EP3627976B1 - X-ray imaging apparatus and consumption level estimation method for x-ray source - Google Patents

X-ray imaging apparatus and consumption level estimation method for x-ray source Download PDF

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Publication number
EP3627976B1
EP3627976B1 EP19198313.9A EP19198313A EP3627976B1 EP 3627976 B1 EP3627976 B1 EP 3627976B1 EP 19198313 A EP19198313 A EP 19198313A EP 3627976 B1 EP3627976 B1 EP 3627976B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
tube current
current value
ray source
cathode
consumption level
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Active
Application number
EP19198313.9A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP3627976A1 (en
Inventor
Bunta Matsuhana
Goro Kambe
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Shimadzu Corp
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Shimadzu Corp
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Publication of EP3627976A1 publication Critical patent/EP3627976A1/en
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    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H05G—X-RAY TECHNIQUE
    • H05G1/00—X-ray apparatus involving X-ray tubes; Circuits therefor
    • H05G1/08—Electrical details
    • H05G1/26—Measuring, controlling or protecting
    • H05G1/265—Measurements of current, voltage or power
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H05G—X-RAY TECHNIQUE
    • H05G1/00—X-ray apparatus involving X-ray tubes; Circuits therefor
    • H05G1/08—Electrical details
    • H05G1/085—Circuit arrangements particularly adapted for X-ray tubes having a control grid
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H05G—X-RAY TECHNIQUE
    • H05G1/00—X-ray apparatus involving X-ray tubes; Circuits therefor
    • H05G1/08—Electrical details
    • H05G1/26—Measuring, controlling or protecting
    • H05G1/30—Controlling
    • H05G1/32—Supply voltage of the X-ray apparatus or tube
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H05G—X-RAY TECHNIQUE
    • H05G1/00—X-ray apparatus involving X-ray tubes; Circuits therefor
    • H05G1/08—Electrical details
    • H05G1/26—Measuring, controlling or protecting
    • H05G1/30—Controlling
    • H05G1/34—Anode current, heater current or heater voltage of X-ray tube
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H05G—X-RAY TECHNIQUE
    • H05G1/00—X-ray apparatus involving X-ray tubes; Circuits therefor
    • H05G1/08—Electrical details
    • H05G1/26—Measuring, controlling or protecting
    • H05G1/54—Protecting or lifetime prediction
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H05G—X-RAY TECHNIQUE
    • H05G1/00—X-ray apparatus involving X-ray tubes; Circuits therefor
    • H05G1/08—Electrical details
    • H05G1/60—Circuit arrangements for obtaining a series of X-ray photographs or for X-ray cinematography

