US 12,293,894 B2
X-ray source shielding
Kasey Otho Greenland, South Jordan, UT (US); and Todd S. Parker, Kaysville, UT (US)
Assigned to Moxtek, Inc., Orem, UT (US)
Filed by Moxtek, Inc., Orem, UT (US)
Filed on Sep. 11, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/464,485.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/415,195, filed on Oct. 11, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2024/0120167 A1, Apr. 11, 2024
Int. Cl. H01J 35/16 (2006.01)
CPC H01J 35/16 (2013.01) [H01J 2235/165 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An x-ray tube comprising:
a cathode and an anode electrically insulated from one another, the cathode configured to emit electrons towards the anode, and the anode configured to emit x-rays out of the x-ray tube in response to impinging electrons from the cathode;
a proximal-housing and a distal-housing, the proximal-housing is located closer to the cathode and the distal-housing is located farther from the cathode, the proximal-housing and the distal-housing are separate components, spaced apart from each other;
an internal-cavity extends through a core of the proximal-housing and the distal-housing, the internal-cavity is aligned for a straight-line-axis to extend from an electron-emitter at the cathode, through the internal-cavity, to a target at the anode;
the proximal-housing has a far-end that is farthest from the cathode, the distal-housing has a near-end that is nearest to the cathode, and the proximal-housing and the distal-housing are connected to each other by a hermetic-seal at the far-end of the proximal-housing and the near-end of the distal-housing;
the hermetic-seal includes an interface-ring bonded to and between the proximal-housing and the distal-housing;
Dp/Dd≥1.25, where Dp is a maximum outer diameter of the proximal-housing and Dd is a maximum outer diameter of the distal-housing;
0.5≤CTEr/CTEp≤2 and 0.5≤CTEr/CTEd≤2, where CTEr is a coefficient of thermal expansion of the interface-ring, CTEp is a coefficient of thermal expansion of the proximal-housing, and CTEd is a coefficient of thermal expansion of the distal-housing
a blocking-ring located proximate to the interface-ring, the blocking-ring includes a material with an atomic number of at least 72;
a hole extending through the interface-ring and the blocking-ring, the hole aligned to allow electrons from the electron-emitter to pass through the hole to the target;
a blocking-enclosure surrounding the distal-housing except at the near-end and except at an opening aligned for intended emission of x-rays;
the blocking-enclosure includes a material with an atomic number of at least 72;
at least 90% of x-rays generated in the target are blocked from escaping the x-ray tube except through the opening; and
a circular-portion of the interface-ring is sandwiched between the blocking-enclosure and the proximal-housing.