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US 2021/0265126 A1Published application
Multiplexed Drive Systems and Methods for a Multi-Emitter X-Ray Source
AssigneeRapiscan Systems, Inc.
InventorsPaul De Antonis, Edward James Morton, Russell David Luggar
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An improved X-ray source is disclosed. The improved X-ray source has an enclosure, electron guns, a first set of address lines extending through the enclosure, a second set of address lines extending through the enclosure, and nodes defined by the intersection of the first and second set of address lines. Each of the electron guns is coupled to one of the nodes such that a state of each electron gun is uniquely controlled by modulating a state of one of the first set of address lines and one of the second set of address lines.
Claims42
An X-ray source comprising:
- an X-ray tube comprising:
- a vacuum tube;
- a first plurality of wires extending in a first direction through the vacuum tube;
- a second plurality of wires extending in a second direction through the vacuum tube, wherein the first plurality of wires and second plurality of wires intersect to form a plurality of nodes;
- and
- a plurality of electron guns enclosed in the vacuum tube, wherein each of the plurality of electron guns is in electrical communication with at least one of the plurality of nodes;
- and
- a controller configured to modulate a state of one or more of the plurality of nodes to thereby activate or deactivate a corresponding one or more of the plurality of electron guns.
5 more elements
An X-ray source comprising:
- an enclosure;
- a plurality of electron guns enclosed in the enclosure;
- a first set of one or more wires extending in a first direction through the enclosure;
- a first plurality of switches, wherein each switch of the first plurality of switches is in electrical communication with at least one wire of the first set of one or more wires and, is configured to uniquely control said at least one wire of the first set of one or more wires;
- a second set of one or more wires extending in a second direction through the enclosure, wherein each wire of the first set of one or more wires and each wire of the second set of one or more wires intersect to form a plurality of nodes;
- and
- a second plurality of switches, wherein each switch of the second plurality of switches is in electrical communication with at least one wire of the second set of one or more wires and is configured to uniquely control said at least one wire of the second set of one or more wires and wherein each of the plurality of electron guns is in electrical communication with one of the plurality of nodes such that each of the plurality of electron guns is configured to activate or deactivate based on a state of one of the plurality of nodes.
4 more elements
An X-ray source comprising:
- a vacuum housing;
- a plurality of electron guns;
- a plurality of modules, wherein each of the plurality of modules comprises one or more of the plurality of electron guns and wherein the plurality of modules are placed end-to-end to form a continuous locus of the plurality of electron guns within the vacuum housing;
- a first plurality of address lines extending through the vacuum housing;
- a second plurality of address lines extending through the vacuum housing, wherein the first plurality of address lines and the second plurality of address lines intersect at a plurality of nodes, wherein each of the plurality of electron guns is in electrical communication with one of the plurality of nodes such that a state of each of the plurality of electron guns is uniquely controlled by one of the first plurality of address lines and one of the second plurality of address lines;
- a first multi-pin vacuum feed-through containing the first plurality of address lines;
- and
- a second multi-pin vacuum feed-through containing the second plurality of address lines.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.