Control means for heat load in X-ray scanning apparatus
First Claim
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1. An X-ray imaging apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of X-ray tubes comprising a first X-ray tube for producing X-rays from a plurality of sources and a second X-ray tube for producing X-rays from a plurality of sources wherein the first X-ray tube and second X-ray tube are adjacent each other and spaced from each other by a spacing;
a plurality of X-ray sensors to detect X-rays emitted from the plurality of X-ray tubes and passed through an object; and
control means for controlling an order in which the X-ray tubes are active such that a displacement between an active X-ray tube in one emission period and an active X-ray tube in a period immediately after the emission period is greater than the spacing.
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Abstract
An X-ray scanning apparatus comprises a number of multi-focus X-ray tubes (25) spaced around an axis X and arranged to emit X-rays through an object on the axis which are detected by sensors (52). Each tube (25) can emit X-rays from a plurality of source positions. In each scanning cycle, in which each of the source positions in each of the tubes is used once, the ordering of the positions used is arranged so as to minimize the thermal load on the tubes (25). This is achieved by ensuring that each source position is non-adjacent to the previously active one and the next active one.
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16 Claims
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1. An X-ray imaging apparatus comprising:
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a plurality of X-ray tubes comprising a first X-ray tube for producing X-rays from a plurality of sources and a second X-ray tube for producing X-rays from a plurality of sources wherein the first X-ray tube and second X-ray tube are adjacent each other and spaced from each other by a spacing; a plurality of X-ray sensors to detect X-rays emitted from the plurality of X-ray tubes and passed through an object; and control means for controlling an order in which the X-ray tubes are active such that a displacement between an active X-ray tube in one emission period and an active X-ray tube in a period immediately after the emission period is greater than the spacing. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. An X-ray imaging apparatus comprising:
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a plurality of X-ray tubes, each of said X-ray tubes comprising a plurality of source positions, including a first source position and a second source position, wherein the first source position and the second source position are adjacent each other and spaced from each other by a source spacing; a plurality of X-ray sensors to detect X-rays emitted from the plurality of X-ray tubes and passed through an object; and a controller for controlling an order in which the X-ray source positions are active such that a displacement between an active source position in one emission period and an active source position in a period immediately after the emission period is greater than the source spacing. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification