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.

The embodiments of the present disclosure provide a power management system of a mobile X-ray machine and a control method thereof. The power management system comprises a power module group; a main control module being connected with a upper machine, and configured to receive an action signal sent by the upper machine, acquire status information of the power module group, and output a control signal; a functional component power pack being connected with the power module group and the main control module, and configured to convert electrical energy of the power module group according to the control signal and output converted energy to a functional component of a high-voltage generator.

The X-ray generator includes a booster for boosting a first DC voltage supplied from a voltage source to a second DC voltage higher than the first DC voltage, at least one capacitor for receiving the second DC voltage and generating a charging voltage on the basis of the second DC voltage, a converter for converting the charging voltage into a driving voltage, an X-ray source for receiving the driving voltage and emitting X-rays according to the driving voltage, and a controller for controlling the booster, the converter, and the X-ray source. The controller calculates a cooling time required for cooling the X-ray source to a predetermined temperature or lower, determines the magnitude of the second DC voltage according to the cooling time, and applies the second DC voltage to the capacitor for the cooling time.

The invention proposes an insulator within an X-ray tube having a vacuum side and an ambient side and a feedthrough substantially coinciding with an axis of symmetry at the vacuum side and an axis of symmetry at the ambient side. The axis of symmetry at the vacuum side and the axis of symmetry at the ambient side have an angle of at least 5°, preferably 90°, with respect to each other. An X-ray source comprising such an insulator is presented as well and the present invention also extends to a medical imaging apparatus for generating X-ray images of a patient thereby using an X-ray source with such an insulator. In an embodiment, an X-ray source is provided wherein the insulator is plugged to an electrical connector at the ambient surface.

The invention relates to an optical monitoring system (200) for monitoring an X-ray tube (100), the optical monitoring system (200) comprising: at least one optical sensor (201) configured to detect first signals of a first optical parameter and second signals of a second optical parameter thereby generating measurement data, wherein the first and second optical parameters are selected from the group comprising plasma glow, discharges, micro-discharges, arcs, x-ray fluorescence, line emissions, wherein the first and second optical parameters are different from each other, the optical monitoring system (200) further comprising a computing unit (202) configured to transmit, to a remote system (300) external of optical monitoring system (200) and the X-ray tube (100), said generated measurement data and/or a result of an analysis of measurement data carried out by the computing unit (202). The invention further relates to a unit comprising an X-ray tube (100) and such an optical monitoring system (200), as well as to a method (400) for monitoring an X-ray tube (100).

The invention relates to an optical monitoring system (200) for monitoring an X-ray tube (100), the optical monitoring system (200) comprising: at least one optical sensor (201) configured to detect first signals of a first optical parameter and second signals of a second optical parameter thereby generating measurement data, wherein the first and second optical parameters are selected from the group comprising plasma glow, discharges, micro-discharges, arcs, x-ray fluorescence, line emissions, wherein the first and second optical parameters are different from each other, the optical monitoring system (200) further comprising a computing unit (202) configured to transmit, to a remote system (300) external of optical monitoring system (200) and the X-ray tube (100), said generated measurement data and/or a result of an analysis of measurement data carried out by the computing unit (202). The invention further relates to a unit comprising an X-ray tube (100) and such an optical monitoring system (200), as well as to a method (400) for monitoring an X-ray tube (100).

An X-ray tube is provided with: a cathode and an anode sealed inside a vacuum envelope; and an ion-collecting conductor attached to the vacuum envelop so as to be in contact with an internal space of the vacuum envelope. A first current sensor measures a value of a first current flowing between the ion-collecting conductor and a node for supplying potential for attracting positive ions in the vacuum envelope. A second current sensor measures a value of a second current flowing between the anode and the cathode. A control circuit generates diagnostic information on the degree of vacuum of the X-ray tube based on a current ratio file of the first current value (Ii) measured by the first current sensor to the second current value (Ie) measured by the second current sensor.

A power transfer and monitoring device for an X-ray tube may include: an X-ray filament; a transformer including a primary coil and a secondary coil, wherein the secondary coil of the transformer includes a first leg, a second leg, and a middle leg; a current supply configured to supply a sinusoidal current to the primary coil of the transformer; and a calculation unit configured to measure a primary current of the transformer, configured to determine a synthesized transformer magnetizing current, and configured to subtract the synthesized transformer magnetizing current from the primary current of the transformer to determine a value of filament current through the X-ray filament. The first and second legs of the secondary coil of the transformer alternately supply current to a first end of the X-ray filament. The middle leg of the secondary coil of the transformer supplies current to a second end of the X-ray filament.

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.

The embodiments of the present disclosure provide a power management system of a mobile X-ray machine and a control method thereof. The power management system comprises a power module group; a main control module being connected with a upper machine, and configured to receive an action signal sent by the upper machine, acquire status information of the power module group, and output a control signal; a functional component power pack being connected with the power module group and the main control module, and configured to convert electrical energy of the power module group according to the control signal and output converted energy to a functional component of a high-voltage generator.