KR20210084233A - X-ray generator - Google Patents

Abstract

An objective of the present invention is to provide an X-ray generator capable of reducing weight and size and reducing unnecessary waiting time to increase efficiency. According to the present invention, the X-ray generator comprises: a boosting unit boosting a first DC voltage supplied from a voltage source to a second DC voltage higher than the first DC voltage; at least one capacitor receiving the secondary DC voltage to generate a charging voltage; a converter converting the charging voltage into a driving voltage; an X-ray source receiving the driving voltage and emitting X-rays; and a control unit controlling the boosting unit, the conversion unit, and the X-ray source. The magnitude of the second DC voltage is variable and the control unit calculates a cooling time required for cooling the X-ray source to a preset temperature or less, determines the magnitude of the second DC voltage according to the cooling time, and applies the second DC voltage to the capacitor for the cooling time.

Description

X-ray generator {X-RAY GENERATOR}

The present invention relates to an X-ray generating device.

In recent years, X-ray imaging is rapidly being replaced by DR (Digital Radiography) using a digital sensor thanks to the development of semiconductor and information processing technology, and X-ray imaging technology is also developing variously depending on the purpose.

For example, intra-oral X-ray imaging, which is mainly performed in the dental field, may be used.

Intraoral X-ray imaging is an X-ray imaging technique for obtaining an X-ray image of a limited area in the oral cavity of a subject. An X-ray sensor is placed inside the subject's oral cavity and X-rays are irradiated from an X-ray generator outside the oral cavity. Obtain an X-ray image of the tissue. Such intraoral X-ray imaging has the advantages of low distortion, excellent resolution and sharpness, and relatively low radiation exposure, so it is mainly used for implant surgery or root canal treatment that requires high resolution.

On the other hand, an X-ray imaging device for intraoral X-ray imaging is commonly called a portable X-ray generating device, and most of the users take an X-ray while holding it in their hand. For this purpose, weight reduction and miniaturization of the X-ray generator are required.

An object of the present invention is to provide an X-ray generator capable of reducing weight and size, and reducing unnecessary waiting time to increase efficiency.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention includes: a step-up unit for boosting a first DC voltage supplied from a voltage source to a second DC voltage greater than the first DC voltage; at least one capacitor receiving the secondary DC voltage to generate a charging voltage; a converter converting the charging voltage into a driving voltage; an X-ray source receiving the driving voltage and irradiating X-rays; and a control unit for controlling the boosting unit, the converting unit, and the X-ray source, wherein the magnitude of the second DC voltage is variable, and the control unit calculates a cooling time required for cooling the X-ray source to a preset temperature or less, and , an X-ray generator for determining the level of the second DC voltage according to the cooling time and applying the second DC voltage to the capacitor during the cooling time.

In this case, the boosting unit may include: an input terminal including an inductor connected to the voltage source; an output terminal including a diode connected to the capacitor; and a switching element for turning on/off the electrical connection between the input terminal and the output terminal, wherein the controller adjusts an on/off cycle of the switching element to adjust the magnitude of the second DC voltage.

The boosting unit may include: an input capacitor connected in parallel between the voltage source and the inductor; It characterized in that it further comprises an output capacitor connected in parallel between the diode and the said diode.

In addition, the controller may block the application of the driving voltage to the X-ray source during the cooling time.

In addition, it further includes a user input unit for receiving photographing information including an X-ray photographing mode and photographing conditions from a user, wherein the control unit calculates the cooling time based on the X-ray photographing information.

or a temperature sensor sensing a temperature of the X-ray source, wherein the controller calculates the cooling time based on the temperature of the X-ray source.

The present invention has the effect of providing an X-ray generating apparatus with high efficiency by minimizing unnecessary waiting time while increasing convenience by enabling weight reduction and miniaturization of the apparatus.

1 is a perspective view of an X-ray generating apparatus according to the present invention.
2 is a block diagram of an X-ray generating apparatus according to the present invention.
3 is a circuit diagram of a power supply unit of the X-ray generator according to the present invention.
4 is a circuit diagram of a boosting unit of the X-ray generator according to the present invention.
5 is a block diagram of a control unit of the X-ray generating apparatus according to the present invention.
6 and 7 are each a flowchart illustrating a method of driving an X-ray generating apparatus according to the present invention.

