A method for protecting an X-ray source including: a liquid jet generator configured to form a liquid jet moving along a flow axis; an electron source configured to provide an electron beam interacting with the liquid jet to generate X-ray radiation; the method including: generating the liquid jet: monitoring a quality measure indicating a performance of the liquid jet; identifying, based on the quality measure, a malperformance of the liquid jet; and if said malperformance is identified, causing the X-ray source to enter a safe mode for protecting the X ray source. Further, to corresponding devices.

A method for protecting an X-ray source including: a liquid jet generator configured to form a liquid jet moving along a flow axis; an electron source configured to provide an electron beam interacting with the liquid jet to generate X-ray radiation; the method including: generating the liquid jet: monitoring a quality measure indicating a performance of the liquid jet; identifying, based on the quality measure, a malperformance of the liquid jet; and if said malperformance is identified, causing the X-ray source to enter a safe mode for protecting the X ray source. Further, to corresponding devices.

A method (200) of converting a flowchart (110) to a structured electronic representation (116) of the flowchart includes: identifying, in an image (108) of the flowchart, a plurality of shapes (112) corresponding to flowchart blocks of the flowchart; identifying arrows (114) defining flow paths between the flowchart blocks in the image including identifying flowchart blocks connected by the arrows and their directionality; identifying text labels and their locations in the image and determining text content of the text labels; associating the text labels with flowchart blocks or defined flow paths based on locations of the text labels, flowchart blocks, and arrows; and generating the structured electronic representation of the flowchart based on the flowchart blocks, the flow paths, and the text labels. A structure of the structured electronic representation is determined at least based at least on the flow paths between the flowchart blocks of the image.

A control mechanism for a high-voltage generator that provides voltage and current to an electronic radiation source in a high-temperature environment is provided, the control mechanism including at least an intermediate enveloping ground plane, and a ground-plane potential monitoring system that provides an input to a control processor that in turn drives the high-voltage generator. A method of controlling a high-voltage generator that powers an electronic radiation source is also provided, the method including at least: measuring an enveloping ground plane potential such that a change in the potential of said enveloping ground plane surrounding the generator is monitored and used to determine the beginning of one or more of a partial discharge and flash-over event.

A mobile X-ray apparatus and a method of controlling power in the mobile X-ray apparatus. According to the mobile X-ray apparatus and the method, the mobile X-ray apparatus includes a battery management system that determines whether a battery is shut down when in a forced charge mode, subsequently determines whether the battery exits an over-discharged state, and then controls a power supply to enter a shutdown mode or a normal charge mode according to results of the determining. Thus, it is possible to safely charge the battery.

A mobile X-ray apparatus and a method of controlling power in the mobile X-ray apparatus. According to the mobile X-ray apparatus and the method, the mobile X-ray apparatus includes a battery management system that determines whether a battery is shut down when in a forced charge mode, subsequently determines whether the battery exits an over-discharged state, and then controls a power supply to enter a shutdown mode or a normal charge mode according to results of the determining. Thus, it is possible to safely charge the battery.

An X-ray inspection device comprises: an X-ray tube configured to cause an electron beam to collide with a target, thereby generating an X-ray; an X-ray detector configured to detect the X-ray having been output from the X-ray tube and having been transmitted through an inspection target object; a measurement section configured to detect the X-ray output from the X-ray tube for a predetermined period by the X-ray detector to detect an X-ray amount in the predetermined period, thereby measuring a maximum value Imax and a minimum value Imin of the X-ray amount in the predetermined period; and a calculation section configured to calculate an X-ray amount fluctuation rate by using the maximum value Imax and the minimum value Imin of the X-ray amount measured by the measurement section.

An X-ray inspection device comprises: an X-ray tube configured to cause an electron beam to collide with a target, thereby generating an X-ray; an X-ray detector configured to detect the X-ray having been output from the X-ray tube and having been transmitted through an inspection target object; a measurement section configured to detect the X-ray output from the X-ray tube for a predetermined period by the X-ray detector to detect an X-ray amount in the predetermined period, thereby measuring a maximum value Imax and a minimum value Imin of the X-ray amount in the predetermined period; and a calculation section configured to calculate an X-ray amount fluctuation rate by using the maximum value Imax and the minimum value Imin of the X-ray amount measured by the measurement section.

The invention relates to a device (10) for determining spatially dependent x-ray flux degradation and photon spectral change, a system (1) for determining spatially dependent x-ray flux degradation and photon spectral change for an x-ray tube (20), a method for spatially dependent x-ray flux degradation and photon spectral change for an x-ray tube (20), a computer program element for controlling such device (10) or system (1) for performing such method and a computer readable medium having stored such computer program element. The device (10) for determining spatially dependent x-ray flux degradation and photon spectral change comprises an acquisition unit (11), a processing unit (12), a calculation unit (13), and a combination unit (14). The acquisition unit (11) is configured to acquire x-ray flux degradation data for the x-ray tube (20). The processing unit (12) is configured to process the x-ray flux degradation data into spatially dependent flux degradation data. The calculation unit (13) is configured to calculate at least a photon spectral change of the x-ray tube (20) and to convert the photon spectral change into a spatially dependent spectrum. The combination unit (14) is configured to combine the spatially dependent flux degradation data and the spatially dependent spectrum.

The invention relates to a device (10) for determining spatially dependent x-ray flux degradation and photon spectral change, a system (1) for determining spatially dependent x-ray flux degradation and photon spectral change for an x-ray tube (20), a method for spatially dependent x-ray flux degradation and photon spectral change for an x-ray tube (20), a computer program element for controlling such device (10) or system (1) for performing such method and a computer readable medium having stored such computer program element. The device (10) for determining spatially dependent x-ray flux degradation and photon spectral change comprises an acquisition unit (11), a processing unit (12), a calculation unit (13), and a combination unit (14). The acquisition unit (11) is configured to acquire x-ray flux degradation data for the x-ray tube (20). The processing unit (12) is configured to process the x-ray flux degradation data into spatially dependent flux degradation data. The calculation unit (13) is configured to calculate at least a photon spectral change of the x-ray tube (20) and to convert the photon spectral change into a spatially dependent spectrum. The combination unit (14) is configured to combine the spatially dependent flux degradation data and the spatially dependent spectrum.