Briefs International Technical Groups Miniature x-ray source has potential for medical applications by Sunny Bains Figure 1. The miniature x-ray source is based on field emission of fast electrons at the cathode to produce Bremsstrahlung radiation at the anode.
Development is still at an early stage, but initial results are promising.
Conventional radiation therapy is well known for both its benefits and drawbacks. Affecting healthy cells is often inevitable because the radiation sources are large and must remain outside the body. Therefore, x rays must pass through healthy tissue to get to their target. Clearly, medical professionals would prefer to generate the required radiation only where it is needed. Miniature x-ray sources, made using small samples of radioactive materials, have already proven to be useful in this way.