US 11,751,317 B2
X-ray generating device, and diagnostic device and diagnostic method therefor
Goshi Akiyama, Kyoto (JP); Tsunehisa Ohashi, Kyoto (JP); Kenichiro Nakamura, Kyoto (JP); and Yuta Saito, Kyoto (JP)
Assigned to Shimadzu Corporation, Kyoto (JP)
Appl. No. 17/432,469
Filed by Shimadzu Corporation, Kyoto (JP)
PCT Filed Mar. 1, 2019, PCT No. PCT/JP2019/008089
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Aug. 19, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/178898, PCT Pub. Date Sep. 10, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0132645 A1, Apr. 28, 2022
Int. Cl. H05G 1/26 (2006.01); H05G 1/32 (2006.01)
CPC H05G 1/265 (2013.01) [H05G 1/32 (2013.01)] 5 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An X-ray generating device comprising:
an X-ray tube including a cathode, an anode, and an ion-collecting conductor, the cathode and the anode being sealed inside a vacuum envelope, the ion-collecting conductor being attached to the vacuum envelope so as to be in contact with an internal space of the vacuum envelope, the cathode including an electron source for emitting electrons, the anode being arranged to face the cathode and configured to emit X-rays when the electrons emitted from the electron source are incident;
a first DC power supply configured to apply a first DC voltage for supplying emission energy of the electrons to the electron source;
a second DC power supply configured to apply a second DC voltage for generating an electric field for making the anode to be high potential between the cathode and the anode;
a first current sensor configured to measure a value of a first current flowing between the ion-collecting conductor and a node for supplying potential for attracting positive ions in the vacuum envelope;
a second current sensor configured to measure a value of a second current flowing between the anode and the cathode; and
a control circuit configured to generate diagnostic information on a degree of vacuum of the X-ray tube based on a current ratio of the value of the first current measured by the first current sensor to the value of the second current measured by the second current sensor in a state in which the first DC voltage and the second DC voltage are being applied,
wherein the control circuit includes a storage unit for storing information indicating a predetermined correspondence relation between the current ratio and pressure inside the vacuum envelope in the X-ray tube,
wherein the diagnostic information is venerated using a pressure estimation value calculated using the current ratio by measurement values of the first current sensor and the second current sensor and the predetermined correspondence relation, and
wherein the pressure estimation value is calculated to be proportional to the kth power of the current ratio, where k is a constant set for each model of the X-ray tubes.