Emissive coating for X-ray tube rotors
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsPaul A. Siemers, Richard W. Lindberg, Stephen F. Rutkowski
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An improved high performance x-ray system having a rotating anode therein which includes an improved coating for the x-ray tube rotor. The surface of the x-ray tube rotor is coated with a ductile, metal coating, preferably iron, having a thickness of about 0.2 to about 5.0 mils thick. The rotor coating has ductile properties with a strain to fail greater than 0.05% and thermal expansion properties which when placed on an x-ray tube rotor, provides at least about 40,000 x-ray scan-seconds prior to tube failure due to rotor spalling.
Claims31
An x-ray tube comprising:
- a glass envelope;
- a cathode, operatively positioned in the glass envelope;
- an anode assembly operatively positioned in the envelope, the anode assembly including a rotor operatively positioned relative to a stator;
- and a target, operatively positioned relative to the cathode, the rotor comprising:
- a metal inner core;
- a metal outer core;
- and
- a ductile, metal coating having a stable, adherent oxide selected from the group consisting of:
- Fe, Cr, Al or Ni, operatively positioned on the outer surface of the outer core.
An x-ray system comprising;
- an enclosure having oil contained therein;
- an oil pump, operatively positioned relative to the enclosure for circulating oil within the system;
- at least one cooling means, operatively connected to the enclosure and the oil pump, for cooling the oil;
- an x-ray tube, operatively positioned inside the enclosure, for generating and directing x-rays toward a target, the x-ray tube comprising:
- a glass envelope;
- a cathode, operatively positioned in the glass envelope;
- a rotor;
- a stator, operatively positioned relative to the rotor;
- and
- a target, operatively positioned relative to the cathode and operatively connected to the rotor, the rotor comprising:
- a metal inner core;
- a metal outer core;
- and
- a ductile, metal coating having a stable, adherent oxide selected from the group consisting of:
- Fe, Cr, Al or Ni, operatively positioned on the outer surface of the outer core.
A method of manufacturing a rotor for an x-ray tube comprising the steps of:
- providing a metal inner core;
- providing a metal outer core;
- operatively connecting the outer core to the inner core;
- and
- applying a ductile, metal coating having a stable, adherent oxide selected from the group consisting of:
- Fe, Cr, Al or Ni on the outer surface of the outer core.
An x-ray tube comprising:
- an envelope;
- a cathode, operatively positioned in the envelope;
- an anode assembly, operatively positioned in the envelope, the anode assembly including a rotor, operatively positioned relative to a stator, and a target, operatively positioned relative to the cathode, the rotor comprising:
- an inner core;
- an outer core;
- and
- a ductile, metal coating having a stable, adherent oxide selected from the group consisting of:
- Fe, Cr, Al or Ni, operatively positioned on the outer surface of the outer core.
An x-ray system comprising;
- an enclosure;
- at least one cooling means, operatively connected to the enclosure, for cooling the system;
- an x-ray tube, operatively positioned inside the enclosure, for generating x-rays, the x-ray tube comprising:
- an envelope;
- a cathode, operatively positioned in the envelope;
- an anode assembly, operatively positioned in the envelope, the anode assembly including a rotor, operatively positioned relative to a stator and a target, operatively positioned relative to the cathode, the rotor comprising:
- an inner core;
- an outer core;
- and
- a ductile, metal coating having a stable, adherent oxide selected from the group consisting of:
- Fe, Cr, Al or Ni, operatively positioned on the outer surface of the outer core.
A method of manufacturing a rotor for an x-ray tube comprising the steps of:
- providing an inner core;
- providing an outer core;
- operatively connecting the outer core to the inner core;
- and
- applying a ductile, metal coating having a stable, adherent oxide selected from the group consisting of:
- Fe, Cr, Al or Ni on the outer surface of the outer core.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.