Evaluating the performance of an X-ray tube by: recording arcing events that occurred during the use of the X-ray tube; classifying the arcing events by severity; generating, on the basis of the classified arcing events, a first growth pattern for occurrences of arcing events; and determining a level of bubbles in the X-ray tube by finding, on the basis of the first growth pattern, a matching second growth pattern associated with a known level of bubbles in the X-ray tube. An X-ray tube may be checked and replaced in a timely manner, without the need for an on-site inspection, by remotely predicting trends or patterns for growth of levels of bubbles in the X-ray tube.

The subject matter described herein generally relates to apparatus, systems, methods and associated computer instructions for predicting the end of service life of a space charge limited vacuum electron device. The device produces an electron beam current and has a cathode and a filament powered by an adjustable voltage power supply providing a voltage between a first low voltage and a second higher voltage to heat the cathode to an electron emitting temperature. The process includes periodically, while the device is in operation, adjusting the voltage provided by the power supply while monitoring the beam current, determining a knee-point in the voltage where the beam current begins to decrease as the voltage is decreased, and calculating, based on the determined knee-point and a predetermined voltage vs service life remaining relationship, the amount of service life left in the device.

The subject matter described herein generally relates to apparatus, systems, methods and associated computer instructions for predicting the end of service life of a space charge limited vacuum electron device. The device produces an electron beam current and has a cathode and a filament powered by an adjustable voltage power supply providing a voltage between a first low voltage and a second higher voltage to heat the cathode to an electron emitting temperature. The process includes periodically, while the device is in operation, adjusting the voltage provided by the power supply while monitoring the beam current, determining a knee-point in the voltage where the beam current begins to decrease as the voltage is decreased, and calculating, based on the determined knee-point and a predetermined voltage vs service life remaining relationship, the amount of service life left in the device.

The present disclosure provides a testing station, testing module and testing method for testing a plurality of image intensifier tubes. In an embodiment, a testing station includes a first testing module and a second testing module. The first testing module has a first input connector, a first output connector and a plurality of first testing sections each configured to test an image intensifier tube. The second testing module has a second input connector, a second output connector and a plurality of second testing sections each configured to test an image intensifier tube. The first testing module and the second testing module are configured to be removably attached to each other in a first orientation and a second orientation. The first input connector is connected to the second output connector in the first orientation, and the second input connector is connected to the first output connector in the second orientation.

A measurement device for measuring a photocathode current of a photomultiplier tube, the measurement device includes: (a) a voltage amplifier configured to amplify a shunt resistor voltage proportional to the photocathode current; (b) a leakage tolerant circuit configured to generate a first leakage tolerant voltage, based on a first amplified voltage and a first reference voltage having an absolute value that exceeds an absolute value of a leakage associated with the measurement device; (c) a voltage to current transducer that is configured to convert the first leakage tolerant voltage to a first leakage tolerant current; and (d) an output unit that is configured to convert the first leakage tolerant current to an output voltage that is indicative of the photocathode current.