Resident

Resident Physics
Physics Lectures
Lectures

• Christensen, Chapter 3C

X-Ray
Generator
Types George David
Associate Professor
Medical College of Georgia
Department of Radiology
 Exposure
Exposure Switching
Switching
(exposure
(exposure stop
stop // start)
start)
• High voltage switched,
not filament
• Requirement
fast
smooth
• Switching locations
primary switching
» primary side of high tension
transformer
secondary switching
» between rectifiers & x-ray tube
 Primary
Primary Switch
Switch Types
Types
• electromechanical
relays
obsolete

• thyratrons
gas filled switch tubes
» obsolete
 Primary
Primary Switch
Switch Types
Types
• solid state
• silicon-controlled
rectifiers (SCR’s
or thyristers)
• turned on by
voltage pulse
• Can only be
turned off by
interrupting
current through it
 Secondary
Secondary Switching
Switching

• Must withstand high

voltage
• Devices
 triode or tetrode vacuum tubes
» Radiation output essentially constant
potential
» Rapid switching
• Cine
• Angio
 grid-controlled x-ray tubes
» Example application
• capacitive discharge generator
 Switching
Switching Comparison
Comparison

• Primary • Secondary
cheap / simple Faster switching
shorter exposure
times possible
High frame rates
Angiography
Cine
 Falling
Falling Load
Load Generators
Generators
• Purpose
produce shortest possible exposure consistent
with tube ratings

• How?
operate tube at max. kW rating during entire
exposure
initial mA highest allowed by tube & focal spot
mA decreased during exposure mA
operator sets mAs, not mA & time

Time in an exposure
 Falling
Falling Load
Load Generators
Generators

• harder on x-ray tubes

 Start at maximum mA
 Operates at tube rating limits

• operator sets only focal spot & mAs

 not mA & time

• high mA can cause focal spot

blooming
 increase in focal spot size at very high mA
Power
Power Storage
Storage Generators
Generators

• Application
Remote locations
Inadequate power from power line
Outlet inaccessible

• Types
Battery-powered generators
Capacitor discharge generators
 Battery-Powered
Battery-Powered Generators
Generators

• Batteries used for

 x-ray
 transport
• independent of power lines during
exposure
• Disadvantages
 Batteries must be charged
 Batteries maintenance
 Heavy
• Battery’s DC converted to AC for high
voltage transformer to operate
 Capacitor
Capacitor Basics
Basics
• Capacitor stores charge (or
voltage)
 Capacitor
Capacitor Discharge
Discharge
Generators
Generators
• Capacitor stores high voltage
• Special tube used
 Contains grid
 Grid close to filament
 Low voltage on grid controls flow of electrons to anode
• Exposure start & stop controlled by
voltage on grid

+
 Capacitor
Capacitor Discharge
Discharge Generators
Generators
• HV from transformer charges capacitor
slowly just before exposure
 Negative voltage on grid blocks tube current from cathode to
anode

• capacitor discharged through tube for

exposure when grid turned off
 high mA but short exposure times
 kVp drops during exposure
» ~1 kVp drop per mAs
» limited usefulness for thick body parts

Tank slowly fills; water

comes from tank, not
water line during flush
 Capacitor
Capacitor Discharge
Discharge Generators
Generators

• Can be powered by
Line
Battery
• Power source
May or may not assist in transport
» Units without batteries are much lighter
Capacitor charged just before exposure
Exposure independent of power source
» Power source only affects pre-exposure charge time
 Medium
Medium (or
(or high)
high) Frequency
Frequency
Generators
Generators

• higher frequency square wave

voltage sent to primary of high
voltage transformer
 Conventional generators use power line’s
sine wave

• very efficient
 transformer & generator very small
 some transformers integral with x-ray tube
head
 Medium
Medium Frequency
Frequency
Generator
Generator Operation
Operation

• incoming AC converted to DC

AC DC
 Medium
Medium Frequency
Frequency
Generator
Generator Operation
Operation
• Pulsating DC smooth to constant
voltage

Pulsating DC Constant DC
 Medium
Medium Frequency
Frequency
Generator
Generator Operation
Operation
• smooth DC regulated to voltage
level proper for primary

Constant DC Exposure-level DC
 Medium
Medium Frequency
Frequency
Generator
Generator Operation
Operation

• DC converted (chopped) to AC

Exposure-level DC Chopped AC
 Medium
Medium Frequency
Frequency
Generator
Generator Operation
Operation

• AC sent to
transformer primary
• normal transforming
& rectification
• high voltage
smoothing
Medium
Medium Frequency
Frequency Generators
Generators

• Advantages
conducive to computer control
immune to power line fluctuations
low ripple
small size of electronics & transformer
» small enough to spin on CT gantry

• Today’s trend in generators