A vacuum tube insert assembly includes a flared insert piece having an annular flange and a stem each constructed of glass. The stem extends axially from the flange. The flange surrounds a perimeter edge of a plug concavity defined by the stem. Feed-through pins pass axially through the stem and are sealed thereto. The pins terminate inside of the concavity to form a plug. A socket connects to the plug within the concavity and includes receptacles that removably couple to the pins, with an engagement feature preventing erroneous plug and socket connections. A method includes axially inserting the pins through the stem at a fixed relative position such that the pins are arranged within the plug concavity, sealing the stem such that the stem is vacuum-sealed to the pins, thereby forming the plug, and removably coupling mating receptacles of the socket to the pins.

According to some aspects, a carrier configured for use with a broadband x-ray source comprising an electron source and a primary target arranged to receive electrons from the electron source to produce broadband x-ray radiation in response to electrons impinging on the primary target is provided. The carrier comprising a housing configured to be removeably coupled to the broadband x-ray source and configured to accommodate a secondary target capable of producing monochromatic x-ray radiation in response to incident broadband x-ray radiation, the housing comprising a transmissive portion configured to allow broadband x-ray radiation to be transmitted to the secondary target when present, and a blocking portion configured to absorb broadband x-ray radiation.

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.

An x-ray tube 10 can have (a) an enclosure electrically-insulating a cathode 11 from an anode 12; (b) a coating-ring 18 on an inner-face of the enclosure, the coating-ring 18 encircling a longitudinal-axis 16 of the enclosure; and (c) an interruption-ring 19 located at the inner-face of the enclosure at a different location than the coating-ring 18. The interruption-ring 19 can encircle the longitudinal-axis 16 at a different location along the longitudinal-axis 16 with respect to the coating-ring 18. The interruption-ring 19 can encircle the longitudinal-axis 16 at a different radius from the longitudinal-axis 16 than the coating-ring 18. The coating-ring 18 and the interruption-ring 19 can reduce uneven electrical charge build-up on the inner-face of the enclosure, and can protect the triple-point.

An apparatus and method to generate distributed x-rays. A hot cathode of an electron gun is used in vacuum to generate electron beams having certain initial movement energy and speed. Periodic scanning is performed with the initial low-energy electron beams, which are thus caused to be reciprocally deflected. A current-limiting device is provided in the travel path of the electron beams along the direction of the reciprocal deflection. Through holes arranged in an array on the current-limiting device, only part of the electron beams targeting specific positions can pass to form sequential electron beam currents distributed in an array. These electron beam currents are accelerated by a high-voltage electric field to obtain high energy, bombard an anode target, and thus sequentially generate corresponding focus spots and x-rays distributed in an array at the anode target.

A portable XRF analyzer includes a hand shield to substantially block x-rays from impinging on a hand of a user. The portable XRF analyzer includes a heat sink over an x-ray source and a heat sink over an x-ray detector. The heat sinks are separated from each other by a thermally insulative material.

Systems and methods are provided for improving thermal management strategies of a cathode assembly of an X-ray tube. In one embodiment, an X-ray tube comprises an anode assembly and a cathode assembly, wherein the cathode assembly includes one or more elements that include an internal porous section for controlling a flow of heat within the cathode assembly during operation of the X-ray tube. In this way, heat conduction to temperature sensitive aspects of the cathode assembly may be reduced, while enabling sufficient heat transfer to other parts of the cathode assembly to minimize deformation.

An x-ray tube 10 can have (a) an enclosure electrically-insulating a cathode 11 from an anode 12; (b) a coating-ring 18 on an inner-face of the enclosure, the coating-ring 18 encircling a longitudinal-axis 16 of the enclosure; and (c) an interruption-ring 19 located at the inner-face of the enclosure at a different location than the coating-ring 18. The interruption-ring 19 can encircle the longitudinal-axis 16 at a different location along the longitudinal-axis 16 with respect to the coating-ring 18. The interruption-ring 19 can encircle the longitudinal-axis 16 at a different radius from the longitudinal-axis 16 than the coating-ring 18. The coating-ring 18 and the interruption-ring 19 can reduce uneven electrical charge build-up on the inner-face of the enclosure, and can protect the triple-point.

An x-ray tube 10 can have (a) an enclosure electrically-insulating a cathode 11 from an anode 12; (b) a coating-ring 18 on an inner-face of the enclosure, the coating-ring 18 encircling a longitudinal-axis 16 of the enclosure; and (c) an interruption-ring 19 located at the inner-face of the enclosure at a different location than the coating-ring 18. The interruption-ring 19 can encircle the longitudinal-axis 16 at a different location along the longitudinal-axis 16 with respect to the coating-ring 18. The interruption-ring 19 can encircle the longitudinal-axis 16 at a different radius from the longitudinal-axis 16 than the coating-ring 18. The coating-ring 18 and the interruption-ring 19 can reduce uneven electrical charge build-up on the inner-face of the enclosure, and can protect the triple-point.