X-ray or gamma ray systems or devices – Source – Electron tube
Patent
1998-04-28
2000-11-14
Porta, David P.
X-ray or gamma ray systems or devices
Source
Electron tube
378122, H01J 3500
Patent
active
061480614
ABSTRACT:
A miniature x-ray unit includes a first electrical node, a second electrical node and an insulating material. The first and second nodes are separated by a vacuum gap. The first node includes a base portion and a projecting portion, wherein the projecting portion and the second node are surrounded by an x-ray transmissive window through which x-rays exit the unit. The insulating material coaxially surrounds the base portion of the first node such that the insulating material is recessed from the vacuum gap, and the insulator does not extend into the vacuum gap. Recessing the insulating material from the vacuum gap decreases the likelihood that the insulator will electrically break down due to the accumulation of electrical charge, and/or the accumulation of other materials on the surface of the insulator. In a preferred embodiment, the first node is an anode and the second node is a cathode. Alternatively, the first node may be the cathode and the second node may be the anode. The cathode is preferably a cold gated field emitter array (FEA) which provides a electron current having a magnitude that is sufficient to satisfy the time constraints on x-ray dose delivery.
REFERENCES:
patent: Re34421 (1993-10-01), Parker et al.
patent: 3714486 (1973-01-01), McCrary
patent: 4104531 (1978-08-01), Weiss
patent: 4104532 (1978-08-01), Weiss
patent: 4563769 (1986-01-01), Madsen
patent: 5090043 (1992-02-01), Parker et al.
patent: 5153900 (1992-10-01), Nomikos et al.
patent: 5199939 (1993-04-01), Dake et al.
patent: 5428658 (1995-06-01), Oettinger et al.
patent: 5503613 (1996-04-01), Weinberger
patent: 5729583 (1998-03-01), Tang et al.
Field-Emitter Arrays for Microwave Power Tubes by Carl O. Bozler et al. of Lincoln Laboratory; Massachusetts Institute of Technology of Cambridge, MA.
Photoelectron Sources: Selection and Analysis; Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research A272 (1988) 264-267; North-Holland, Amsterdam by Peter E. Oettinger, Ruth E. Shefer, Dan L. Birx and Michael C. Green.
Basic Science Reports; Inhibition of Neointimal Proliferation With Low-Dose Irradiation From A .beta.-Particle-Emitting Stent by John R. Laird et al.; 1996 American Heart Association, Inc.
Med. Phys. 23 (10), Oct. 1996; 1996 Am. Assoc. Phys. Med.; Dosimetry of a radioactive coronary balloon dilitation catheter for treatment of neointimal hyperplasia by H.I. Amois et al.
IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices, vol. 38, No. 10, Oct. 1991; A Study of Field Emission Microtriodes by C.E. Holland et al.
Med. Phys. 23 (1), Jan. 1996; 1996 Am. Assoc. Phys. Med.; A new miniature x-ray device for interstitial radiosurgery: Dosimetry by J. Beatty et al.
Med. Phys. 23 (1), Jan. 1996; 1996 Am. Assoc. Phys. Med.; A new miniature x-ray source for interstitial radiosurgery; Device description by M. Dinsmore et al.
Temporal Evolution of Beam Emittance and Cathode Plasma Uniformity From a Field Emission Diode by F. Hartemann et al.; from Proceedings of the IEEE Particle Accelerator Conference, Washington, D.C., Mar. 16-19, 1987.
Hughey Barbara J.
Klinkowstein Robert E.
Shefer Ruth
Hobden Pamela R.
Newton Scientific Inc.
Porta David P.
LandOfFree
Miniature x-ray unit does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Miniature x-ray unit, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Miniature x-ray unit will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2072875