Modular x-ray source

1. An x-ray source comprising:

a. an x-ray tube and a power supply carried by and at least partially disposed in an electrically-conductive case;

b. the x-ray tube including:

i. an electrically-insulative enclosure with a cathode and an anode attached to the enclosure;

ii. an electron emitter disposed in the enclosure and associated with the cathode; and

iii. a target material associated with the anode and configured to emit x-rays in response to impinging electrons from the electron emitter;

c. the electrically-conductive case including a socket in an exterior thereof, the socket having a depth of at least 8 millimeters;

d. the x-ray tube extending into the socket;

e. an electrically-conductive cap:

i. carrying the x-ray tube;

ii. removably received in the socket of the case forming an electrically and thermally conductive path between the cap and the case;

iii. being elongated and annular with a hollow therein; and

iv. having an outer end opening and an inner end opening;

v. extending beyond an outer face of the case for a distance of at least 3 millimeters to allow removal of the cap by grasping the cap and turning by hand without tools;

f. the anode of the x-ray tube attached to the cap and forming a thermally and electrically conductive path between the cap and the anode;

g. the x-ray tube oriented to direct x-rays outward from the outer end opening;

h. a portion of the x-ray tube extending through the hollow of the cap towards the inner end opening with a first annular gap separating a portion of the x-ray tube from a portion of the cap and providing electrical insulation between the portion of the cap and the portion of the x-ray tube;

i. an annular, electrically-insulative, solid plug disposed in the first annular gap between the x-ray tube and the cap;

j. material of the plug is an electrically-insulative material and extends around and provides electrical insulation between at least a portion of the power supply and the case;

k. the electrically-insulative material has a thermal conductivity of greater than

0.7

⁢

W

m

*

K

;

l. the electrically-insulative material is sealed to the case and the power supply and remains with the case and the power supply when the cap and the x-ray tube are removed from the case;

m. an air-filled third annular gap between the plug and the x-ray tube with ribs on an interior surface of the plug facing the x-ray tube.

2. An x-ray source comprising:

a. an x-ray tube and a power supply carried by an electrically-conductive case;

b. the power supply at least partially disposed in the electrically-conductive case;

c. the x-ray tube including:

i. an electrically-insulative enclosure with a cathode and an anode attached to the enclosure;

ii. an electron emitter disposed in the enclosure and associated with the cathode; and

iii. a target material associated with the anode and configured to emit x-rays in response to impinging electrons from the electron emitter;

d. the electrically-conductive case including a socket in an exterior thereof;

e. the x-ray tube, electrical connections between the x-ray tube and the power supply, or the x-ray tube and the electrical connections together, extend through the socket;

f. an electrically-conductive cap:

i. carrying the x-ray tube and attaching the x-ray tube to the case;

ii. removably received at the socket of the case forming an electrically and thermally conductive path between the cap and the case;

iii. being elongated and annular with a hollow therein; and

iv. having an outer end opening and an inner end opening;

g. the anode of the x-ray tube attached to the cap and forming a thermally and electrically conductive path between the cap and the anode;

h. the x-ray tube oriented to direct x-rays outward from the outer end opening; and

i. a portion of the x-ray tube extending through the hollow of the cap towards the inner end opening with a first annular gap separating a portion of the x-ray tube from a portion of the cap and providing electrical insulation between the portion of the cap and the portion of the x-ray tube.

3. The x-ray source of claim 2 , wherein the cap blocks 99.9% of all impinging x-rays having energy of less than 20 KeV.

4. The x-ray source of claim 2 , wherein:

a. the case and the cap carrying the x-ray tube define a coupling where the cap and the case mate to couple the x-ray tube to the power supply;

b. the coupling has a first configuration when the x-ray tube and power supply are configured for a first bias voltage;

c. the coupling has a different second configuration when the x-ray tube and power supply are configured for a second bias voltage; and

d. the cap and the case in the first configuration cannot mate with the case and the cap, respectively, of the coupling in the different second configuration.

5. The x-ray source of claim 2 , wherein the socket has a depth of at least 10 millimeters.

6. The x-ray source of claim 2 , wherein:

a. the case includes a housing substantially circumscribing the power supply with at least four contiguous side walls and a face plate at an open end of the contiguous side walls;

b. the face plate is attached to the contiguous side walls across the open end;

c. the socket is disposed in the face plate;

d. the socket has a depth of at least 8 millimeters.