The above object, features and advantages will become more apparent through the following examples in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Specific structural or functional descriptions are only exemplified for the purpose of describing embodiments according to the concept of the present invention, and the embodiments according to the concept of the present invention may be implemented in various forms and the embodiments described in the specification of the present application It should not be construed as being limited to

Since the embodiment according to the concept of the present invention may have various changes and may have various forms, specific embodiments are illustrated in the drawings and described in detail in the specification of the present application. However, this is not intended to limit the embodiments according to the concept of the present invention to a specific disclosed form, and should be understood to include all modifications, equivalents and substitutes included in the spirit and scope of the present invention.

When a component is referred to as “connected” or “connected” to another component, it may be directly connected or connected to the other component, but other components may exist in between. will have to be understood On the other hand, when it is said that a certain element is "directly connected" or "directly connected" to another element, it should be understood that no other element is present in the middle. Other expressions for describing the relationship between elements, that is, expressions such as "between" and "immediately between" or "adjacent to" and "directly adjacent to", should be interpreted similarly.

The terms used in the specification of the present application are only used to describe specific embodiments, and are not intended to limit the present invention. The singular expression includes the plural expression unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In the present specification, terms such as "comprise" or "have" are intended to designate that the described feature, number, step, operation, component, part, or combination thereof exists, and includes one or more other features or numbers, It should be understood that the possibility of the presence or addition of steps, operations, components, parts or combinations thereof is not precluded in advance.

Unless defined otherwise, all terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Terms such as those defined in a commonly used dictionary should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the meaning in the context of the related art, and should not be interpreted in an ideal or excessively formal meaning unless explicitly defined in the present specification. does not

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail by describing preferred embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings. Like reference numerals in each figure indicate like elements.

1 is a perspective view of an X-ray generating apparatus according to the present invention.

As can be seen, the X-ray generator according to the present invention includes a main body 10 in which a power supply unit, a control unit, a conversion unit, an X-ray source, etc., which will be described later, are built in, and a handle 12 provided on one side of the main body 10 so that the user can hold and use it by hand. ), an irradiation switch 14 provided on one side of the main body 10, preferably near the handle 12, for user manipulation for X-ray irradiation, an irradiation port provided on one side of the main body 10 to which X-rays are irradiated ( 20), a shielding plate 22 that is attached along the circumference of the irradiation port 20 to minimize the user's exposure on the opposite side of the X-ray irradiation direction, is provided on one side of the main body 10 for X-ray imaging such as shooting mode and shooting conditions Instrument panel 32 for displaying various shooting information and driving related messages for shooting information, a button for inputting a user operation for controlling shooting information, a user input unit 34 such as a dial, one side of the main body 10, preferably a handle It is provided on one side of (12) and is connected to an external power source and includes a power connector 36 for receiving external power as a voltage source or as charging power of a battery to be described later.

Therefore, the user holds the handle 12, lifts the main body 10, sets the appropriate shooting mode and shooting conditions with the instrument panel 32 and the user input unit 34, and then the irradiation port 20 of the main body 10 emits X-rays. After aiming toward the irradiation position, the irradiation switch 14 may be pressed to irradiate the X-rays to the X-ray irradiation position through the irradiation port. And the shielding plate 22 blocks X-rays scattered backward to minimize the user's exposure, and the power connector 36 is connected to an external power source through an adapter or the like to receive external power as a voltage source or charge the battery to be described later. supplied with power.

For reference, FIG. 1 is only an example of an X-ray generating apparatus according to the present invention, and specific shapes and structures may be modified as much as possible.

FIG. 2 is an internal configuration diagram of an X-ray generating apparatus according to the present invention, and only the parts necessary for the description of the present invention are briefly shown for convenience.

As can be seen, the X-ray generating apparatus according to the present invention includes a power supply unit 100 , a control unit 200 , a power conversion unit 300 , and an X-ray source 400 .

The power supply unit 100 includes a voltage source 102 , a switch 104 , a boost unit 106 , and a capacitor 108 .

The voltage source 102 may be a battery, and a commercially available primary or secondary battery may be used. The battery may be composed of one or a plurality of two or more. When the capacity of the battery is exhausted, the commercial primary battery is replaced with a new battery, and the secondary battery can be used again as a voltage source through charging. Under the premise that the battery is a commercial primary battery, the only configuration that needs to be replaced or changed in the X-ray generator according to the present invention is the battery, and as will be described later, the voltage source in the X-ray generator according to the present invention is a low voltage (eg, 2.5V to 4.2V). ), it is sufficient if it can supply a primary DC voltage, and in the present invention, by using a commercial primary battery or secondary battery as a voltage source, it is possible to miniaturize the device and minimize the charging time.

