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US 7,003,077 B2Granted
Method and apparatus for x-ray anode with increased coverage
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsSherman Chih-Yee Jen, Mark Ernest Vermilyea
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention is an x-ray tube anode with two targets oriented back-to-back. The targets have separate and opposing cathodes. The targets are a fixed distance apart and rotate together on the same bearing shaft. The cathodes are mounted at either end of the vacuum tube. The cathodes may operate simultaneously or independent of each other based on the CT application.
Claims22
An x-ray tube comprising:
- a body defining a vacuum tube;
- a first anode rotatably mounted within the vacuum tube,
- said first anode having a back face and a target on a front face,
- a second anode rotatably mounted within the vacuum tube, said second anode having a back face and a target on said front face, said back face of said first anode facing said back face of said second anode wherein said target of said first anode is facing away from said target of said second anode;
- a first cathode mounted in said vacuum tube and facing said target of said first anode;
- and
- a second cathode mounted in said vacuum tube and facing said target of said second anode.
4 more elements
A spiral CT scanner comprising:
- a rotating gantry;
- an x-ray source rotatably mounted to said gantry, said x-ray source having a first anode target facing away from a second anode target, each of said first and second anode targets having a respective cathode adjacent thereto;
- and
- a detector mounted to said gantry opposite said x-ray source for receiving x-rays from the x-ray source.
1 more element
A method of generating two x-ray beams comprising the steps of:
- rotating a first anode within a vacuum tube, said first anode having a back face and a target on a front face,
- rotating a second anode within the vacuum tube with said first anode, said second anode having a back face and a target on a front face, said back face of said first anode facing said back face of said second anode wherein said target of said first anode is facing away from said target of said second anode;
- generating an electron beam from a first cathode mounted in said vacuum tube and facing said target face of said first anode;
- generating an electron beam from a second cathode mounted in said vacuum tube and facing said target of said second anode;
- focusing said first electron beam on said first anode target to generate a first x-ray beam;
- and
- focusing said second electron beam on said second anode target to generate a second x-ray beam.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.