Compact high voltage X-ray source system and method for X-ray inspection applications
View Patent ↗An x-ray system is disclosed that includes a bipolar x-ray tube. The bipolar x-ray tube includes two insulators that are separated by an intermediate electrode in an embodiment, wherein each insulator forms a portion of an outer wall of a vacuum envelope of the bipolar x-ray tube surrounding at least a portion of a path of an electron beam within the vacuum envelope. In further embodiments, the bipolar x-ray tube includes a first electrode at a positive high voltage potential with respect to a reference potential, a second electrode at a negative high voltage potential with respect to the reference potential, and an x-ray transmissive window that is at the positive high voltage potential.
1. A bipolar x-ray tube comprising two insulators that are separated by an intermediate electrode, wherein each insulator forms a portion of an outer wall of a vacuum envelope of the bipolar x-ray tube surrounding at least a portion of a path of an electron beam within the vacuum envelope, wherein said bipolar x-ray tube further includes an anode at a positive high voltage potential relative to a reference potential, a cathode at a negative high voltage potential relative to the reference potential, and an x-ray transmissive window at the positive high voltage potential, and wherein said x-ray transmissive window includes an x-ray producing target on an inside surface thereof that is within the vacuum envelope.
2. The x-ray system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said x-ray system further includes an x-ray transmissive electrical insulator adjacent an outside surface of the x-ray transmissive window.
3. The x-ray system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the intermediate electrode is at an intermediate potential that is between the positive high voltage potential and the negative high voltage potential.
4. The bipolar x-ray tube as claimed in claim 1 , wherein each insulator is cylindrical in shape and is formed of ceramic, and wherein said intermediate electrode is at a potential that is a system reference ground.
5. The bipolar x-ray tube as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said bipolar x-ray tube is configured to operate with an electron beam power of less than about 10 Watts.
6. An x-ray system comprising:
a housing at a reference potential;
an x-ray tube having an anode at a positive high voltage potential relative to the reference potential, and an x-ray transmissive window at the positive high voltage potential; and
an insulating region between the x-ray transmissive window and the housing, wherein said insulating region is electrically insulating and transmissive to x-rays.
7. The x-ray system as claimed in claim 6 , wherein said insulating region is filled with a solid material.
8. The x-ray system as claimed in claim 6 , wherein said insulating region includes an evacuated region.
9. The x-ray system as claimed in claim 6 , wherein said insulating region includes a fluid.
10. The x-ray system as claimed in claim 6 , wherein said x-ray tube further includes a cathode at a negative high voltage potential with respect to the reference potential.
11. The x-ray system as claimed in claim 10 , wherein said bipolar x-ray tube is configured to operate with an electron beam power of less than about 10 Watts.
12. The system as claimed in claim 10 , wherein said x-ray tube further includes an intermediate electrode at the reference potential.
13. The x-ray system as claimed in claim 12 , wherein said x-ray tube includes two insulators separated by the intermediate electrode, wherein each insulator forms a portion of an outer wall of a vacuum envelope of the x-ray tube surrounding at least a portion of a path of an electron beam within the vacuum envelope.
14. An x-ray system comprising:
a bipolar x-ray tube including an anode and a cathode;
a bipolar power supply for providing a positive high voltage potential relative to a reference potential and a negative high voltage potential relative to the reference potential; and
a solid, electrically insulating material that encapsulates at least the cathode of the bipolar x-ray tube and the bipolar power supply.
15. The x-ray system as claimed in claim 14 , wherein said bipolar x-ray tube further includes an intermediate electrode between the anode and the cathode, and wherein the intermediate electrode is at a voltage potential that is between the positive high voltage potential and the negative high voltage potential.
16. The x-ray system as claimed in claim 14 , wherein said bipolar x-ray tube includes an x-ray transmissive window that is at the positive high voltage potential.
17. The x-ray system as claimed in claim 14 , wherein said bipolar x-ray tube includes an x-ray transmissive window that is at the reference potential.
18. A method of producing x-rays in a low power x-ray system, said method comprising the steps of:
providing a positive high voltage potential relative to a reference potential to an anode of a bipolar x-ray tube;
providing a negative high voltage potential relative to the reference potential to a cathode of the bipolar x-ray tube such that a difference voltage between the positive high voltage potential and the negative high voltage potential is employed between the anode and the cathode in the bipolar x-ray tube to cause electrons to impinge upon a target within the anode at an electron beam power of less than about 10 Watts, and to thereby emit the x-rays through an x-ray transmission window of the bipolar x-ray tube; and
emitting x-rays through an x-ray output region of a housing that includes the bipolar x-ray tube, wherein the x-ray output region is substantially aligned with the x-ray transmissive window of the bipolar x-ray tube.
19. The method as claimed in claim 18 , wherein said x-ray transmissive window is at the positive high voltage potential.
20. The method as claimed in claim 18 , wherein said x-ray transmissive window is at the reference potential.
21. The method as claimed in claim 18 , wherein said bipolar x-ray tube further includes an intermediate electrode between the cathode and the anode.
22. The method as claimed in claim 21 , wherein said intermediate electrode is at the reference potential.
23. A bipolar x-ray tube comprising two insulators that are separated by an intermediate electrode, wherein each insulator forms a portion of an outer wall of a vacuum envelope of the bipolar x-ray tube surrounding at least a portion of a path of an electron beam within the vacuum envelope, wherein said bipolar x-ray tube further includes an anode at a positive high voltage potential relative to a reference potential, a cathode at a negative high voltage potential relative to the reference potential, and an x-ray transmissive window at the positive high voltage potential, and wherein said x-ray system further includes an x-ray transmissive electrical insulator adjacent an outside surface of the x-ray transmissive window.
24. The x-ray system as claimed in claim 23 , wherein said x-ray producing target is on an inside surface of said x-ray transmissive window and is within the vacuum envelope.
25. The x-ray system as claimed in claim 23 , wherein the intermediate electrode is at an intermediate potential that is between the positive high voltage potential and the negative high voltage potential.
26. The bipolar x-ray tube as claimed in claim 23 , wherein each insulator is cylindrical in shape and is formed of ceramic, and wherein said intermediate electrode is at a potential that is a system reference ground.
27. The bipolar x-ray tube as claimed in claim 23 , wherein said bipolar x-ray tube is configured to operate with an electron beam power of less than about 10 Watts.