Claims
- 1. A compact x-ray tube assembly of about 9 inches or less in axial length and a diameter of about 4 inches or less comprising an evacuated chamber enclosed by a ceramic tubular envelope, a power supply attached at one end of said envelope and connectable to an electric current supply, emitter means within said chamber and adjacent to said power supply, said emitter means ending in a fine element for emitting an e-beam, electrostatic focusing means within said chamber for focusing said e-beam on a metal foil target, said emitter means and said electrostatic focusing means connected to said power supply, an end window at the opposite end of said envelope comprising an end wall, a window transparent to x rays located in said end wall, an inside surface of said window having thereon said metal foil target, the thickness and composition of the metal foil target and the e-beam energy being selected to generate a microfocused bright beam of x rays of a preselected energy.
- 2. An x-ray tube according to claim 1, wherein said window is in a tubular extension extending from and of smaller diameter than said evacuated chamber, the interior of said tubular extension being open to said chamber.
- 3. An x-ray tube according to claim 2, further including an annular magnetic focusing lens surrounding said tubular extension.
- 4. An x-ray tube according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of said metal foil is from 0.1 to 2 .mu.m.
- 5. An x-ray tube according to claim 1, wherein said preselected energy is in the range from 10 to 30 KV.
- 6. An x-ray tube according to claim 5, wherein said preselected energy is below 10 KV.
- 7. An x-ray tube according to claim 1, wherein said preselected energy is in the range from 13 to 70 KV.
- 8. An x-ray tube according to claim 1, wherein said ceramic tubular envelope is enclosed within an outer container.
- 9. An x-ray tube according to claim 8, wherein the annular space between the ceramic tubular envelope and said outer container is filled with an insulating oil.
- 10. An x-ray tube according to claim 1, wherein said ceramic tubular envelope has a diameter of about 2 inches or less and an axial length of about 21/2 inches.
- 11. An x-ray tube according to claim 10, wherein said power supply has a diameter of about 2 inches and an axial length of about 2 inches.
- 12. An x-ray tube according to claim 1, wherein said emitter comprises a whisker having an e-beam emitting tip of less than 1.mu. diameter.
- 13. An x-ray tube according to claim 1, wherein the ceramic tubular envelope comprises a plurality of tubular sections having edges joined together thereby forming said ceramic tubular envelope.
- 14. An x-ray tube according to claim 13, wherein the edges of the tubular sections are metallized and the metallized edges are joined together forming metal welds.
- 15. An x-ray tube according to claim 14, wherein the emitter means and the electrostatic focusing means within the evacuated chamber are electrically connected to separate metal welds of the joined tubular sections, and said metal welds are electrically connected to the power supply through lines external to the ceramic envelope.
- 16. An x-ray tube according to claim 15, wherein the ceramic tubular envelope is enclosed within an outer container and the annular space between said ceramic tubular envelope and said outer container is filled with an insulating oil.
Parent Case Info
This is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 08/074,786 filed on Jun. 10, 1993, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (4)
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
74786 |
Jun 1993 |
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