Patent · US Expired

X-ray generator

US5680431A · kind A · utility

44Cited by
4References
21Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateApr 10, 1996
Grant dateOct 21, 1997
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 10, 2016

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01J35/065
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

An x-ray generator including a light source; a high temperature photocathode arranged so as to be illuminated by light from the light source; an accelerator for accelerating electrons emitted by the photocathode; and a target onto which accelerated electrons impinge so as to produce x-rays, the target being held at substantially ground potential. The accelerator is arranged so that the photocathode is at a low voltage end of a voltage multiplier, typically held at about -100 kV, and the target is at the high voltage end at ground potential. The voltage multiplier can include a bank of nested tubular capacitor members which surround the photocathode and accelerator section and are arranged such that the outer surface is at ground potential, the same as the target.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.