Patent Description:
To date, miniature x-ray tubes have utilized primarily analog circuitry to control the filament of the x-ray tube. The basic problem with the control system is that the transfer function gain increases dramatically as the requested tube current increases. The highest open loop gain occurs at the maximum allowable operating tube current for the x-ray tube. For stable operation using an analog control circuit, the overall gain needs to be set to ensure stability at this maximum gain. Optimization for maximum current gain allows for fast turn-on and settling time with minimum overshoot of the tube current when running at maximum tube current.

An example of a closed loop feedback system for controlling the current output of an x-ray tube is disclosed in <CIT>. The system has circuitry for improving the transient response and stability of the x-ray tube current over a substantial non-linear portion of the tube current production characteristic. The system includes a reference generator for applying adjustable step function reference signals representing desired tube currents. The system also includes means for instantaneous sensing of actual tube current. An error detector compares the value of actual and reference tube current and produces an error signal as a function of their difference. The system feedback loop includes amplification circuitry for controlling x-ray tube filament DC voltage to regulate tube current as a function of the error signal value. The system also includes compensation circuitry, between the reference generator and the amplification circuitry, to vary the loop gain of the feedback control system as a function of the reference magnitude.

The issue with the analog circuit implementation is that when requesting lower tube currents, the gain is much lower than in maximum current operation resulting in excessive turn-on and settling times. These increases in turn-on and settling time can result in incorrect measurements or increased assay times for proper results.

An x-ray beam control system is provided in line with claim <NUM> and a method is provided in accordance with claim <NUM>. The system includes a feedback control loop circuit having a modulation circuit. The feedback control loop circuit generates a control signal. A x-ray tube, has a filament response profile of tube current versus filament temperature that is non-linear. A compensation circuit receives the control signal and modifies the control signal according to a compensating function that is matched to the filament response profile. The modulation circuit receives the modified control signal and generates a drive signal. The x-ray tube receives the drive signal at a filament thereof, and outputs a tube current signal having a linear response to the control signal. The feedback control loop circuit receives the tube current signal.

<FIG> is a functional block diagram corresponding to the control of the tube current in a miniature x-ray tube of the prior art. A control circuit <NUM> provides an output to a pulse width modulation (PWM) circuit <NUM>. The PWM circuit <NUM> generates a filament drive signal to an x-ray tube <NUM>. The output of the x-ray tube <NUM> is an input to the control circuit <NUM>.

<FIG> is a graph of the tube current versus raw PWM voltage for a prior art x-ray control system. This is a typical graph of duty cycle vs. output of an x-ray tube. The tube current is a non-linear function of duty cycle. Because of the non-linear relationship, no current is generated for the majority of the PWM duty ratios. When a non-linear response is introduced into the control circuit, issues arise with the stability of the feedback loop, e.g. longer rise times, overshooting, and settling longer settling times. These result in slower turn-on time times for the x-ray tube.

<FIG> is a graph of the drive PWM versus the raw PWM voltage. This is the linearization of the duty cycle vs. the output of the x-ray tube control system. In an embodiment of the invention as will be described further, the linear portion of the tube current is provided as an input to a control circuit. This improves the stability of the feedback loop by reducing times, minimizing overshooting, and shortening settling times.

With the processing power available in a firmware controlled system, a compensating function, can be generated that will linearize the response of the tube current of an x-ray beam to the filament drive signal.

As each x-ray tube has a unique filament response profile, the best way to generate an accurate compensating function, e.g. inverse transfer function, is to measure the response of the tube current in place and generate a unique curve for each device.

