X-ray emitter

Abstract

An X-ray emitter includes an emitter housing in which an X-ray tube is disposed and held in the emitter housing by a fixing facility. The fixing facility includes a fixed bearing disposed on the cathode side and a floating bearing disposed on the anode side. At least the floating bearing has at least one damping element. In the X-ray emitter, the X-ray tube is aligned inside the emitter housing and fixed in a respectively low-vibration or vibration-damped manner, resulting in a more stable focus position relative to a beam exit and also a correspondingly improved image quality.

Claims

1. An X-ray emitter, comprising: an emitter housing; an X-ray tube disposed in said emitter housing, said X-ray tube including a vacuum housing; a fixing facility holding said X-ray tube in said emitter housing; said fixing facility including a fixed bearing disposed on a cathode side and a floating bearing disposed on an anode side; and at least said floating bearing having at least one damping element.

2. The X-ray emitter according to claim 1, wherein said fixed bearing has at least one damping element.

3. The X-ray emitter according to claim 1, wherein said X-ray tube is an all-metal tube.

4. The X-ray emitter according to claim 1, wherein said X-ray tube is a metal center section tube.

5. The X-ray emitter according to claim 1, wherein said X-ray tube is a metal ceramic tube.

6. The X-ray emitter according to claim 1, wherein said emitter housing is an X-ray emitter housing.

7. The X-ray emitter according to claim 1, wherein said emitter housing is a single-tank housing.

8. The X-ray emitter according to claim 1, wherein said emitter housing is a duo-block.

9. The X-ray emitter according to claim 1, wherein said fixed bearing includes a tube flange and a fixing flange, said tube flange is fixed rigidly to said X-ray tube and said fixing flange is part of said emitter housing.

10. The X-ray emitter according to claim 9, wherein said tube flange encloses an outer periphery of a beam exit window disposed in said X-ray tube.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

(1) The FIGURE of the drawing is a diagrammatic, partial longitudinal-sectional view of an exemplary embodiment of an X-ray emitter according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(2) Referring now in detail to the single FIGURE of the drawing, there is seen a representation of an X-ray emitter to which, however, the invention is not restricted. The X-ray emitter includes an emitter housing 1 in which an X-ray tube 2 is disposed.

(3) The X-ray tube 2 is realized in the form of a metal center section tube and includes a vacuum housing 10 in which a cathode 11 and an anode 12 are disposed. The vacuum housing 10 is vacuum-tightly sealed by using a cathode cover 13. The cathode 11 emits electrons which are accelerated in the direction of the anode 12 and generate X-ray radiation upon impacting in a focal spot 30 in the material of the anode 12. The anode 12 is implemented in the form of a rotating anode so that the focal spot 30 forms a focal track. The X-ray radiation being generated emerges from the vacuum housing 10 through a beam exit window 14 as useful X-ray radiation in the form of a beam of rays. The X-ray beam running from the mid-point of the focal spot 30 perpendicular to a tube axis 15 and in the center of the useful beam of rays is referred to as a central beam 16 in this regard.

(4) The X-ray tube 2 is held in the emitter housing 1 by way of a fixing facility. According to the invention, the fixing facility includes a fixed bearing 3 disposed on the cathode side and a floating bearing 4 on the anode side. In the exemplary embodiment represented in the FIGURE, the floating bearing 4 has a damping element 5. In the context of the invention, however, a plurality of damping elements is also possible.

(5) In the case of the single exemplary embodiment, the fixed bearing 3 includes a tube flange 6 which is fixed rigidly to the vacuum housing 10 of the X-ray tube 2. Furthermore, the fixed bearing 3 includes a two-part fixing flange 7 having a first part 71 and a second part 72. The first part 71 of the fixing flange 7 is connected to the tube flange 6 in a torsion-resistant manner following the installation of the X-ray tube 2 in the emitter housing 1. The second part 72 of the fixing flange 7 is connected to the emitter housing 1. The fixing flange 7 is implemented as part of the emitter housing 1 and is fixed with the second part 72 in the emitter housing 1 to this effect.

(6) The tube flange 6 encloses the external periphery of the beam exit window 14 disposed in the X-ray tube 2. The exit of the useful X-ray radiation out of the beam exit window 14 is therefore not impeded. Furthermore, the fixing flange 7 keeps the region of the beam exit window 14 free from cooling insulation medium.

(7) Furthermore, the fixed bearing 3 has damping elements 8 which are disposed between the first part 71 and the second part 72 of the fixing flange 7 in the exemplary embodiment represented in the FIGURE.

(8) The fixing of the X-ray tube 2 is effected inside the emitter housing 1 close to the focus by way of the tube flange 6 directly on the fixing flange 7, which is implemented as part of the emitter housing 1. In the case of the exemplary embodiment represented in the drawing, the vacuum housing 10 of the X-ray tube 2 is fixed directly on the emitter housing 1 by using fixing bore holes in the fixing flange 7. An adjustment of the vacuum housing 10 with respect to the emitter housing 1 is therefore no longer required. For this purpose, the tube flange 6 must already be adjusted with respect to the central beam 16 of the X-ray tube 2.

(9) Although the invention has been precisely illustrated and described in detail by the preferred exemplary embodiment, the invention is not restricted by the disclosed exemplary embodiment and other variants can be derived from the same by a person skilled in the art without departing from the scope of protection of the invention.

(10) As explained above, the invention relates to an X-ray emitter with an emitter housing 1, in which an X-ray tube 2 is disposed and held in the emitter housing 1 by way of a fixing facility. According to the invention, the fixing facility includes a fixed bearing 3 disposed on the cathode side and a floating bearing 4 on the anode side, wherein at least the floating bearing 4 has at least one damping element 5. As explained in the description on the basis of the exemplary embodiment represented in the FIGURE, the X-ray tube 2 is aligned inside the emitter housing 1 and fixed in a respectively low-vibration or vibration-damped manner in an X-ray emitter of this type.

(11) In the case of the X-ray emitter according to the invention, a low-vibration fixing of the X-ray tube 2 in the emitter housing 1 is obtained by using the fixed bearing 3 close to the focus. As a result, operating noises occurring are greatly reduced. Moreover, a substantially more stable focus position relative to the beam exit window 14 is achieved by using the device of the invention, resulting in a correspondingly improved image quality being produced.