7. The x-ray source of claim 2 , wherein the cap extends beyond an outer face of the case for a distance of at least 3 millimeters to allow removal of the cap by grasping the cap and turning by hand without tools.

8. The x-ray source of claim 2 , wherein the x-ray tube is connected to the cap by adhesive comprising silver suspended in a resin.

9. The x-ray source of claim 2 , further comprising an annular, electrically-insulative, solid plug disposed in the first annular gap between the x-ray tube and the cap.

10. The x-ray source of claim 2 , wherein:

a. the x-ray tube extends into the socket;

b. a region of the socket extending from an exterior of the case partially towards an interior of the case defines an outer region;

c. a region of the socket extending from the interior of the case partially towards the exterior of the case defines an inner region;

d. the cap disposed is at least partially in the outer region of the socket and the x-ray tube extends from the cap, through the outer region, and through the inner region;

e. a second annular gap separates the x-ray tube from the case at the inner region; and

f. an annular, electrically-insulative, solid plug is disposed in the first annular gap and the second annular gap and electrically insulates the x-ray tube from the case at the inner region and electrically insulates a portion of the x-ray tube from the case and a portion of the x-ray tube from the cap.

11. The x-ray source of claim 10 , wherein material of the plug is an electrically-insulative material and extends around and provides electrical insulation between at least a portion of the power supply and the case.

12. The x-ray source of claim 11 , wherein the electrically-insulative material has a thermal conductivity of greater than

0.7

⁢

W

m

*

K

.

13. The x-ray source of claim 10 , further comprising:

a. an air-filled third annular gap between the plug and the x-ray tube; and

b. ribs on an interior surface of the plug facing the x-ray tube.

14. The x-ray source of claim 2 , wherein the cap is removably received in the socket of the case.

15. The x-ray source of claim 2 , wherein the anode is disposed in the outer end opening of the cap.

16. An x-ray source comprising:

a. an x-ray tube and a power supply carried by an electrically-conductive case;

b. the power supply at least partially disposed in the electrically-conductive case;

c. the x-ray tube including:

i. an electrically-insulative enclosure with a cathode and an anode attached to the enclosure;

ii. an electron emitter disposed in the enclosure and associated with the cathode; and

iii. a target material associated with the anode and configured to emit x-rays in response to impinging electrons from the electron emitter;

d. the electrically-conductive case including a socket in an exterior thereof;

e. the x-ray tube, electrical connections between the x-ray tube and the power supply, or both, extend into the socket; and

f. an annular electrically-conductive cap having a hollow therein:

i. carrying the anode of the x-ray tube in the hollow;

ii. removably received at the socket of the case;

iii. forming a thermally and electrically conductive path between the cap and the anode and between the cap and the case; and

iv. extending beyond an outer face of the case for a distance of at least 3 millimeters to allow removal of the cap by grasping the cap and turning by hand without tools.

17. The x-ray source of claim 16 , wherein the socket has a depth of at least 10 millimeters.

18. The x-ray source of claim 16 , wherein:

a. the electrically conductive cap is elongated and includes an outer end opening and an inner end opening, the outer end opening being the hollow in which the anode is carried;

b. the x-ray tube extends from the outer end opening towards the inner end opening;

c. a first annular gap separates a portion of the x-ray tube from a portion of the cap and provides electrical insulation between the portion of the cap and the portion of the x-ray tube; and

d. an annular, electrically-insulative, solid plug disposed in the first annular gap.

19. The x-ray source of claim 18 , wherein:

a. the x-ray tube extends into the socket;

b. a region of the socket extending from an exterior of the case partially towards an interior of the case defines an outer region;

c. a region of the socket extending from the interior of the case partially towards the exterior of the case defines an inner region;

d. the cap is disposed at least partially in the outer region of the socket and the x-ray tube extends from the cap, through the outer region, and through the inner region;

e. a second annular gap separates the x-ray tube from the case at the inner region; and

f. the plug extends into the second annular gap and electrically insulates the x-ray tube from the case at the inner region and electrically insulates a portion of the x-ray tube from the case and a portion of the x-ray tube from the cap.

20. The x-ray source of claim 19 , wherein material of the plug is an electrically-insulative material and:

a. extends around and provides electrical insulation between at least a portion of the power supply and the case; and

b. has a thermal conductivity of greater than

0.7

⁢

W

m

*

K

.