The filament drive signal is a modulated signal, e.g. a pulse width modulated square wave (PWM) , that is applied to the filament which averages the drive pulse width modulation to produce a filament heating power. Because of the non-linear relationship, no current is generated for the majority of the PWM duty ratios. Ideally one would like a linear relationship between the PWM duty ratios and the tube current. For a predetermined PWM voltage, this can be accomplished by measuring the response of the tube current at each step of the modulated signal. An inverse transfer function is generated and stored. Alternatively, the values of the inverse transfer function may be stored as a lookup table. The lookup table values are applied to the control signal and become the filament drive signal. The response of the tube current of the x-ray tube is now a linear response when the filament drive signal is applied. A look up table may be generated for multiple PWM voltages.

This measurement may be performed at the time of manufacture of the x-ray tube or upon use and is stored on the device in non-volatile memory. During operation, the firmware uses this linearized table to control the tube current loop with constant turn-on and settling times regardless of requested current.

Additionally, this measurement can be re-run periodically to account for changes in the filament response profile of the x-ray tube. Comparing the tables over time can give indication to the relative health of the x-ray tube filament and used for predictive maintenance.

Each x-ray tube has a unique filament response profile of tube current versus filament temperature which is non-linear. The tube current is the stream of electrons between the cathode and the anode. The tube current is measured in milliamps and is controlled by regulating the low-voltage, heating current applied to the cathode. The higher the temperature of the filament, the larger the number of electrons that leave the cathode and travel to the anode. The milliamp or current setting of the controller regulates the filament temperature, which relates to the intensity of the X-ray output. The tube current at different filament current (as measured by the PWM duty cycle) is measured in place and a unique curve or transfer function for each device is generated. A compensating transfer function, e.g. inverse transfer function, matching the unique filament response profile is generated. This function is used to alter the filament drive signal so the resulting x-ray tube current is a linear response to the control signal.

<FIG> illustrates a basic schematic diagram for a x-ray system <NUM> showing the inverse transfer function compensation for control of the miniature x-ray tube. A control feedback circuit <NUM> receives the desired setting and generates a control signal. The compensation circuit <NUM> receives the control signal and mode setting and outputs a modified control signal indicative of the input signals. The modulation circuit <NUM>, e.g. a pulse width modulation (PWM) circuit or an analog control signal, receives and applies the modified control signal as a filament drive signal to an x-ray tube <NUM>. A feedback resistor <NUM> interposes the output of the x-ray tube <NUM> and the negative input of the amplifier <NUM>.

The control feedback circuit is a closed loop control system. One suitable feedback control circuit <NUM> is a proportional integral derivative (PID) controller. A PID controller <NUM> calculates an "error" value as the difference between a measured process variable and a desired set point. The controller <NUM> attempts to minimize the error by adjusting the process control inputs.

The PID controller calculation involves three separate constant parameters, and is accordingly sometimes called three-term control: the proportional, the integral and derivative values, denoted P, I, and D. Heuristically, these values can be interpreted in terms of time: P depends on the present error, I on the accumulation of past errors, and D is a prediction of future errors, based on current rate of change. The weighted sum of these three actions is used to adjust the process via a control element such as the power supplied to the x-ray tube <NUM>.

When the feedback control circuit <NUM> is a PID controller, it includes an amplifier <NUM> having a positive input and a negative input. The positive input receives the desired setting. A serially connected capacitor <NUM> and resistor <NUM> interpose the negative input and the output of the amplifier <NUM>. The output of the amplifier <NUM> provides the control signal to the inverse transfer function table <NUM>. Within the feedback control circuit <NUM>, the modulation circuit receives the modified control signal from the compensation circuit <NUM> and applies it to the x-ray tube <NUM>. Further, a controller <NUM> bi-directionally communicates with the amplifier <NUM>, the compensation circuit <NUM>, the modulation circuit <NUM>, and the x-ray tube <NUM>.

In one embodiment, the compensation circuit <NUM> may be an inverse transfer function table, e.g. memory having stored values of the compensating function. In another embodiment, the compensation circuit <NUM> includes a controller storing the compensating function, e.g. inverse transfer function. The control signal is then modified dynamically, e.g. real time, by the inverse transfer function.

