An anode has a base member, on which an X-ray active layer is applied. A first cooling circuit with a first cooling medium extends at least in part in the base member beneath the X-ray active layer. A second cooling circuit with a second cooling medium is arranged beneath the first cooling circuit. The anode exhibits distinctly improved thermo mechanical properties.

According to one embodiment, an X-ray tube assembly includes a cathode, an anode target, a joint including an inflow part into which a coolant flows, a first cylindrical pipe to which the joint is connected at one end, and the anode target is joined at an outer bottom part of the other end, a second cylindrical pipe whose first end part is fitted into the inflow part, and whose second end part is arranged to eject the coolant toward the bottom part of the first cylindrical pipe, the second cylindrical pipe being placed inside the first cylindrical pipe and an elastic member provided between the first end part and the first cylindrical pipe.

A computer tomograph (1) for mammographic x-ray imaging includes a MBFEX tube (20) and a flat-bed x-ray detector (30). Cathodes (40) are arranged in a fixed manner in rows in the MBFEX tube (20), the cathodes (40) being provided for the field emission of electrons. Geometry, radiation density and wavelength range of an x-ray beam (b) can be set. The MBFEX tube (20) is movable parallel (z) to the flat-bed x-ray detector (30). The flat bed x-ray detector (30) includes a moveable x-ray screen (31), the opening of which can be set. Using the x-ray screen (31), an imaging area (A) on the detector surface (D) of the flat-bed x-ray detector (30) can be selected and moved. Compared to conventional computer tomographs having rotating x-ray components, the computer tomograph (1) has a lighter and more compact design, with which a particularly small focal spot size is achieved.

An X-ray tube includes an anode that conducts a high voltage that can be greater than 120 kV, and in particular greater than 300 kV, and heats up during operation. The anode is connected in a thermally conductive way to a heat sink, which has a base body composed of a metal with a heat absorbing surface for coupling to the anode as a heat source and a heat dissipating surface that is enlarged by means of heat dissipating elements that are connected to the base body. The heat dissipating elements are composed of an electrically insulating material having a thermal conductivity on the same order of magnitude as that of the metal of the base body, and have a height (H) starting from the base body of the heat sink so that there is a sufficient insulation breakdown resistance relative to the surroundings of the X-ray tube.

An X-ray tube includes an anode that conducts a high voltage that can be greater than 120 kV, and in particular greater than 300 kV, and heats up during operation. The anode is connected in a thermally conductive way to a heat sink, which has a base body composed of a metal with a heat absorbing surface for coupling to the anode as a heat source and a heat dissipating surface that is enlarged by means of heat dissipating elements that are connected to the base body. The heat dissipating elements are composed of an electrically insulating material having a thermal conductivity on the same order of magnitude as that of the metal of the base body, and have a height (H) starting from the base body of the heat sink so that there is a sufficient insulation breakdown resistance relative to the surroundings of the X-ray tube.

An x-ray tube includes a thermionic cathode generating an electron beam propagating from the cathode to a target along a beam axis. The x-ray tube has apertures in the form of a control electrode with a first aperture opening, a focusing electrode with a second aperture opening and a beam shaping electrode with a third aperture opening. The first aperture opening is smaller than the emission surface and has a contour rotationally symmetric with respect to the beam axis. The second aperture opening is larger than the first aperture opening and has a contour rotationally symmetric with respect to the beam axis. The third aperture opening has a contour which is aligned with an xy plane and non-rotationally symmetric with respect to the beam axis. The X-ray tube has a simple structure for generating an electron beam where the number of electrons can be varied easily over a wide range.

A converter for converting an electron beam into photons is provided. The converter can include a plurality of spherical beads made of high atomic number (high-Z material) disposed within a coolant fluid. The converter can include an inlet and an outlet for the coolant fluid. The coolant fluid can flow in a opposite direction as a direction of an electron beam.

A converter for converting an electron beam into photons is provided. The converter can include a plurality of spherical beads made of high atomic number (high-Z material) disposed within a coolant fluid. The converter can include an inlet and an outlet for the coolant fluid. The coolant fluid can flow in a opposite direction as a direction of an electron beam.

An x-ray apparatus includes a vacuum chamber that includes a window for exit of x-rays. Electrons are generated at a cathode within the vacuum chamber and accelerated toward a target anode associated with the window. An x-ray generating layer is included as a surface of the target anode to receive the electrons emitted by the cathode and to create x-rays. A blocking path blocks over 70% of the free electrons reaching said target anode from continuing on to exit through the window, while allowing x-rays leaving the x-ray generating layer to continue along the selectively blocking path to exit through the window. The x-ray apparatus is capable of operating at low voltage and relatively high power to reduce the necessary shielding and the corresponding weight of the apparatus yet allow more ready absorption of x-rays by items being irradiated.

This specification describes an anode for an X-ray tube with multiple channels, where each channel defines an electron aperture through which electrons from a source pass to strike a target and a collimating aperture through which X-rays produced at the target pass out of the anode as a collimated beam. At least a portion of the walls of each channel are lined with an electron absorbing material for absorbing any electrons straying from a predefined trajectory. The electron absorbing material has a low atomic number, high melting point and is stable in vacuum. Graphite may be used as the electron absorbing material.