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to an X-ray imaging apparatus including an X-ray source that gives high voltage between a cathode and a target, as well as keeps a tube current value at a set value by performing feedback control of grid voltage given to a grid disposed between the cathode and the target, and to a consumption level estimation method for the X-ray source.
  • an X-ray source When imaging an image using an X-ray imaging apparatus, an X-ray source is given tube voltage and tube current adapted to imaging of an object.
  • feedback control is performed which, in a state where a predetermined tube voltage is applied between a cathode and a target, adjusts grid voltage to be applied to a grid electrode arranged in the vicinity of the cathode between the cathode and the target so that a tube current value becomes constant, and thereby matches the tube current value with a set value.
  • the consumption level of the cathode can be determined from the value of the grid voltage at the time of controlling the tube current value to the set value (see Patent Literature 1). That is, it can be determined that even when the potential difference between the grid and the cathode is large, when the tube current is detectable, the consumption level is low, whereas when unless the potential difference between the grid and the cathode is decreased, the tube current is undetectable, the consumption of the cathode progresses.
  • Patent Literature 1 International Publication No. WO2003/092336 JP4505101B B2 discloses an X-ray generating system. Therein, when pulse current is generated, the bulb current which is synchronized with its current period is sampled, and a preheating value of a cathode which is a prescribed value, is memorized, then a controlling means is provided with the memorized preheating value which is used to control the current value in the pulse current for the next time.
  • the present invention has been made in order to solve the above-described problem, and intends to provide an X-ray imaging apparatus and a consumption level estimation method for an X-ray source, which are capable of estimating the consumption level of an X-ray source without measuring grid voltage.
  • the present invention is directed to an X-ray imaging apparatus that includes: an X-ray source that gives high voltage between a cathode and a target, as well as keeps a tube current value at a set value by performing feedback control of grid voltage given to a grid disposed between the cathode and the target; a tube current value setting part that sets the tube current value; and a time measurement part that measures the time when the tube current value is set and the time when the tube current value reaches the set value.
  • An embodiment the present invention reflected by present dependent claim 2 includes a consumption level estimation part that estimates the consumption level of the X-ray source on the basis of the time until the tube current value reaches the set value after the tube current value has been set.
  • a further embodiment of the present invention reflected by present dependent claim 3 includes an alarm display part that displays an alarm when the time until the tube current value reaches the set value after the tube current value has been set exceeds a preset set time.
  • Another embodiment of the present invention reflected by present dependent claim 4 depending on claim 1 includes a control unit that, when performing aging on the X-ray source, performs measurement of a time until the tube current value reaches the set value after the tube current value has been set.
  • Another embodiment of the present invention reflected by present dependent claim 5 depending on claim 2 or 3 includes a control unit that, when performing aging on the X-ray source, performs measurement of the time until the tube current value reaches the set value after the tube current value has been set.
  • the present invention is further directed to a consumption level estimation method for an X-ray source that gives high voltage between a cathode and a target, as well as keeps a tube current value at a set value by performing feedback control of grid voltage given to a grid disposed between the cathode and the target, and the consumption level estimation method estimates the consumption level of the X-ray source on the basis of the time until the tube current value reaches the set value after the tube current values has been set.
  • the consumption level of the X-ray source can be estimated by using the time when the tube current value is set and the time when the tube current value reaches the set value. For this reason, the consumption level of the X-ray source can be estimated without measuring the grid voltage.
  • the consumption level of the X-ray source since the consumption level of the X-ray source is estimated on the basis of the time until the tube current value reaches the set value after the tube current value has been set, the consumption level of the X-ray source can be estimated without measuring grid voltage.
  • the alarm display part that displays the alarm when the time until the tube current value reaches the set value after the tube current value has been set exceeds the preset set time is included, the alarm can be given on the basis of the consumption level of the X-ray source without measuring the grid voltage.
  • FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the X-ray imaging apparatus according to the present invention provided with the main control system of the apparatus.
  • the X-ray imaging apparatus includes: an X-ray source 41 that irradiates a work W as a test object with X-rays; an X-ray detector 42 that detects X-rays transmitting through the work W after the irradiation from the X-ray source 41, such as a flat panel detector or an image intensifier (I. I.); and a stage 43 that is disposed between the X-ray source 41 and the X-ray detector 42 and for placing the work W.
  • the stage 43 is adapted to be horizontally movable in two mutually orthogonal directions by action of a stage moving mechanism 44 provided with an unillustrated motor.
  • the X-ray source 41, the X-ray detector 42, the stage 43, and the stage moving mechanism 44 are disposed inside a casing 40 formed of an X-ray shielding member.
  • the stage moving mechanism 44 may be configured to be vertically movable.
  • the X-ray imaging apparatus is provided with a control unit 30 that includes: a CPU that performs logical operations as a processor; a ROM in which an operation program necessary to control the apparatus is stored; a RAM in which data and the like are temporarily stored at the time of control; and the like, and controls the whole of the apparatus.
  • the control unit 30 includes a computer installed with software. Functions of respective parts included in the control unit 30 are implemented by executing the software installed in the computer.
  • the control unit 30 is connected to: a display part 45 that displays an X-ray image detected by the X-ray detector 42, or the like, such as a liquid crystal display panel; and an operation part 46 including a mouse, a keyboard, and the like for performing various types of operations.
  • control unit 30 includes: an image processing part 31 for image-processing an X-ray image detected by the X-ray detector 42 to display the processed image on the display part 45; a movement control part 32 for controlling the stage moving mechanism 44; an X-ray control part 33 for controlling the X-ray source 41; and an alarm display part 34 for performing the below-described alarm display.
  • FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the X-ray source 41.
  • the X-ray source 41 is one provided with an indirectly-heated electron beam generating part, and includes: a cathode 12; a cathode heater 11 for heating the cathode 12; a grid electrode 13, and a target 14.
  • An electron beam 101 generated from the cathode 12 heated by the cathode heater 11 is emitted from the cathode 12 toward the target 14 by the tube voltage between the cathode 12 and the target 14, collides with the target 14 after passing through the gird electrode 13, and thereby generates X-rays 102.
  • target current A generated by electrons reaching the target 14 flows toward the target 14, and cathode current (emission current) B generated by electrons emitted from the cathode 12 flows from the cathode 12.
  • the cathode current B is detected by a cathode current detector 15 as tube current flowing through the X-ray source 41. Note that the target current A and the cathode current B usually match each other, and these currents correspond to the tube current. For this reason, instead of detecting the cathode current B as the tube current by the cathode current detector 15, a detector for the target current A may be disposed to measure a tube current value.
  • FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of the X-ray control part 33 in the control unit 30.
  • the X-ray control part 33 includes: a tube current value setting part 51 for setting the value of the tube current to be supplied to the X-ray source 41; a tube current value measurement part 52 that measures a cathode current value as the tube current value by the cathode current detector 15 illustrated in FIG. 2 ; a time measurement part 53 that measures the time when the tube current value is set by the tube current value setting part 51 and the time when the tube current value measured by the tube current value measurement part 52 reaches a set value; and a consumption level estimation part 54 that estimates the consumption level of the cathode 12 in the X-ray source 41 on the basis of the time until the tube current value reaches the set value after the tube current value has been set.
  • FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating one embodiment of the consumption level estimating operation for estimating the consumption level of the cathode 12 in the X-ray source 41.
  • the consumption level of the cathode 12 in the X-ray source 41 is estimated.
  • the aging of the X-ray source 41 is one that, for example, must be performed at the start of a workday, and X-ray conditions at the time are constant, such as the tube voltage and the tube current. For this reason, the consumption level can be estimated under the same conditions, and the consumption level of the X-ray source 41 can be more accurately estimated.
  • the consumption level of the cathode 12 in the X-ray source 41 may be estimated at timing other than the aging time.
  • Step S1 When estimating the consumption level of the cathode 12 in the X-ray source 41, it is determined whether or not to perform the aging (Step S1). Then, when performing the aging, the tube current value is set (Step S2). The setting of the tube current value is performed by the tube current value setting part 51 in the X-ray control part 33. In addition, the setting of the tube current value may be performed manually by an operator or performed by reading a preset value. Also, the time T1 when the tube current value is actually set is stored (Step S3).
  • the tube current value measurement part 52 in the X-ray control part 33 measures the tube current value using the cathode current detector 15. Then, it is waited until the actual tube current value reaches the set tube current value (Step S4). When the measured tube current value reaches the set value, the corresponding reaching time T2 is stored (Step S5).
  • the time measurement part 53 in the X-ray control part 33 measures the time (T2 - T1) until the actual tube current value reaches the set value after the tube current value has been set. Then, the consumption level estimation part 54 in the X-ray control part 33 estimates the consumption level of the cathode 12 in the X-ray source 41 on the basis of whether or not the time (T2 - T1) is larger than a preset set time T3.
  • FIGS. 5 and 6 are graphs illustrating the time until the tube current value reaches the set value.
  • the horizontal axis represents time (second).
  • the vertical axis represents the tube current value with a target tube current value normalized to 1.
  • the time from the time when the tube current value was set, which corresponds to 0 on the horizontal axis in FIG. 5 , to the time when the tube current value reached the set value is approximately 0.2 seconds.
  • the time from the time when the tube current value was set, which corresponds to 0 on the horizontal axis in FIG. 6 is approximately 4.5 seconds.
  • the consumption level estimation part 54 in the X-ray control part 33 transmits an alarm signal to the control unit 30. Then, upon receipt the alarm signal, the control unit 30 displays the alarm display on the display part 45 by action of the alarm display part illustrated in FIG. 1 (Step S7). Also, as necessary, alarm display using sound or the like is also performed. In doing so, the consumption of the cathode 12 can be preliminarily recognized.
  • the indirectly-heated type provided with the cathode heater 11 for heating the cathode 12 is used as the X-ray source 41.
  • the present invention may be applied to an X-ray source having a filament type cathode.
  • the above-described embodiment employs a configuration in which, when the time until the tube current value reaches the set value exceed the preset set time T3, an alarm is displayed, but may employ a configuration in which the time when the tube current value is set and the time when the tube current value reaches the set value are displayed on the display part 45 or the like, and an operator checks them.
  • the present invention may be adapted to preliminarily store the relationship between the time (T2 - T1) until the actual tube current value reaches the set value after the tube current value has been set and the consumption level (e.g., %) of the cathode 12, and acquire and display a consumption level (%) corresponding to a measured time (T2 - T1).
  • the present invention is applied to the X-ray imaging apparatus.
  • the X-ray source 41 itself may be disposed with the tube current value setting part that sets the tube current value and the time measurement part that measures the time when the tube current value is set and the time when the tube current value reaches the set value.

