Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Disk-cathode flash X-ray tube driven by a repetitive two-stage Marx pulser

  • Medical Physics and Imaging
  • Published:
Medical & Biological Engineering & Computing Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Fundamental studies of a repetitive flash X-ray generator using a diskcathode radiation tube are described. The high-voltage pulser employed a modified two-stage surge-Marx circuit. The two condensers in the pulser were charged from 40 to 60 kV, and the electric charges were discharged to the X-ray tube repetitively to generate flash X-rays. The total capacity during the main discharge was 425 pF, and the maximum output voltage from the pulser was about 1·9 times the charged voltage. The flash X-ray tube of the demountable-diode type and was composed of a rodshaped anode tip made of tungsten, a disk cathode made of graphite and a tube body made of polymethylmethacrylate. The peak tube voltage was primarily determined by the anode-cathode (A-C) space, and the peak tube current was less than 0·5 kA. Thus the maximum photon energy could be easily controlled by varying the A-C space, and the tube current roughly increased according to increases in the charged voltage. The pulse width ranged from 40 to 100 ns, and the X-ray intensity was less than 1·1 μC kg−1 at 0·5 m per pulse. The repetition rate was less than 50 Hz, and the effective focal spot size was equivalent to the anode diameter.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • GERMER, R. (1979) X-ray techniques. J. Phys. E: Sci. Instrum., 12, 336–350.

  • HUBBELL, H. J. (1982) Photon mass attenuation and energyabsorption coefficients from 1 keV to 20 MV. Int. J. Appl. Radiat. & Isot., 33, 1269–1290.

  • ISOBE, H., SATE, E., KAWASAKI, S., SASAKI, K., AKITSU, T., OIKAWA, S., TAMAKAWA, Y., YANAGISAWA, T., TAKAHASHI, J., YASUDA, Y., ARIMA, H. and OBARA, J. (1988) A flash radiographic system for biomedical use. Proc. SPIE High Speed Photography & Photonics, Xian, China, 28th Aug. 2nd Sept., 1032, 242–249.

  • JUTTNER, B. (1988) Vacuum breakdown. Nucl. Instrum. & Methods Phys. Res., A268, 390–396.

  • MATSUZAWA, n. and AKITSU, T. (1985) Output voltage improvement of the coaxial Marx-type high-voltage generator. Rev. Sci. Instrum., 56, 2287–2289.

  • MATTSSON, A. (1972) Some characteristics of a 600 kV flash x-ray tube. Phys. Scr., 5, 99–102.

  • McCORKLE, R., ANGILELLO, J., COLEMAN, G., FEDER, R. and LA PLACA, S. J. (1979) Flash x-ray microscopy. Science, 205, 401–402.

  • RUTH, S. and FREUND, I. (1978) Laser-driven 3-kA x-ray source. Rev. Sci. Instrum., 49, 104–110.

  • SATE, E., ISOBE, H. and HUSHING, F. (1986a) High-intensity flash x-ray apparatus for medical radiography. Ibid., 57, 1399–1408.

  • SATE, E., ISOBE, H., YANAGISAWA, T., AIZAWA, Y., YUNOKAWA, Y., ARIMA, H. and HOSHINO, F. (1986b) Flash energy subtraction technique using a thin metal filter. Proc. SPIE Conf. High Speed Photography, Videography, & Photonics IV., San Diego, California, 19th-20th Aug., Conf. Publ. 693, 21–32.

  • SATE, E., KIMURA, S., KAWASAKI, S., ISOBE, H., TAKAHASHI, K., TAMAKAWA, Y. and YANAGISAWA, T. (1990) Repetitive flash x-ray generator utilizing a simple diode with a new type of energy-selective function. Rev. Sci. Instrum., 61, 2343–2348.

  • SATE, E., ISOBE, H., KIMURA, S., SHIKODA, A., TAKAHASHI, K., SAITO, H., SASAKI, K., OIKAWA, S., TAMAKAWA, Y., YANAGISAWA, T., ARIMA, H., OBARA, H., OHTA, Y., SUZUKI, S. and SEINO, H. (1991a) Diagnostic flash x-ray techniques. Jpn J. Med. Imag. Inform. Sci., 8, 7–17.

  • SATE, E., SHIKODA, A., KIMURA, S., KUMAGAI, S., ISOBE, H., TAKAHASHI, K., TAMAKAWA, Y., YANAGISAWA, T., HONDA, K. and YOKOTA, Y. (1991b) Repetitive harder pulsed x-ray generator utilizing a hot-cathode diode in conjunction with a two-stage Marx generator. Ibid., 8, 51–57.

  • SATE, E., SHIKODA, A., KIMURA, S., SAGAE, M. and ISOBE, H. (1991c) Kilohertz-range flash x-ray generator utilizing a triode in conjunction with an extremely hot cathode. Rev. Sci. Instrum., 62, 2115–2120.

  • SATE, E., SFIIKODA, A., ISOBE, H., TAKAHASHI, K., TAMAKAWA, Y., YANAGISAWA, T., ARIMA, H., HONDA, K. and YOKOTA, Y. (1991d) First trial experiment for generating sub-millisecond pulsed x-rays using a hot-cathode triode. Jpn J. Med. Imag. Inform. Sci., 8, 58–66.

  • SATE, E., KIMURA, S., SHIKODA, A., OIZUMI, T., OHTA, Y., SEINE, H., TAMAKAWA, Y., YANAGISAWA, T., HONDA, K. and YOKOTA, Y. (1992a) Glass-enclosed cold-cathode diode driven by a repetitive two-stage Marx pulser. Ibid., 9, 23–31.

  • SATE, E., SAGAE, M., KIMURA, S., OIZUMI, T., HAYASHI, Y., TAMAKAWA, Y., OHTA, Y., SUZUKI, S., OBARA, H., SEINE, H. and YANAGISAWA, T. (1992b) Conventional metal plasma x-ray-flash techniques using vacuum discharges. Proc. SPIE 20th Int. Cong. on High Speed Photography & Photonics, Victoria, Canada, 21st-25th Sept., Conf. Publ. 1801, 1001–1015.

  • SONODA, M., TAKANO, M., MIYAHARA, J. and KATE, H. (1983) Computed radiography utilizing scanner laser stimulated luminescence. Radiol., 148, 833–838.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics, Iwate Medical University, 3-16-1 Honcho-Dori, 020, Morioka, Japan

    S. Kimura, E. Sato, M. Sagae, A. Shikoda & T. Oizumi

  2. Medical Computer Research Centre, Iwate Medical University, 3-16-1 Honcho-Dori, 020, Morioka, Japan

    K. Takahashi

  3. Centre for Radiological Science, Iwate Medical University, 19-1 Uchimaru, 020, Morioka, Japan

    Y. Tamakawa

  4. Department of Radiology, Iwate Medical University, 19-1 Uchimaru, 020, Morioka, Japan

    T. Yanagisawa

Authors
  1. S. Kimura
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. E. Sato
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. M. Sagae
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. A. Shikoda
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. T. Oizumi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. K. Takahashi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Y. Tamakawa
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. T. Yanagisawa
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Kimura, S., Sato, E., Sagae, M. et al. Disk-cathode flash X-ray tube driven by a repetitive two-stage Marx pulser. Med. Biol. Eng. Comput. 31 (Suppl 1), S37–S43 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02446648

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02446648

Keywords

Search

Navigation