Provided is a method for driving an X-ray source, which includes a cathode electrode, an electron source provided on the cathode electrode and configured to emit an electron beam, and an anode target including an electron beam irradiation surface with the electron beam irradiated thereto, the method including providing the electron beam in a plurality of main pulses, wherein each of the main pulses includes a plurality of short pulses having an idle time and a pulse time, and each of the idle time and the pulse time is shorter than a duration time of the main pulse, wherein applying the plurality of short pulses comprises irradiating the electron beam from the electron source towards the electron beam irradiation surface during the pulse time; and idling the electron beam during the idle time, wherein a duty cycle of the short pulse is 0.4 to 0.6, which is obtained by dividing the idle time by a sum of the pulse time and the idle time.

Provided is a method for driving an X-ray source, which includes a cathode electrode, an electron source provided on the cathode electrode and configured to emit an electron beam, and an anode target including an electron beam irradiation surface with the electron beam irradiated thereto, the method including providing the electron beam in a plurality of main pulses, wherein each of the main pulses includes a plurality of short pulses having an idle time and a pulse time, and each of the idle time and the pulse time is shorter than a duration time of the main pulse, wherein applying the plurality of short pulses comprises irradiating the electron beam from the electron source towards the electron beam irradiation surface during the pulse time; and idling the electron beam during the idle time, wherein a duty cycle of the short pulse is 0.4 to 0.6, which is obtained by dividing the idle time by a sum of the pulse time and the idle time.

According to on embodiment, an inverter high voltage generator includes a DC power supply, an inverter, a high voltage converter, a discharge detector, a controller. The DC power supply generates a direct current. The inverter converts the direct current from the DC power supply to an alternating current by switching. The high voltage converter converts an AC output pulse from the inverter to a high voltage. The discharge detector detects an electric discharge that has occurred in an X-ray tube. The controller controls, upon detection of the discharge, switching of the inverter to change a pulse width or a frequency of the AC output pulse from the inverter so as to gradually increase a measured tube voltage value of the X-ray tube up to a target tube voltage value.

According to on embodiment, an inverter high voltage generator includes a DC power supply, an inverter, a high voltage converter, a discharge detector, a controller. The DC power supply generates a direct current. The inverter converts the direct current from the DC power supply to an alternating current by switching. The high voltage converter converts an AC output pulse from the inverter to a high voltage. The discharge detector detects an electric discharge that has occurred in an X-ray tube. The controller controls, upon detection of the discharge, switching of the inverter to change a pulse width or a frequency of the AC output pulse from the inverter so as to gradually increase a measured tube voltage value of the X-ray tube up to a target tube voltage value.

A method is provided for compensating the settings of a pulsed X-ray system. A current, voltage and intended pulse width settings are selected for the X-ray pulses to be provided. Then, the selected pulse width setting for the set voltage and tube current is compensated, in accordance with stored normalized value or values at a predetermined temperature, taking into account the environmental temperature of the electric circuitry of the X-ray tank. The normalized values are obtained in a calibration step from the actual or effective pulse width and the difference thereof with the intended width, normalizing said value with the temperature of the circuitry providing pulsed voltage and current to the source.

A method is provided for compensating the settings of a pulsed X-ray system. A current, voltage and intended pulse width settings are selected for the X-ray pulses to be provided. Then, the selected pulse width setting for the set voltage and tube current is compensated, in accordance with stored normalized value or values at a predetermined temperature, taking into account the environmental temperature of the electric circuitry of the X-ray tank. The normalized values are obtained in a calibration step from the actual or effective pulse width and the difference thereof with the intended width, normalizing said value with the temperature of the circuitry providing pulsed voltage and current to the source.

A high voltage, high current vacuum integrated circuit includes a common vacuum enclosure that includes at least two cold-cathode field emission electron tubes, and contains at least one internal vacuum pumping means, at least one exhaust tubulation, vacuum-sealed electrically-insulated feedthroughs, and internal electrical insulation. The cold-cathode field emission electron tubes are configured to operate at high voltage and high current and interconnected with each other to implement a circuit function.

A pulse generator is disclosed that includes at least the following stages a driver stage, a transformer stage, a rectifier stage, and an output stage. The driver stage may include at least one solid state switch such as, for example, of one or more IGBTs and/or one or more MOSFETs. The driver stage may also have a stray inductance less than 1,000 nH. The transformer stage may be coupled with the driver stage and/or with a balance stage and may include one or more transformers. The rectifier stage may be coupled with the transformer stage and may have a stray inductance less than 1,000 nH. The output stage may be coupled with the rectifier stage. The output stage may output a signal pulse with a voltage greater than 2 kilovolts and a frequency greater than 5 kHz. In some embodiments, the output stage may be galvanically isolated from a reference potential.

According to the present inventive concept, there is provided an X-ray generating apparatus including a voltage generating apparatus that generates a pulse signal according to an X-ray irradiation signal and generates a predetermined voltage according to the pulse signal, and an X-ray tube that generates X-rays according to the voltage from the voltage generating apparatus, wherein the voltage generating apparatus detects arc discharge by detecting a current of the X-ray tube.

According to the present inventive concept, there is provided an X-ray generating apparatus including a voltage generating apparatus that generates a pulse signal according to an X-ray irradiation signal and generates a predetermined voltage according to the pulse signal, and an X-ray tube that generates X-rays according to the voltage from the voltage generating apparatus, wherein the voltage generating apparatus detects arc discharge by detecting a current of the X-ray tube.