The rotatable anode of a rotating anode X-ray source has demanding requirements placed upon it. For example, it may rotate at a frequency as high as 200 Hz. X-ray emission is stimulated by applying a large voltage to the cathode, causing electrons to collide with the focal track. The focal spot generated at the electron impact position may have a peak temperature between 2000° C. and 3000° C. The constant rotation of the rotating anode protects the focal track to some extent, however the average temperature of the focal track immediately following a CT acquisition protocol may still be around 1500° C. Therefore, demanding requirements are placed upon the design of the rotating anode. The present application proposes a multi-layer coating for the target region of a rotating X-ray anode which improves mechanical resilience and thermal resilience, whilst reducing the amount of expensive refractory metals required.

The rotatable anode of a rotating anode X-ray source has demanding requirements placed upon it. For example, it may rotate at a frequency as high as 200 Hz. X-ray emission is stimulated by applying a large voltage to the cathode, causing electrons to collide with the focal track. The focal spot generated at the electron impact position may have a peak temperature between 2000° C. and 3000° C. The constant rotation of the rotating anode protects the focal track to some extent, however the average temperature of the focal track immediately following a CT acquisition protocol may still be around 1500° C. Therefore, demanding requirements are placed upon the design of the rotating anode. The present application proposes a multi-layer coating for the target region of a rotating X-ray anode which improves mechanical resilience and thermal resilience, whilst reducing the amount of expensive refractory metals required.

A rotating X-ray anode for generating X-radiation has an annular main body made of carbon-based material, an annular focal track covering, which is arranged on a focal track side of the main body, and a metal connection component, which is arranged radially inside relative to the main body. A radially outer portion of the connection component is formed by a tubular metal adapter. The radial outside surface of the adapter is at least partly joined, face to face and integrally, to at least a portion of the radial inside surface of the main body. An integral joining zone between the main body and the adapter extends over at least 75 percent of the area of the radial inside surface of the main body.

Systems and methods related to hydrodynamic bearings for use in X-ray sources are provided. In one aspect, a hydrodynamic bearing system includes a sleeve assembly including a cross-member fluidically dividing a first interior cavity from a second interior cavity, a first shaft positioned in the first interior cavity, and a second shaft positioned in the second interior cavity. The hydrodynamic bearing system may further include a first journal bearing including a first fluid interface surrounding at least a portion of the first cantilever shaft and configured to support radial loads and a second journal bearing including a second fluid interface surrounding at least a portion of the second cantilever shaft and configured to support radial loads.

According to one embodiment, an X-ray tube device includes a cathode which emits an electron in a direction of an electron path, an anode target which faces the cathode and includes a target surface generating an X-ray, a vacuum envelope which accommodates the cathode and the anode target and is sealed in a vacuum-tight manner, and a quadrupole magnetic field generation unit which forms a magnetic field when direct current is supplied from an electric source, is eccentrically provided with respect to a straight line accordance with the electron path outside the vacuum envelope, and includes a quadrupole surrounding a circumference of a part of the electron path.

According to one embodiment, an X-ray tube device includes an anode target including a target surface and a cathode including a plurality of electron generation sources configured to emit the electrons, a vacuum envelope configured to house the cathode and the anode target and internally sealed in a vacuum airtight manner, and a quadrupole magnetic-field generator configured to form a magnetic field by being supplied with a current from a power source, the quadrupole magnetic-field generator being installed on an outer side of the vacuum envelope and constituted of a quadrupole surrounding a periphery of electron orbits of the electrons emitted simultaneously from each of the plurality of electron generation sources.

The present invention relates to a rotor for an X-ray tube. In order to provide further possibilities for weight reduction in X-ray tubes for providing an increase of rotation frequency, a rotor (10) for an X-ray tube is provided, comprising a rotational structure (12) with a plurality of electrically conducting elements (14), the ends thereof connected to each other and provided such that an external stator magnetic field generated by a stator induces a current in the electrically conducting elements, which current generates a rotor magnetic field to interact with the stator magnetic field. At least the plurality of electrically conducting elements is made from carbon composite based material.

The embodiments relate to a rotary anode arrangement with a rotary anode, a rotor for driving the rotary anode and a stator, which exerts a torque on the rotor. The stator includes at least one coil for generating a first magnetic field and at least one permanent magnet for generating a second magnetic field. The embodiments also relate to an X-ray tube with the rotary anode arrangement. The embodiments offer the advantage that a high electromagnetic utilization is possible with a synchronous motor that is excited by permanent magnets.

An X-ray CT apparatus according to an embodiment includes a gantry, an air inlet, and an air outlet. The gantry supports an X-ray tube and an X-ray detector. The air inlet is provided in the gantry to draw air into the gantry from outside the gantry. The air outlet is provided in a lower section of the gantry to discharge air from the gantry through a path that houses a controller that controls the gantry.

An X-ray diagnostic apparatus comprises an X-ray tube and processing circuitry. The X-ray tube includes a rotary anode. The processing circuitry is configured to derive an acquiring condition from a fluoroscopic image, and start to increase, in accordance with the acquiring condition derived, a rotating speed of the anode from a low rotating speed to a high rotating speed before the X-ray tube finishes emitting an X-ray to acquire the fluoroscopic image.