US 12,035,452 B2
Operating an X-ray tube
Josef Deuringer, Herzogenaurach (DE); Karsten Kruschat, Nuremberg (DE); and Gerd Moersberger, Bubenreuth (DE)
Assigned to Siemens Healthineers AG, Forchheim (DE)
Filed by Siemens Healthcare GmbH, Erlangen (DE)
Filed on Aug. 29, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/897,325.
Claims priority of application No. 21194328 (EP), filed on Sep. 1, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0069782 A1, Mar. 2, 2023
Int. Cl. H05G 1/08 (2006.01)
CPC H05G 1/085 (2013.01) 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for operating an X-ray tube having at least one grid electrode arranged between an anode electrode and a cathode electrode, wherein an electron flow from the cathode electrode to the anode electrode is focused via a focusing unit, and wherein the focusing unit is configured to supply the at least one grid electrode, at least in a focusing mode, with a first electric grid potential to focus the electron flow, the method comprising:
supplying the focusing unit with electrical energy in an electrically isolated manner via an energy converter;
providing the first electric grid potential via an adjustable voltage divider of the focusing unit;
adjusting the adjustable voltage divider via a control circuit of the focusing unit, the adjusting including supplying the control circuit with at least one electrically isolated control signal of a control unit that is electrically isolated from the X-ray tube, wherein the at least one electrically isolated control signal depends on a value for the first electric grid potential; and
adjusting an electric power of the energy converter based on the value for the first electric grid potential.