A Universal X-ray Generator for Biomedical Radiography (I) -Generation of Soft X-rays-

Abstract

A method for generating soft x-rays for biomedical radiography using a universal x-ray generator having a cold cathode radiation tube is described. This universal generator consisted of the following essential components: various kinds of pulsed high-voltage generators corresponding to the radiographic objectives, a vacuum pump, and an oil-cooled x-ray tube using field emission. For generating the soft x-rays, a Cockcroft circuit having a DC-AC inverter with a frequency of about 2kHz was employed. The x-ray intensity of this generator varied according to the electric power of the DC-AC inverter, the tube voltage, the tube current, the anode material, and others. The effective focal spot size was determined by the diameter of the anode tip.. Various kinds of soft radiographs were obtained.