An X-ray module includes a housing; an electron gun that emits an electron beam inside the housing; a target disposed inside the housing and fixed to the housing, to generate an X-ray when the electron beam is incident on the target; and a deflection unit including a permanent magnet and disposed outside the housing, to deflect the electron beam by means of a magnetic force of the permanent magnet. The deflection unit includes a heat insulating member disposed at least between the permanent magnet and the housing. A thermal conductivity of the heat insulating member is lower than a thermal conductivity of the permanent magnet.

Disclosed herein is an apparatus for electromagnetic x-ray control. The apparatus comprises a thermionic filament, positioned at a first end of a micro-focus x-ray tube and configured to generate an electron stream. The apparatus also comprises an x-ray generation target, positioned within the micro-focus x-ray tube at a second end of the micro-focus x-ray tube, opposite the first end, to receive the electron stream and to generate x-rays in response to the electron stream impinging on the x-ray generation target. The apparatus further comprises an electromagnetic field element, configured to generate an electromagnetic field that receives the electron stream and operable to vary the electromagnetic field to redirect the electron stream, within the micro-focus x-ray tube, to impinge on the x-ray generation target at variable locations on the x-ray generation target. Each one of the variable locations corresponds to a different one of multiple variations of the electromagnetic field.

During operation of a reflection target x-ray source, heat must be removed from many components. The electron beam must be steered to the target and may interact with structures along this path. There is also heat generated in the target itself. This can be excessive, since only a very small percentage of the electron beam's energy is transformed into x-rays. Finally, the x-rays must exit the vacuum through the window, which can also be heated both by the x-rays, reflected electrons, and radiant heat from the target. A water cooled reflective x-ray source provides for water or other fluid cooling of the centering aperture, x-ray target, and/or exit window.

A radiotherapy system includes an X-ray target configured to convert an incident electron beam into a therapeutic X-ray beam, a purging magnet configured to redirect unwanted particles emitted from the X-ray target away from the therapeutic X-ray beam, and a particle collector configured to absorb the unwanted particles subsequent to redirection by the purging magnet. The particle collector may be configured to dissipate at least 50% of the energy of the incident electron beam.

Disclosed is a field emission-type tomosynthesis system including a vacuum body having a space therein; a plurality of sources provided inside the body, wherein each of the sources emits a plurality of electrons; and a plurality of anodes disposed inside the body to face the sources and responsible for emitting a plurality of X-rays, wherein each of the anodes faces a corresponding source among the sources, and the electrons collide with each of the anodes to generate X-rays, wherein the X-ray emission angle of each of the anodes is capable of being independently adjusted so as to focus the X-rays emitted toward an object located outside the body. With this configuration, a plurality of X-rays is focused on an object and is emitted to the object to obtain information, and the information is synthesized, thereby improving the reliability of information about the object.

A method, in an embodiment, is for setting an X-ray intensity using a structured anode or a field emitter cathode or a finger-shaped cathode head. Other embodiments include an associated X-ray device, an associated single X-ray tube CT scanner, an associated dual X-ray tube CT scanner, and an associated computer program product.

Disclosed herein is an x-ray backscatter apparatus for non-destructive inspection of a part. The apparatus comprises an emission shaping mechanism that is configured to receive an electron emission from a cathode and to adjust a shape of the electron emission from a circular cross-sectional shape into a first elliptical cross-sectional shape. The x-ray source further comprises an anode that is configured to convert the electron emission into an unfiltered x-ray emission having a second elliptical cross-sectional shape. The apparatus also comprises an x-ray filter that comprises an emission aperture having a cross-sectional area smaller than an area of the second elliptical cross-sectional shape of the unfiltered x-ray emission. The x-ray filter is located relative to the unfiltered x-ray emission to allow only a portion of the unfiltered x-ray emission to pass through the emission aperture and form a filtered x-ray emission.

Methods and systems are provided for increasing a quality of computed tomography (CT) images generated by a CT system by altering a shape of a focal spot of an X-ray emitter of the CT system. In one embodiment, a method comprises controlling the CT system to focus a beam of electrons generated by a cathode of the CT system at a plurality of focal spots on a surface of an target of the CT system; generating a composite focal spot from the plurality of focal spots; and obtaining projection data of the CT system with the composite focal spot. For example, two focal spots may be combined to generate the composite focal spot. By combining focal spots to generate composite focal spots, a quality of a resulting view produced by the CT system may be increased.

An X-ray module includes; a housing; an electron gun that emits an electron beam inside the housing; a target disposed inside the housing and fixed to the housing, to generate an X-ray when the electron beam is incident on the target; a permanent magnet that is disposed outside the housing and deflects the electron beam by means of a magnetic force; and a heat radiating unit having a higher thermal conductivity than a thermal conductivity of the permanent magnet and thermally connected to the permanent magnet.

Systems/techniques that facilitate correction of intra-scan focal-spot displacement are provided. In various embodiments, a system can access a first gantry angle of a medical scanner. In various aspects, the system can determine a first displacement of a focal-spot of the medical scanner based on the first gantry angle, by referencing a mapping that correlates gantry angles to focal-spot displacements. In various instances, the system can compensate, via one or more focal-spot position adjusters of the medical scanner, for the first displacement.