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  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Toxicology (AREA)
  • X-Ray Techniques (AREA)
  • Analysing Materials By The Use Of Radiation (AREA)
EP19198313.9A 2018-09-20 2019-09-19 X-ray imaging apparatus and consumption level estimation method for x-ray source Active EP3627976B1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
JP2018175609A JP7040377B2 (ja) 2018-09-20 2018-09-20 Ｘ線撮影装置およびｘ線源の消耗度推定方法

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EP3627976A1 EP3627976A1 (en) 2020-03-25
EP3627976B1 true EP3627976B1 (en) 2021-10-27

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Family Cites Families (13)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPS5958798A (ja) * 1982-09-28 1984-04-04 Toshiba Corp Ｘ線管の劣化判定装置
JP2594200B2 (ja) * 1992-01-12 1997-03-26 株式会社堀場製作所 蛍光ｘ線分析装置
JPH07120539A (ja) * 1993-10-25 1995-05-12 Nippon Electric Ind Co Ltd 蓄電池の寿命判定方法及びその判定装置
JPH0829465A (ja) * 1994-07-20 1996-02-02 Omron Corp コンデンサ容量変化検出回路および電源寿命検出回路
JP4505101B2 (ja) * 2000-03-31 2010-07-21 東芝Ｉｔコントロールシステム株式会社 Ｘ線発生装置
JP5134169B2 (ja) * 2001-08-06 2013-01-30 株式会社東芝 Ｘ線画像診断装置
JP4144206B2 (ja) * 2001-10-03 2008-09-03 株式会社島津製作所 Ｘ線装置
TW200308185A (en) * 2002-04-24 2003-12-16 Hamamatsu Photonics Kk Device system and method for obtaining the X ray tube operation status
JP4445709B2 (ja) * 2003-02-28 2010-04-07 日立コンピュータ機器株式会社 電源供給システムの二次電池の寿命診断方法
JP2004296242A (ja) 2003-03-26 2004-10-21 Shimadzu Corp Ｘ線高電圧装置
JP2008073115A (ja) * 2006-09-19 2008-04-03 Shimadzu Corp Ｘ線撮影装置
JP2014061273A (ja) * 2012-08-30 2014-04-10 Toshiba Corp Ｘ線コンピュータ断層撮影装置
JP2017224481A (ja) * 2016-06-15 2017-12-21 東芝電子管デバイス株式会社 Ｘ線管装置、及びｘ線管システム

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CN110933827A (zh) 2020-03-27
CN110933827B (zh) 2023-11-03
JP7040377B2 (ja) 2022-03-23
EP3627976A1 (en) 2020-03-25
JP2020047498A (ja) 2020-03-26

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