RADIATION GENERATING APPARATUS AND RADIATION IMAGING APPARATUS

• US 20140153695A1
• Filed: 07/24/2012
• Published: 06/05/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Yanagisawa, Yoshihiro, Aoki, Shuji, Tamura, Miki, Ueda, Kazuyuki, Nomura, Ichiro
• Granted Patent: US 9,552,956 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 378/62
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 23/04 and forming images of the material
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2235/122 of the window
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2235/166 against electromagnetic radiation
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 35/12 Cooling non-rotary anodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 35/16 Vessels; Containers; Shields associated therewith
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 35/186 used as targets or X-ray converters
• CPC Class Codes: H05G 1/025 Means for cooling the X-ray tube or the generator
• CPC Class Codes: H05G 1/04 Mounting the X-ray tube within a closed housing

Abstract

A radiation generating apparatus includes: an envelope 1 having a first window 2 through which a radiation is transmitted; and a radiation tube 10 being held within the envelope 1, and having a second window 15 which is arranged in opposition to the first window 2, and through which the radiation is transmitted; and a radiation shielding member 16 thermally connected to the second window 15, having a radiation transmitting hole 21 arranged in communication with the second window 15, and having a protruding portion protruding from the second window 15 toward the first window 2. A thermal conducting member 17 having a higher thermal conductivity rather than that of the radiation shielding member 16 is connected to the protruding portion of the radiation shielding member 16. The radiation generating apparatus can shield an unnecessary radiation and cool a target with a simple structure and is entirely reduced in weight.

Claims

1. A radiation generating apparatus comprising:

an envelope having a first window through which a radiation is transmitted; and

a radiation tube being held within the envelope, and having a second window which is arranged in opposition to the first window, and through which the radiation is transmitted, wherein

the radiation tube has a radiation shielding member having a protruding portion protruding from the second window toward the first window, and

a thermal conducting member having a higher thermal conductivity rather than that of the radiation shielding member is connected to the protruding portion of the radiation shielding member.

2. The radiation generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the protruding portion forms a radiation transmitting hole arranged in communication with the second window.

3. The radiation generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the thermal conducting member is arranged at an outer periphery of the protruding portion of the radiation shielding member.

4. The radiation generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the thermal conducting member is arranged at an inner periphery of the protruding portion of the radiation shielding member.

5. The radiation generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an insulating fluid fills between the envelope and the radiation tube.

6. The radiation generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the thermal conducting member has a smaller density rather than that of the radiation shielding member.

7. The radiation generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the thermal conducting member and the radiation shielding member have shapes of co-axial cylinders, and

the thermal conducting member has a larger thickness in a radial direction rather than that of the radiation shielding member.

8. The radiation generating apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the insulating fluid is an electrically insulating oil.

9. The radiation generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the radiation shielding member is connected to the second window by a silver brazing.

10. The radiation generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the radiation tube comprises

an evacuated container,

an electron emitting source arranged within the evacuated container,

a target emitting a radiation in response to an irradiation with an electron emitted from the electron emitting source, and

a substrate on which the target is formed at a side of the substrate opposing the electron emitting source, wherein

the second window is formed in the substrate.

11. The radiation generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the radiation shielding member and the thermal conducting member are formed from metals or alloys different from each other.

12. The radiation generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the thermal conducting member is formed from a ceramic.

13. The radiation generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the thermal conducting member has a fin structure.

14. The radiation generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the thermal conducting member is screwed shut to the radiation shielding member.

15. The radiation generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the thermal conducting member is formed from a carbon series material.

16. The radiation generating apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the target and the radiation shielding member are formed from tungsten, and the thermal conducting member is formed from copper.

17. A radiation imaging apparatus comprising:

the radiation generating apparatus according to claim 1;

a radiation detector for detecting the radiation emitted from the radiation generating apparatus and transmitted through an object; and

a control unit for controlling the radiation generating apparatus and the radiation detector, so as to be correlated to each other.