For reference, the voltage source 102 of the X-ray generator according to the present invention may be an external power source other than a battery, and may be charged with an external power source when the battery is a secondary battery.

The switch 104 turns on/off the electrical connection between the voltage source 102 and the capacitor 106 to turn on/off the primary DC voltage supplied from the voltage source 102 to the booster 106 .

The switch 104 is turned on/off by receiving an on/off control signal from the controller 200 .

The switch 104 receives a control signal from the controller 200 and electrically connects the voltage source 102 and the booster 106 . When the voltage source 102 and the boosting unit 106 are connected through the switch 104, the primary DC voltage output from the voltage source 102 is boosted to a secondary DC voltage through the boosting unit 106 to generate the capacitor 108. recharge The switch 104 may receive an off control signal from the controller 200 to release the electrical connection between the voltage source 102 and the booster 106 . When the connection between the voltage source 102 and the boosting unit 103 is released by the switch 104 , the voltage supply of the voltage source 102 is cut off to stop charging the capacitor 104 .

Although the switch 104 is shown to be interposed between the voltage source 102 and the booster 106 in the drawings and the above description, the same function may be performed even if the switch 104 is interposed between the booster 106 and the capacitor 108 .

The boosting unit 106 is connected to the voltage source 102 through the switch 104 , and driving is controlled according to the on/off state of the switch 104 . The booster 103 serves to convert the primary DC voltage output from the voltage source 102 into a secondary DC voltage for charging the capacitor 108 . As an example, the booster 106 receives a primary DC voltage of a low voltage (eg, 2.5V to 4.2V) generated from the voltage source 102 and receives a secondary DC voltage suitable for charging the capacitor 108 (eg, 24V). ~30V, 0.15A) can be boosted and supplied to the capacitor 108 . For this purpose, the voltage booster 106 may include a DC/DC booster converter circuit.

3 is a circuit diagram illustrating a power supply unit of an X-ray generator according to the present invention. For example, when the power supply unit 100 includes a voltage source 102 and a capacitor 108 composed of a plurality of series-connected capacitor elements, the booster unit 106 receives a primary DC voltage of 2.5V to 4.2V, which is the output voltage of the voltage source 102, for example, and converts it into a secondary DC voltage of 24V to 30V, which is a voltage suitable for charging the capacitor 108, and converts it into a capacitor (108) can be charged.

4 is a circuit diagram showing the boosting unit 106 of the X-ray generator according to the present invention. The input terminal 106a including the inductor In connected in series with the voltage source 102, and the capacitor 108 are connected in series. It includes an output terminal 106b including a diode D, a switching element SW for turning on/off the electrical connection between the input terminal 106a and the output terminal 106b, and between the voltage source 102 and the inductor In. The input capacitor Cin is connected in parallel, and the output capacitor Cout is connected in parallel between the diode D and the capacitor 108 .

Therefore, in the on state of the switching element SW, a current is charged in the inductor In, and in the off state SW of the switching element SW, the current charged in the inductor In is discharged, so that the first DC voltage is greater than the first DC voltage. 2 The DC voltage is transferred to the capacitor 108 . At this time, the magnitude of the second DC voltage varies according to the on/off cycle of the switching element SW, and the controller 200, which will be described later, adjusts the on/off cycle of the switching element SW to increase the magnitude of the second DC voltage. adjust the

Referring back to FIG. 2 , the capacitor 108 may be charged with the secondary DC voltage supplied from the booster 106 . The capacitor 108 may supply a charging voltage to the converter 300 for X-ray irradiation. The capacitor 108 may include at least two or more capacitor elements connected in series. For example, assuming that 65 kV, 3 mA, and 1 s are required to drive the X-ray source 400 of the present invention, the capacitor 108 may be composed of 2 to 4 capacitor elements having a capacitance of 25F to 30F. Assuming that the capacitor element is an electrolytic capacitor having a size of about 12.5 ? × 20 mm, the size of the capacitor 108 may be about 25 × 50 × 20 mm.

As a comparative example, when only the primary DC voltage of the battery is used, a high voltage must be applied to the X-ray source 400 instantaneously, which may cause a problem in the lifespan and durability of the battery. As another comparative example, when only the DC voltage of a special battery made for high output is used, there is a problem in that the unit price of the X-ray generator is increased. As another comparative example, when only the DC voltage of the high-capacity capacitor is used, since the energy density of the capacitor is low and the power supply is enlarged, the usability of the X-ray generator may be deteriorated. As another comparative example, when only a low-capacity capacitor DC voltage is used, there is a problem in that the convenience of the device is very poor due to the inconvenience of having to charge it every time a picture is taken.

