Portable X-ray source and method for radiography
First Claim
1. Apparatus for use in x-ray imaging comprising:
- a vacuumated plasma discharge chamber containing a plasma support gas at a selected low pressure;
a magnetic field system having a pair of permanent magnets for producing an axisymmetric magnetic mirror inside the plasma discharge chamber;
a microwave resonant cavity for supporting an oscillating electric field perpendicular to the magnetic field inside the plasma discharge chamber to form a plasma in the form of a hyperboloid for one sheet including hot electrons under electron cyclotron resonance conditions;
a microwave source for supplying microwaves to the microwave resonant cavity; and
an x-ray emitter structure positioned inside the chamber to intersect the formed hot plasma electrons, thereby to produce x-ray radiation in response to the plasma being formed.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A small, low cost, low power, and portable x-ray source that produces an x-ray flux that is sufficient to produce high quality x-ray images on suitable x-ray sensitive films. The source includes a vacuumated chamber that is filled with a heavy atomic weight gas at low pressure and an x-ray emitter. The chamber is in a magnetic field and an oscillating electric field and generates an Electron Cyclotron Resonance (ECR) plasma having a ring of energetic electrons inside the chamber. The electrons bombard the x-ray emitter which in turn produces x-ray radiation in a given direction. A pair of magnetic members generate an axisymmetric magnetic mirror trap inside the chamber. The chamber may be nested within a microwave resonant cavity and between the magnets, or the chamber and microwave cavity may be a single composite structure. The source is useful to make x-ray photographs virtually anywhere and may be battery powered.
70 Citations
82 Claims
-
1. Apparatus for use in x-ray imaging comprising:
-
a vacuumated plasma discharge chamber containing a plasma support gas at a selected low pressure; a magnetic field system having a pair of permanent magnets for producing an axisymmetric magnetic mirror inside the plasma discharge chamber; a microwave resonant cavity for supporting an oscillating electric field perpendicular to the magnetic field inside the plasma discharge chamber to form a plasma in the form of a hyperboloid for one sheet including hot electrons under electron cyclotron resonance conditions; a microwave source for supplying microwaves to the microwave resonant cavity; and an x-ray emitter structure positioned inside the chamber to intersect the formed hot plasma electrons, thereby to produce x-ray radiation in response to the plasma being formed. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
-
-
30. A method for use in x-ray imaging comprising:
-
providing a sealed plasma discharge chamber with a plasma support gas at a selected low pressure; placing an x-ray emitter structure inside the plasma discharge chamber; applying a magnetic field to the discharge chamber; supplying microwaves to the discharge chamber, said microwaves producing an oscillating electric field perpendicular to the magnetic field; exposing the chamber to the magnetic field and the oscillating electric field; forming a plasma in the form of a hyperboloid of one sheet from the support gas, including hot electrons, under ECR conditions; and bombarding the x-ray emitter continuously with hot electrons to produce x-ray radiation in response to the plasma being formed. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59)
-
- 60. An x-ray source comprising a plasma discharge chamber, a microwave source for supplying microwaves to the plasma discharge chamber, a magnetic field system for producing an axisymmetric magnetic mirror inside the plasma discharge chamber, and an electron cyclotron resonance plasma and an x-ray emitter structure disposed within the chamber, wherein the plasma is in the form of a hyperboloid of one sheet containing an electron current flow and the emitter structure is fixed in the path of the electron current flow.
- 65. An x-ray source comprising a nonvacuumated microwave resonant cavity, a microwave source for supplying microwaves to the microwave resonant cavity, a sealed chamber within the cavity, a magnetic field system for producing an axisymmetric magnetic mirror inside the sealed chamber, said sealed chamber containing an electron cyclotron resonance plasma in the form of a hyperboloid of one sheet and an x-ray emitter body, wherein the plasma intersects the x-ray emitter body.
- 69. A source for use in generating x-rays comprising a vacuumated sealed chamber containing a heavy atomic weight gas or gas mixture at a pressure of 10-5 to 10-33 Torr and an x-ray emitter capable of producing x-rays in response to bombardment by hot electrons, a microwave source for supplying microwaves to the sealed chamber, a magnetic field system for producing an axisymmetric magnetic mirror inside the sealed chamber, wherein the gas in the sealed chamber forms a plasma in the form of a hyperboloid of one sheet under electron cyclotron resonance conditions containing a closed electron ring which bombards the emitter.
-
75. Apparatus for use in x-ray imaging comprising:
-
a vacuumated plasma discharge chamber containing a plasma support gas; a magnetic field system for producing an axisymmetric magnetic mirror inside the plasma discharge chamber; a microwave source for supplying microwaves to the plasma discharge chamber, a resonant cavity for supporting an oscillating electric field perpendicular to the magnetic field inside the plasma discharge chamber to form a plasma in the form of a hyperboloid of one sheet including hot electrons under electron cyclotron resonance conditions, wherein the diameter of the resonant cavity is on the order of the wavelength of the microwaves; and an x-ray emitter structure positioned inside the plasma discharge chamber to intersect the formed hot plasma electrons, thereby to produce x-ray radiation in response to the plasma being formed. - View Dependent Claims (76, 77)
-
-
78. Apparatus for use in x-ray imaging comprising:
-
a vacuumated plasma discharge chamber containing a plasma support gas; a magnetic field system for producing an axisymmetric magnetic mirror inside the plasma discharge chamber; a microwave source for supplying microwaves to the plasma discharge chamber; a resonant cavity for supporting an oscillating electric field perpendicular to the magnetic field inside the plasma discharge chamber to form a plasma in the form of a hyperboloid of one sheet including hot electrons under electron cyclotron resonance conditions, wherein the length of the resonant cavity is on the order of the wavelength of the microwaves; and an x-ray emitter structure positioned inside the plasma discharge chamber to intersect the formed hot plasma electrons, thereby to produce x-ray radiation in response to the plasma being formed. - View Dependent Claims (79, 80)
-
-
81. Apparatus for use in x-ray imaging comprising:
-
a vacuumated plasma discharge chamber containing a plasma support gas; a magnetic field system having a pair of permanent magnets for producing an axisymmetric magnetic mirror inside the plasma discharge chamber; a resonant cavity for supporting an oscillating electric field perpendicular to the magnetic field inside the plasma discharge chamber to form a plasma in the form of a hyperboloid of one sheet including hot electrons under electron cyclotron resonance conditions; a microwave source for supplying microwaves to the plasma discharge chamber; and an x-ray emitter structure positioned inside the chamber to intersect the formed hot plasma electrons, thereby to produce x-ray radiation in response to the plasma being formed. - View Dependent Claims (82)
-
Specification