Patent ID: 6198804
Filing Date: 2001-03-06
Classification: A61N,H01J,H05G,H05H

Abstract:
An x-ray generating system including:A. an electron beam source, having an electron gun, for generating and passing through an accelerator an electron beam along a central axis to an x-ray emitting target on said central axis and distal from said electron beam source, wherein the accelerator includes a plurality of accelerator stages extending along said central axis from a point near the electron gun to a point distal to the electron gun;B. a network for generating a signal representative of a beam current associated with said electron beam, the network including:i. a beam current measurement network having a beam current measurement input node connected to a voltage multiplier input node and a beam current measurement output node connected to a ground potential;ii. a voltage multiplier having a plurality of voltage multiplier stages in serial connection and having said voltage multiplier input node and a voltage multiplier output node, wherein the voltage multiplier output node is coupled to said electron gun;iii. a voltage monitor network having a voltage monitor input node and a voltage monitor output node, wherein the voltage monitor input node is coupled to the voltage multiplier input node and the voltage monitor output node is coupled to the voltage multiplier output node;iv. a coupler, which couples said x-ray emitting target to said ground potential; andv. a plurality of voltage multiplier taps, wherein a first accelerator stage from the plurality of accelerator stages which is most distal to the electron gun is coupled to the voltage multiplier input node and each remaining accelerator stage from said plurality of accelerator stages is coupled to a corresponding voltage multiplier tap from the plurality of voltage multiplier taps.