Therefore, in the present invention, by configuring the power supply unit 100 with a capacitor 104 including a voltage source 102 such as a battery having high energy density and a plurality of series-connected capacitor elements with easy high output, it is possible to reduce the weight and size of the device. Thus, it is possible to increase both the efficiency and convenience of the X-ray generating apparatus.

The controller 200 controls the overall operation of the X-ray apparatus according to the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1 above together, the control unit 200 controls the conversion unit 300 to perform X-ray imaging according to the user's input of desired shooting information, such as a shooting mode and shooting conditions, through the instrument panel 32 and the user input unit 34. ) to adjust the magnitude of the driving voltage supplied to the X-ray source 400 , and when the user inputs an X-ray irradiation command through the irradiation switch 14 , the driving voltage of the converter 300 is converted to the X-ray source 400 . The X-rays are supplied and X-rays are irradiated, and when X-ray imaging is completed, the driving voltage transmitted to the X-ray source 400 is cut off to stop X-ray irradiation. In addition, even if the user inputs an X-ray irradiation command through the irradiation switch 14 for a predetermined period of time after the X-ray irradiation, the driving voltage transmitted from the conversion unit 300 to the X-ray source 400 is continuously cut off to the X-ray source 400 . Let it cool below the preset temperature.

In particular, the control unit 200 of the X-ray generator according to the present invention is based on the photographing information or the temperature of the X-ray source 400 after the input of the photographing information through the user input unit 34 or after the X-ray irradiation of the X-ray source 400 is finished. The cooling time is calculated, the driving time of the boosting unit 106 and the magnitude of the second DC voltage are controlled so that the charging voltage of the capacitor 108 within the corresponding time is equal to or greater than a preset voltage value, and the charging of the capacitor 108 is When the completion and the temperature of the X-ray source 400 is cooled to below a preset temperature value, an X-ray irradiation standby message is displayed on the instrument panel 32 to inform that X-ray imaging is possible.

In addition, the control unit 200 of the X-ray generator according to the present invention may monitor the states of the power supply unit 102 and the X-ray source 400 , and display an appropriate notification message to the user through the instrument panel 32 based on this. For example, the control unit 200 measures the residual voltage of the battery and, if it is less than a preset voltage value, displays a battery replacement request message requesting replacement of the battery on the instrument panel 32, and checks whether the capacitor 108 is overvoltage or short-circuited. Therefore, if there is an error, an error message indicating an error in the capacitor 108 may be displayed on the instrument panel 32 , and the actual temperature of the X-ray source 400 may be measured and displayed to the user through the instrument panel 32 .

5 is a block diagram illustrating a control unit of an X-ray generator according to the present invention.

As can be seen, the controller 200 includes a logic operation circuit 210 equipped with a series of control algorithms for X-ray imaging, imaging information for calculating cooling time, or cooling time information for each temperature of the X-ray source 400. Various necessary The memory 240 in which information is stored, the power supply 100, in particular, the power supply management module 230 for monitoring the voltage source 102 and the capacitor 108, and a temperature sensor 240 for measuring the temperature of the X-ray source 400 , a timer 260 for measuring the cooling time may be included.

A detailed operation of the control unit 200 will be described in detail in the corresponding part.

Returning again to FIG. 2 , the converter 300 boosts the charging voltage supplied from the capacitor 108 to a driving voltage (eg, 65 kV, 3 mA) for driving the X-ray source 400 and supplies it to the X-ray source 400 . do.

The converting unit 300 may include an inverter 302, a primary boosting unit 304, and a secondary boosting unit 306, for example, the primary boosting unit 304 may include a transformer, and a secondary boosting unit ( 304 may include a mixing circuit (Cockcroft walton). The compounding circuit may be composed of an n-fold voltage rectifying circuit or a Cockcroft double voltage rectifier circuit that boosts the input voltage to an n-fold voltage.

The converter 300 is controlled by the on/off control signal of the inverter 302 transmitted from the controller 200, and when the on control signal is transferred from the controller 200 to the inverter 302, the converter 300 is The charging voltage supplied from the capacitor 108 of the power supply unit 100 is converted into a driving voltage and supplied to the X-ray source 400 , whereby the X-ray source 400 is irradiated with X-rays.

After X-ray irradiation according to the photographing information, the controller 200 transmits an off control signal to the inverter 302 to cut off the driving voltage supplied to the X-ray source, thereby stopping X-ray irradiation of the X-ray source.