In another embodiment, multiple inverse transfer functions and a mode setting may be selected depending on the operating conditions. These operating conditions can include but are not limited to high current filament, precision current mode filament, filament health, operating hours, humidity, ambient temperature, and desired PWM voltage.

To illustrate, the mode settings of high current filament and precision current mode filament to allow the use of particular portions of the inverse transfer function table for more precise control over a smaller range of current, or conversely less precision over a larger range of currents. One can envision having a high current filament mode for large ranges of operating current and precision current filament mode for just a portion of the operating range, but allowing for more precise initialization with the same number of table entries.

<FIG> are process flowcharts corresponding to the filament control system in manufacture, operation and maintenance.

<FIG> is a process flowchart <NUM> corresponding to the filament control system in manufacture. In step <NUM>, the tube and the control circuit are mated. In step <NUM>, filament calibration is run by to create a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal vs. current profile. To illustrate, this can be accomplished by measuring the response of the tube current at each step of the modulated signal. In step <NUM>, a compensating function is determined that corresponds to the filament calibration. The compensating function is stored as a PWM vs. current table in non-volatile memory. When the compensating function is applied to the control signal, the output of the x-ray tube will have a linear response.

In operation, an x-ray tube output is a non-linear response since the emitted current from the thermionic emitter is an exponential function of temperature. The temperature is proportional to the <NUM>th power of the filament drive power. Compensating for this type of rapidly changing function is very difficult in the analog domain. Ideally, a linear response between the tube current and the filament drive signal could be established across the entire operating range of the x-ray tube. This would allow for similar turn-on and settling times with minimal overshoot across the entire operating range of tube currents.

In operation, as will be described in FIG. 6B, the control signal is deliberately distorted by the compensating transfer function means so that after it has been distorted again by the x-ray tube, the input to PID controller will be a linear signal.

<FIG> is a process flowchart <NUM> corresponding to the filament control system in operation. In step <NUM>, the operating current is requested. In step <NUM>, the current is looked up in the PWM signal vs. current table to find the corresponding PWM value. In step <NUM>, the corresponding PWM value is applied as the optimum turn on value. In step <NUM>, the feedback loop maintains the current corresponding to the PWM value.

<FIG> is a process flowchart <NUM> corresponding to the filament control system during maintenance or monitoring. In step <NUM>, the filament calibration process is run at the desired schedule. In step <NUM>, the generated profile is compared to the previous filament calibrations. In step <NUM>, a determination is made regarding filament health.

In one embodiment, to illustrate, the controller acquires the first and the second profiles of the x-ray tube at different times as described above and may derive the. A comparator of the controller receives and compares the first filament response profile and the second filament response profile. The output of the comparator is a filament health indicator. The controller may acquire the first and the second filament response profile of the x-ray tube upon receiving a request from a user or at predetermined operating intervals.

While the aforementioned has been described with respect to filament temperature, any of the embodiments of the invention can be applied to alternatively to any non-linear parameter of the x-ray tube.

Claim 1:
An x-ray beam control system (<NUM>), comprising:
a feedback control loop circuit (<NUM>), including a modulation circuit (<NUM>), configured to generate a control signal;
an x-ray tube (<NUM>), having a filament response profile of tube current versus filament temperature which is non-linear, the filament response profile being stored, and being generated unique for the x-ray tube in place; and
a compensation circuit (<NUM>) configured to receive the control signal and to modify the control signal to output a modified control signal according to a compensating function of the control signal that is matched to the filament response profile;
wherein:
the modulation circuit is configured to receive the modified control signal and generate a filament drive signal in accordance with the modified control signal;
the x-ray tube is configured to receive the filament drive signal at a filament thereof, and output a tube current signal indicative of the x-ray tube current and having a linear response to the control signal; and
the feedback control loop circuit is configured to receive the tube current signal, such that the feedback control loop circuit is configured to generate the control signal based on the tube current signal by closed loop control.