A radiation tube that is used in a radiation source for radiography includes: an electron emitting unit that includes a cathode unit having an emitter electrode which emits electrons and a gate electrode; an anode unit that has an anode surface facing the cathode unit and collides with the electrons to generate radiation; a constant voltage supply unit that supplies a constant driving voltage to the gate electrode; and a vacuum tube that accommodates the constant voltage supply unit, the electron emitting unit, and the anode unit.

A power supply apparatus for an X-ray imaging apparatus includes grid connection device(s) to connect to a power grid providing an AC input voltage, including circuit protection arrangement(s) to not trip below a safety current; an actively actuatable transformer arrangement to transform the AC input voltage into a DC output voltage as a supply voltage for the X-ray imaging apparatus; an electrical energy storage system; and a control apparatus to actuate the transformer arrangement to limit power consumption from the electric power grid as a function of the safety current and make up for a deficiency of a power requirement for the X-ray imaging apparatus from the energy storage system. The control apparatus is configured to actuate the transformer arrangement for time-dependent limitation of power consumption from the power grid according to a current/time profile, the current/time profile being deduced from a time-based trip profile of the circuit protection arrangement.

The present disclosure relates to an X-ray apparatus capable of stable driving, miniaturization, and weight reduction. The X-ray apparatus may include a case having an installation space formed therein; a high voltage separator installed inside the case, responsible for dividing the installation space into a first installation portion and a second installation portion, and having a high voltage generation space formed therein; an X-ray tube installed in the first installation portion; a high voltage generator installed in the high voltage generation space and responsible for receiving power from the outside, boosting the power, and supplying the boosted power to the X-ray tube; and a controller installed in the second installation portion and responsible for controlling driving of the X-ray tube and the high voltage separator.

The present disclosure relates to an X-ray apparatus capable of stable driving, miniaturization, and weight reduction. The X-ray apparatus may include a case having an installation space formed therein; a high voltage separator installed inside the case, responsible for dividing the installation space into a first installation portion and a second installation portion, and having a high voltage generation space formed therein; an X-ray tube installed in the first installation portion; a high voltage generator installed in the high voltage generation space and responsible for receiving power from the outside, boosting the power, and supplying the boosted power to the X-ray tube; and a controller installed in the second installation portion and responsible for controlling driving of the X-ray tube and the high voltage separator.

It would be advantageous to reduce weight and size of high voltage power supplies, to increase frequency of pulses of high voltage, and to improve control of magnitude of high voltage. The embodiments of high voltage power supplies described herein can solve these problems. The high voltage power supply can be used with an x-ray tube. The high voltage power supply can comprise an array of planar transformers each defining a stage with an AC input and a DC output. Each stage can comprise a pair of flat, coil windings adjacent one another and including a primary winding electrically-coupled to the AC input and configured to induce a current in a secondary winding. At least two stages can be electrically-coupled together in series with the DC output of one stage electrically-coupled to an input of the other stage such that a voltage is amplified across the stages.

A rotary anode driving device includes a DC power supply, an inverter circuit which is connected to the DC power supply and includes a plurality of switching elements and, the inverter circuit generates an AC voltage from a DC voltage of the DC power supply, and outputs the AC voltage to a stator coil which generates a rotating magnetic field of an X-ray tube; a pulse width modulation (PWM) waveform generator configured to generate an AC voltage of two phases or three phases as the AC voltage from the DC voltage by performing PWM control of the switching elements of the inverter circuit; and a capacitor connected in series to an input side of a stator coil of at least one phase of the stator coil, the capacitor having an electrostatic capacitance constituting a series resonant circuit with the stator coil to which the capacitor is connected.

A rotary anode driving device includes a DC power supply, an inverter circuit which is connected to the DC power supply and includes a plurality of switching elements and, the inverter circuit generates an AC voltage from a DC voltage of the DC power supply, and outputs the AC voltage to a stator coil which generates a rotating magnetic field of an X-ray tube; a pulse width modulation (PWM) waveform generator configured to generate an AC voltage of two phases or three phases as the AC voltage from the DC voltage by performing PWM control of the switching elements of the inverter circuit; and a capacitor connected in series to an input side of a stator coil of at least one phase of the stator coil, the capacitor having an electrostatic capacitance constituting a series resonant circuit with the stator coil to which the capacitor is connected.

A high voltage generator is provided. The high voltage generator includes an inverter circuit coupled to receive a direct-current (DC) input voltage, a resonant circuit coupled to the inverter circuit, a transformer coupled to the resonant circuit and also coupled to provide a high voltage output to a high voltage device, and a phase control circuit coupled to receive a voltage across and a current through the resonant circuit and also coupled to the inverter circuit. The phase control circuit generates control signals to drive the inverter circuit. The control signals drive the inverter circuit to keep the resonant circuit operating in an inductive region.

A high voltage generator is provided. The high voltage generator includes an inverter circuit coupled to receive a direct-current (DC) input voltage, a resonant circuit coupled to the inverter circuit, a transformer coupled to the resonant circuit and also coupled to provide a high voltage output to a high voltage device, and a phase control circuit coupled to receive a voltage across and a current through the resonant circuit and also coupled to the inverter circuit. The phase control circuit generates control signals to drive the inverter circuit. The control signals drive the inverter circuit to keep the resonant circuit operating in an inductive region.

An inverter circuit of an embodiment includes a plurality of semiconductor switching elements constituting a bridge circuit; a transformer connected to the output end of the bridge circuit; an electric current detector that detects whether an electric current carried through at least one of the switching elements exceeds a predetermined value; a pulse generator circuit that transmits a periodic pulse signal; a flip-flop circuit connected to the detector and the pulse generator circuit; a field effect transistor (FET) turned on or off by a signal from the flip-flop circuit; and a gate signal generator circuit connected to the FET and the bridge circuit. The flip-flop circuit inverts an output signal by a detection signal of the detector and interrupts the output of the bridge circuit. The gate signal generator circuit switches the switching element at the diagonal position of the bridge circuit based on a signal from the FET.