The X-ray source 400 receives a driving voltage from the converter 300 , generates X-rays, and irradiates the X-rays toward the subject. The X-ray source 400 may be a field emission type including a cathode electrode having an electron emission source, an anode electrode having an X-ray target surface, and a gate electrode controlling field emission of the electron emission source.

6 and 7 are flow charts each showing a method of driving an X-ray generating apparatus according to the present invention, and with reference to these drawings and FIGS. 1 to 5, a method of driving an X-ray generating apparatus according to the present invention and a detailed control unit Look at the action. Since the method of driving the X-ray generating apparatus according to the present invention can be divided into two embodiments, each is divided. For convenience of explanation, the overlapping contents are shown in the first embodiment, and the second embodiment is compared with the first embodiment. Let's focus on the differences.

[First embodiment]

First, for driving the X-ray generator according to the present invention, the control unit 200 checks whether the charging voltage of the capacitor 108 is greater than or equal to a predetermined voltage value through the power supply management module module 230 (ST10).

When the charging voltage of the capacitor 108 is equal to or greater than a predetermined voltage value, the control unit 200 turns off the switch 104 of the power supply unit 100 to cut off the second DC voltage transmitted to the capacitor 108, thereby forming the capacitor 108. to prevent unnecessary overcharging (ST15). On the other hand, if the charging voltage of the capacitor 108 is less than a predetermined voltage value, the controller 200 turns on the switch 104 of the power supply unit 100 to turn on the capacitor 108 as the secondary DC voltage of the booster 106 . Charge (ST22). In this case, the magnitude of the secondary DC voltage may be a preset value.

Next, the controller 200 checks the temperature of the X-ray source 400 through the temperature sensor 240 (ST20).

If the temperature of the X-ray source 400 is equal to or greater than a predetermined temperature value, the controller 200 controls the driving voltage transferred from the converter 300 to the X-ray source 400 even if the user inputs an X-ray irradiation command through the irradiation switch 14 . It maintains the cooling time of continuously blocking (ST25). On the other hand, if the temperature of the X-ray source 400 is less than a predetermined temperature value, the controller 200 displays an X-ray irradiation standby message on the instrument panel 32 and waits for a user's X-ray irradiation command (ST30).

Then, when the user inputs shooting information such as a shooting mode and shooting conditions through the instrument panel 32 and the user input unit 34 and presses the X-ray irradiation switch 14 to input an X-ray irradiation command, the control unit 200 takes The driving voltage of the converter 300 is adjusted to perform X-ray imaging according to the information and transmitted to the X-ray source 400, and the X-ray source 400 irradiates the X-rays (ST35 and ST40). On the other hand, if the X-ray irradiation command is not input through the X-ray irradiation switch 14, the controller 200 waits for the X-ray irradiation command (ST30).

In addition, when shooting information is input through the user input unit 34 , the control unit 200 calculates an expected cooling time based on the cooling time information stored in the memory 240 . For this purpose, the cooling time information may indicate the form of a table in which the cooling time is matched for each shooting information. (ST50)

For reference, this embodiment is characterized in that the charging time of the capacitor 108 is secured as much as possible compared to the second embodiment to be described later. Calculate the cooling time. Therefore, the time point at which the control unit 200 calculates the expected cooling time is after the input of the shooting information through the user input unit 34, and may be any one time point from before the X-ray irradiation of the X-ray source 400 to after the end of the X-ray irradiation, Preferably, the X-ray source 400 may be irradiated with X-rays before or simultaneously with X-ray irradiation.

Next, the controller 200 determines the level of the second DC voltage for completing the charging of the capacitor 108 within the calculated cooling time (ST55). At this time, since the cooling time and the magnitude of the second DC voltage show a linear relationship in inverse proportion, a predetermined function for calculating the magnitude of the second DC voltage according to the cooling time is stored in the memory 240 or the second DC voltage for each cooling time. Second DC voltage information in which the size of is matched in the form of a table may be stored in advance.

Subsequently, the controller 200 controls the booster 106 to boost the first DC voltage to a second DC voltage having a magnitude determined in step ST55. To this end, the controller 200 may control the on/off cycle of the switching element SW of the booster 106 . The on-cycle time and the magnitude of the second DC voltage have a proportional relationship.

Meanwhile, when the X-ray irradiation according to the desired photographing information is completed, the controller 200 cuts off the driving voltage transmitted from the converter 300 to the X-ray source 400 to end the X-ray irradiation (ST60).

