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US 7,065,179 B2Granted
Multiple target anode assembly and system of operation
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsWayne F. Block, J. Scott Price, Jiang Hsieh, Eric Chabin, Gorur N. Sridhar
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An anode assembly having multiple target electrodes is disclosed. Each target electrode produces an x-ray fan beam for radiographic data acquisition. The target electrodes are designed to sequentially generate an x-ray fan beam and therefore operate at a proportional duty cycle per scan. Power output capabilities of the anode assembly is increased without an increase in the size or thermal overloading of the anode assembly.
Claims14
An x-ray tube assembly comprising:
- a plurality of independently controllable electron sources configured to emit electrons;
- an anode disc;
- a plurality of target electrodes disposed on the anode disc and configured to receive electrons emitted by the plurality of independently controllable electron sources and emit a plurality of fan beams of radiographic energy in response thereto;
- a thermal feedback loop operably connected to provide feedback indicative of thermal conditions of at least one target electrode;
- and
- an electron firing controller operably connected to the thermal feedback loop and configured to selectively fire the plurality of independently controllable electron sources to maintain a thermal load on the at least one target electrode below a given threshold.
3 more elements
A CT system comprising:
- a rotatable gantry having a bore centrally disposed therein;
- a table movable fore and aft through the bore and configured to position a subject for CT data acquisition;
- a detector array disposed within the rotatable gantry and configured to detect x-radiation attenuated by the subject;
- an anode disc positioned within the rotatable gantry;
- multiple x-ray sources extending circumferentially about the anode disc and configured to project x-ray fan beams toward the subject;
- and
- a controller operably connected to the multiple x-ray sources and configured to selectively fire the multiple x-ray sources based on respective thermal stresses on the multiple x-ray sources;
- wherein the controller determines the respective thermal stresses on the multiple x-ray sources.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.