheel rotates around the collimator, and allowing x-rays to pass out of the integrated raster scanning x-ray system when so aligned;
- and (e) including a material composition and thickness capable of blocking x-rays except through the aperture;
- a vector from the low-voltage-end to the high-voltage-end of the positive-voltage-source, defining a p-vector;
- and a vector from the low-voltage-end to the high-voltage-end of the negative-voltage-source;
- defining an n-vector;
- the high-voltage-end of the positive-voltage-source and the high-voltage-end of the negative-voltage-source proximate to the x-ray tube;
- and
- the p-vector and the n-vector both extending in opposite directions, parallel to each other, extending towards the x-ray tube.
31 more elements
A scanning x-ray system comprising:
- a bipolar x-ray source including a power-supply electrically-coupled to an x-ray tube;
- the power-supply including a positive-voltage-source and a negative-voltage-source;
- the positive-voltage-source:
- (a) having a low-voltage-end and a high-voltage-end and (b) capable of producing a bias voltage with absolute value of ≥1 kV at the high-voltage-end;
- the negative-voltage-source (a) having a low-voltage-end and a high-voltage-end and (b) capable of producing a bias voltage with absolute value of ≥1 kV at the high-voltage-end;
- the x-ray tube including:
- (a) an anode with a target-material configured for production and emission of x-rays in response to impinging electrons;
- (b) a cathode capable of emitting electrons towards the target-material on the anode;
- (c) an evacuated-region between the anode and the cathode;
- (d) an enclosure encircling the cathode, the anode, and the evacuated-region;
- and (e) an x-ray window configured and located to allow x-rays from the target-material to emit out of the x-ray tube;
- the high-voltage-end of the positive-voltage-source electrically-coupled to the anode of the x-ray tube and the high-voltage-end of the negative-voltage-source electrically-coupled to the cathode of the x-ray tube;
- the enclosure of the x-ray tube:
- (a) comprising ceramic;
- (b) electrically insulating the cathode from the anode;
- and (c) having a thin-region configured as the x-ray window;
- a raster-assembly attached to and encircling the x-ray tube, the raster-assembly including a collimator and a raster-wheel;
- the collimator:
- (a) encircling the x-ray window;
- (b) separated from the x-ray window by a distance of ≤1 cm;
- (c) having an opening aligned with the target-material and with the x-ray window to allow x-rays to transmit out through the opening;
- and (d) including a material composition and thickness capable of blocking x-rays except through the opening;
- the raster-wheel:
- (a) encircling the x-ray window;
- (b) separated from the collimator by a distance of ≤1 cm;
- (c) capable of rotating around the enclosure and the collimator;
- (d) including an aperture capable of repeatedly aligning with the opening of the collimator as the raster-wheel rotates around the collimator, and allowing x-rays to pass out of the integrated raster scanning x-ray system when so aligned;
- and (e) including a material composition and thickness capable of blocking x-rays except through the aperture;
- and
- the positive-voltage-source and the negative-voltage-source each comprise:
- (a) a stack of voltage-multiplier-stages, each voltage-multiplier-stage including electronic-components on a planar-face of a circuit-board, the planar-face of each circuit-board being parallel with respect to other circuit-boards in the stack;
- (b) the electronic-components on each voltage-multiplier-stage configured to multiply an input-voltage to provide an output-voltage with a higher voltage than the input-voltage;
- and
- (c) each voltage-multiplier-stage in the stack is electrically coupled to two adjacent voltage-multiplier-stages, except that two outermost voltage-multiplier-stages of the stack are electrically coupled to only one adjacent voltage-multiplier-stage of the stack.
31 more elements
A scanning x-ray system comprising:
- an x-ray tube configured to emit x-rays out of an x-ray window;
- a raster-assembly attached to and encircling the x-ray tube, the raster-assembly including a collimator and a raster-wheel;
- the collimator encircling the x-ray tube at the x-ray window and having an opening aligned with the x-ray window to allow x-rays to transmit out through the opening;
- the raster-wheel encircling and capable of rotating around the x-ray tube at the x-ray window and the collimator at the opening;
- the raster-wheel including an aperture capable of repeatedly aligning with the opening of the collimator as the raster-wheel rotates around the collimator, and allowing x-rays to pass out of the scanning x-ray system when so aligned;
- 1<DC/DT≤3 and 3≤DR/ThR where DC is an outer diameter of the collimator adjacent to the opening, DT is an outer diameter of the x-ray tube at the x-ray window, DR is an outer diameter of the raster-wheel adjacent to the aperture, and ThR is a wall thickness of the raster-wheel adjacent to the aperture;
- and
- a power-supply configured to provide electrical power to the x-ray tube, the power-supply including a voltage-multiplier, the voltage-multiplier including:
- (a) stack of voltage-multiplier-stages, each voltage-multiplier-stage including electronic-components on a planar-face of a circuit-board, the planar-face of each circuit-board being parallel with respect to other circuit-boards in the stack;
- (b) the electronic-components on each voltage-multiplier-stage configured to multiply an input-voltage to provide an output-voltage with a higher voltage than the input-voltage;
- (c) each voltage-multiplier-stage in the stack is electrically coupled to two adjacent voltage-multiplier-stages;
- except that two outermost voltage-multiplier-stages of the stack are electrically coupled to only one adjacent voltage-multiplier-stage of the stack;
- (d) one of the two outermost voltage-multiplier-stages is electrically-coupled to a control-circuit capable of providing alternating current to the one of the two outermost voltage-multiplier-stages;
- and
- (d) another of the two outermost voltage-multiplier-stages electrically-coupled to the anode or to the cathode.
12 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.