Subsequently, the control unit 200 maintains the cooling time, and even when the user inputs an X-ray irradiation command through the irradiation switch 14 during the cooling time, the driving voltage transmitted from the converter 300 to the X-ray source 400 is continuously blocked. . In this case, the controller 200 may display a message informing of the cooling time on the instrument panel 32 , and preferably, the remaining cooling time may also be displayed on the instrument panel 32 ( ST25 ).

Then, when the cooling time is over, the controller 200 returns to step ST10 again and repeats steps below ST10.

In the present embodiment, the controller 200 determines the cooling time for each photographing information and the magnitude of the second DC voltage at the same time as X-ray irradiation, and controls the second booster 106 to output the second DC voltage of the corresponding magnitude. Accordingly, the charging time of the capacitor 108 can be secured to the maximum, and unnecessary waiting time that may be generated due to the insufficient charging voltage of the capacitor 108 after the cooling time can be minimized.

[Second embodiment]

The driving method of the X-ray generator according to this embodiment is substantially the same as in the first embodiment from step ST10 to step ST40, but the control unit 200 calculates the cooling time for each photographing information at the same time as the X-ray irradiation starts in step ST40. Instead, the actual temperature of the X-ray source 400 is sensed through the temperature sensor 240 after the X-ray irradiation is finished (ST60) (ST47).

In addition, the cooling time for each temperature of the X-ray source 400 is calculated based on the actual temperature of the X-ray source 400 . To this end, the cooling time information for each temperature in which the cooling time for each temperature of the X-ray source 400 is matched in the form of a table may be stored in advance in the memory 240 .

Then, the control unit 200 determines the magnitude of the second DC voltage for charging the capacitor 108 to a predetermined voltage value or more during the calculated cooling time (ST55), and the switching element SW of the boosting unit 106 is The on-off cycle is adjusted to control the booster 106 to output the second DC voltage having the magnitude determined in step ST55 (ST60).

In this embodiment, compared to the first embodiment, the cooling time according to the actual temperature of the X-ray source 400 is calculated, whereas the cooling time is calculated after the X-ray irradiation is finished, so the charging time of the capacitor 108 may be somewhat reduced.

Therefore, preferably, the control unit 200 controls the booster 106 to output the second DC voltage of a predetermined size at the same time as X-ray irradiation, and after step ST55, adjust the second DC voltage to the level determined in step ST55. have.

As described above, although the present invention has been described with reference to limited embodiments and drawings, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains can learn from these descriptions of the present invention. Various substitutions, modifications, and changes are possible without departing from the technical spirit.

Therefore, the scope of the present invention should not be limited to the described embodiments, but should be defined by the following claims as well as the claims and equivalents.

100: power unit 200: control unit
300: power conversion unit 400: X-ray source

Claims (6)

a boosting unit boosting the first DC voltage supplied from the voltage source to a second DC voltage greater than the first DC voltage;
at least one capacitor receiving the secondary DC voltage to generate a charging voltage;
a converter converting the charging voltage into a driving voltage;
an X-ray source receiving the driving voltage and irradiating X-rays; and
a control unit for controlling the boosting unit, the converting unit, and the X-ray source;
The magnitude of the second DC voltage is variable,
The controller calculates a cooling time required for the X-ray source to cool below a preset temperature after irradiation with X-rays, determines the level of the second DC voltage according to the cooling time, and controls the second DC voltage during the cooling time. applied to the capacitor
X-ray generator.
According to claim 1,
The method of claim 1,
The boosting unit,
an input terminal including an inductor connected to the voltage source;
an output terminal including a diode connected to the capacitor;
and a switching element for turning on/off the electrical connection between the input terminal and the output terminal,
The control unit controls an on/off cycle of the switching device to adjust the magnitude of the second DC voltage.
3. The method of claim 2,
The boosting unit,
an input capacitor connected in parallel between the voltage source and the inductor;
The X-ray generator further comprising an output capacitor connected in parallel between the diode and the diode.
The method of claim 1,
The control unit is
An X-ray generator for blocking the application of the driving voltage to the X-ray source during the cooling time.
The method of claim 1,
Further comprising a user input unit for receiving the shooting information including the X-ray imaging mode and shooting conditions from the user,
The controller is configured to calculate the cooling time based on the X-ray imaging information after input of the imaging information.
The method of claim 1,
Further comprising a temperature sensor for sensing the temperature of the X-ray source,
The controller is configured to calculate the cooling time based on the temperature of the X-ray source after the X-ray source is irradiated with X-rays.

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