Controlling X-ray tube electron beam optics during KVP switching

Abstract

The present invention relates to a computer-implemented method of controlling electron beam optics of an X-ray tube during X-ray kVp switching. The method includes receiving (110) a tube voltage (11) and a filament current (12) corresponding to a first time point of an X-ray tube kVp switching cycle; calculating (120) with an X-ray tube emission current model (310), a tube emission current (13) at the first time point, wherein the calculation is based on the tube voltage and the tube filament current; calculating (130) an electron beam focusing current and/or focusing voltage (14) based on the calculated tube emission current (13) and the tube voltage (11); and outputting (140) an electron beam optics control signal (15) based on the calculated electron beam focusing current and/or focusing voltage. The invention also relates to an X-ray imaging system (500) configured to carry out the method.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.