Crystal quartz insulating shell for X-ray catheter

An x-ray catheter capable of being introduced into a subject through an introducer or trocar, comprising:

• a housing shell;
• an anode disposed within said housing shell;
• and
• a cathode disposed within said housing shell, wherein said housing shell is a crystalline quartz.

A method for producing a device suitable for use in delivering x-ray radiation, comprising the steps of:

• fabricating a structure composed of crystalline quartz;
• forming a hollow chamber within the structure;
• disposing a cathode within the hollow chamber, the cathode including granular getter material;
• disposing an anode within the hollow chamber, such that the anode and the cathode are separated by a gap, and attaching an endcap, the endcap and the anode being disposed at opposing ends of the structure to produce a vacuum chamber from the hollow chamber, the vacuum chamber encasing the cathode, whereby the cathode is operative with the anode to produce the x-ray radiation.