Method of adjusting the emission rate of radiation from a source of radiation
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorPatrick Chretien
Life of this patent
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Abstract
To adjust the emission rate of radiation from an X-ray tube, the value of the current of the X-ray tube is modeled empirically by a second-order polynomial function depending on the heating current and a first-order polynomial function depending on the high voltage. A transfer function gives precision closer than 3% for the adjusting of an expected tube current. This function can also be used to take account of disparities of manufacture and of the aging of the tubes in use.
Claims13
A method for adjusting the emission rate of radiation of a source of X-ray radiation comprising:
- calibrating the radiation emission rate of the source as a function of a voltage applied between first and second emitting elements of the source and as a function of the heating current of the source in response to the source being active;
- supplying the second element with high voltage relative to the first element;
- adjusting a heating current of the second element for an expected rate of radiation emission as a function of the calibration;
- and
- carrying out the calibration by an expression chosen to express the emission rate of radiation in which the logarithm of the value of the emission rate is a second-order polynomial function of the heating current and a first-order polynomial function of the voltage.
A computer program product having therein a program code comprising means for:
- calibrating a radiation emission rate of an X-ray source as a function of a voltage applied between first and second emitting elements of the source and as a function of a heating current of the source in response to the source being active;
- supplying the second element with high voltage relative to the first element;
- adjusting a heating current of the second element for an expected rate of radiation emission as a function of the calibration;
- and
- carrying out the calibration by an expression chosen to express the emission rate of radiation in which the logarithm of the value of the emission rate is a second-order polynomial function of the heating current and a first-order polynomial function of the voltage.
A data carrie comprising a medium having embedded therein a computer program code comprising means for:
- calibrating a radiation emission rate of an X-ray source as a function of a voltage applied between first and second emitting elements of the source and as a function of a heating current of the source in response to the source being active;
- supplying the second element with high voltage relative to the first element;
- adjusting a heating current of the second element for an expected rate of radiation emission as a function of the calibration;
- and
- carrying out the calibration by an expression chosen to express the emission rate of radiation in which the logarithm of the value of the emission rate is a second-order polynomial function of the heating current and a first-order polynomial function of the voltage.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.