Operating a filament of an X-ray tube

A method for operating a generator of an X-ray tube in a pulsed manner, the method comprising:

• providing a signal for an X-ray imaging run comprising a plurality of X-ray pulses for acquiring at least one X-ray image;
• providing a filament current to generate heat in a filament of a cathode of the X-ray tube to reach a desired emission current during an X-ray pulse;
• generating an electron beam with a desired emission current from the cathode towards an anode of the X-ray tube under the influence of a voltage between the anode and the cathode to generate the plurality of X-ray pulse with desired properties;
• providing a plurality of pulses to generate the electron beam with the desired emission current for generating the plurality of X-ray pulses, wherein each two subsequent pulses of the plurality of X-ray pulses are temporally separated by an emission pause;
• wherein the emission pause comprises at least a first part and a second part;
• and
• adjusting, in the emission pause between the two subsequent pulses, the filament current thereby providing a first filament current for the first part of the pause and a second filament current for the second part of the pause,
• wherein the first filament current is lower than the second filament current.

A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored a computer program comprising instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

• provide a signal for an X-ray imaging run comprising a plurality of X-ray pulses for acquiring at least one X-ray image;
• control the generator to provide a filament current to generate heat in a filament of a cathode of the X-ray tube to reach a desired emission current during an X-ray pulse,
• control the generator to provide the plurality of X-ray pulses, each two subsequent X-ray pulses of the plurality of X-ray pulses temporally separated by an emission pause, the emission pause comprising at least a first part and a second part;
• and
• adjust the filament current in the emission pause between the two subsequent pulses, providing a first filament current for the first part of the pause and a second filament current for the second part of the pause, the first filament current being lower than the second filament current.