An example embodiment includes a cathode assembly. The cathode assembly includes a cathode head, a filament, a focusing structure, and a non-rectilinear focusing aperture. The cathode head defines a filament slot. The filament is positioned in the filament slot that is capable of emitting electrons by thermionic emission. The focusing structure is positioned at least partially between the filament and an anode. The non-rectilinear focusing aperture is defined in the focusing structure. The non-rectilinear focusing aperture is configured to shape an emission profile of electrons emitted by the filament.

An X-ray generation tube includes: an anode including a target configured to generate X-rays under irradiation of electrons, and an anode member electrically connected to the target; a cathode including an electron emitting source configured to emit an electron beam in a direction towards the target, and a cathode member electrically connected to the electron emitting source; and an insulating tube extending between the anode member and the cathode member. The anode further includes an inner circumferential anode layer electrically connected to the anode member, the inner circumferential anode layer extending along an inner circumferential face of the insulating tube, and is remote from the cathode member.

A cathode head can include: an insulating member on a base; an electron emitter with a planar emitter surface formed by a plurality of elongate rungs connected together through a plurality of turns from a first emitter end to a second emitter end so as to form a serpentine emitter pattern; a plurality of elongate legs extending from the plurality of turns at an angle relative to the planar emitter surface, each of the legs being coupled with the insulating member; an elongate first lead leg at the first emitter end and an elongate second lead leg at the second emitter end; a first electrical lead and a second electrical lead extending from the base; and a first electrical coupler coupling the first electrical lead to the first lead leg and a second electrical coupler coupling the second electrical lead to the second lead leg.

An x-ray transmitter, which may be compact, may be in the form of a housing with an x-ray transparent window sputtered with a metal on one wall, and tribocharging electron source on another wall.

A x-ray apparatus of the present application comprises: a vacuum box which is sealed at its periphery, and the interior thereof is high vacuum; a plurality of electron transmitting units arranged in a linear array and installed on the wall at one end within the vacuum box, each electron transmitting unit is independent to each other; the electron transmitting unit having: a heating filament; a cathode connected to the heating filament; a grid arranged above the cathode opposing the cathode; anode made of metal and installed at the other end of the vacuum box, and in the direction of length, the anode is parallel to the plane of the grid of the electron transmitting unit, and in the direction of width, the anode has a predetermined angle with respect to the plane of the grid of the electron transmitting unit.

An improved X-ray source is disclosed. The improved X-ray source has an enclosure, electron guns, a first set of address lines extending through the enclosure, a second set of address lines extending through the enclosure, and nodes defined by the intersection of the first and second set of address lines. Each of the electron guns is coupled to one of the nodes such that a state of each electron gun is uniquely controlled by modulating a state of one of the first set of address lines and one of the second set of address lines.

An on-chip miniature X-ray source, comprising: an on-chip miniature electron source (10); a first insulating spacer (11) located on one side of the on-chip miniature electron source (10) emitting electrons, the first insulating spacer (11) being of a cavity structure; and an anode (12) located on the first insulating spacer (11), a closed vacuum cavity being formed between the on-chip miniature electron source (10) and the anode (12). The on-chip miniature electron source can be obtained by means of a micromachining technique, further reducing the size thereof, and reducing the manufacturing costs. The on-chip miniature X-ray source has the advantages of stable X-ray dose, low operation vacuum requirement, fast switch response, integrated and mass processing, etc. and can be used in various types of small and portable X-ray detection, analysis and treatment devices.

An X-ray radiator and an X-ray assembly are disclosed. The X-ray radiator according to an embodiment has an evacuated X-ray tube housing, mounted to be rotatable about a rotation axis, the X-ray tube housing including an anode and an electron source. The anode is arranged within the X-ray tube housing non-rotatably relative to the X-ray tube housing and is configured to generate X-ray radiation via electrons impacting upon a focal spot of the anode, the electron source being mounted substantially stationary within the X-ray tube housing relative to the rotation axis. The electron source has a main emitter and at least one subsidiary emitter for emitting electrons. The electron emission of the main emitter and/or of the at least one subsidiary emitter is controllable such that a spatial movement of the focal spot due to a movement of the electron source is reduced.

Some embodiments include a system, comprising: a plurality of x-ray sources, each x-ray source including: an electron source configured to generate an electron beam; and a target configured to receive the electron beam and convert the electron beam into an x-ray beam; wherein: at first x-ray source of the x-ray sources is different from a second x-ray source of the x-ray sources; and the targets of the x-ray sources are part of a linear target.

A radiation tube attachment member includes: a common substrate that supports one end side of each of a plurality of radiation tubes and holds the plurality of radiation tubes in a state in which the plurality of radiation tubes are arranged; and a positioning portion that is provided in the common substrate and locates a focus of each of the plurality of radiation tubes at which radiation is emitted at a target position.