Miniaturized high-speed modulated X-ray source

US9117622B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration · US

Inventors

• Keith C. Gendreau · Greenbelt, US
• Zaven Arzoumanian · Greenbelt, US
• Steven J. Kenyon · Hanover, US
• Nick Salvatore Spartana · Baltimore, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Aug 8, 2012
• Grant date: Aug 25, 2015
• Expiry date: Mar 10, 2033

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H05G1/70
• WIPO field: Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A miniaturized high-speed modulated X-ray source (MXS) device and a method for rapidly and arbitrarily varying with time the output X-ray photon intensities and energies. The MXS device includes an ultraviolet emitter that emits ultraviolet light, a photocathode operably coupled to the ultraviolet light-emitting diode that emits electrons, an electron multiplier operably coupled to the photocathode that multiplies incident electrons, and an anode operably coupled to the electron multiplier that is configured to produce X-rays. The method for modulating MXS includes modulating an intensity of an ultraviolet emitter to emit ultraviolet light, generating electrons in response to the ultraviolet light, multiplying the electrons to become more electrons, and producing X-rays by an anode that includes a target material configured to produce X-rays in response to impact of the more electrons.