10 kHz microsecond pulsed X-ray generator utilising a hot-cathode triode with variable durations for biomedical...

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Physics
• Engineering

Background:

• Pulsed X-ray generators are crucial for various scientific and medical applications.
• Precise control over X-ray pulse duration and intensity is essential for optimizing imaging quality and minimizing radiation dose.
• Existing technologies often face limitations in achieving high repetition rates and fine control over pulse parameters.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a new 10 kHz pulsed X-ray generator.
• To introduce a novel grid control device for precise X-ray pulse duration control.
• To characterize the performance of the developed pulsed X-ray system.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a hot-cathode triode X-ray tube coupled with a new grid control device.
• Employed an energy-storage condenser charged to 70 kV.
• Discharged condenser energy repetitively via the grid control device to generate X-ray pulses.
• Controlled X-ray pulse duration by adjusting the grid control device's time constant and thermoelectron cut-off voltage.

Main Results:

• Achieved a maximum repetition rate of approximately 10 kHz.
• Controlled X-ray pulse duration to less than 1 ms.
• Delivered an X-ray intensity of 0.92 microC kg-1 at 0.5 m per pulse with a 0.27 ms pulse width, 70 kV charged voltage, and 0.4 A peak tube current.
• Measured a focal spot size of approximately 3.5 x 3.5 mm.

Conclusions:

• The developed grid control device effectively enables precise control over flash X-ray pulse duration.
• The 10 kHz pulsed X-ray generator demonstrates high performance in terms of repetition rate and intensity.
• This technology holds potential for advanced applications requiring high-quality, controlled pulsed X-ray sources.