Abstract: An x-ray radiator has an anode that emits x-rays when struck by electrons, a cathode that thermionically emits electrons upon irradiation thereof by a laser beam, a voltage source for application of a high voltage between the anode and the cathode for acceleration of the emitted electrons towards the anode to form an electron beam. A surface of the cathode that can be irradiated by the laser beam is at least partially roughened and/or doped and/or is formed of an intermetallic compound or vitreous carbon.

Abstract: An x-ray unit has an x-ray radiator having an anode that emits x-rays upon being struck by electrons, a cathode that thermionically emits electrons upon irradiation thereof by a laser beam, electrical connections for application of a high voltage between the anode and the cathode to accelerate the emitted electrons toward the anode as an electron beam, a vacuum housing that can be rotated around an axis, an insulator that is part of the vacuum housing and that separates the cathode from the anode, a drive that rotates the vacuum housing around its axis, an arrangement for cooling components of the x-ray radiator, and an arrangement that directs the laser beam from a stationary source, arranged outside of the vacuum housing, onto a spatially stationary laser focal spot on the cathode and that focuses the laser beam.

Abstract: An x-ray radiator has an anode that emits x-rays, a cathode that thermionically emits electrons upon irradiation thereof by a laser beam, a voltage source for application of a high voltage between the anode and the cathode for acceleration of the emitted electrons toward the anode to form an electron beam, a vacuum housing, an insulator that is part of the vacuum housing and that separates the cathode from the anode, an arrangement for cooling components of the x-ray radiator, a deflection and arrangement that deflects the laser beam from a stationary source, that is arranged outside of the vacuum housing, to a spatially stationary laser focal spot on the cathode.

Abstract: In a method for estimating the remaining life span of an X-ray radiator that has been installed in an X-ray apparatus and is operational, under specified test conditions and at time intervals, a measurement value that is indicative for the remaining life span of the X-ray radiator is determined and stored in a memory. A forecasted progression of future measurement values is then forecasted from the instantaneous measurement value and previous measurement values that were determined under identical test conditions, which also are stored in the memory. The forecasted remaining life span of the X-ray radiator is then determined based on the forecasted progression and a limit value that is associated with the individual X-ray radiator, which is stored in the memory.

Abstract: A thermionic flat electron emitter has an emitter arrangement with an emitter plate having slits therein that produce serpentine current paths. The emitter arrangement has a structure that, in operation, causes the electron density of the emitted electrons to be lower in the central region of the emitter plate than in a region adjoining the central region.

Abstract: An x-ray device includes an x-ray tube for generation of an x-ray emanating from a focal spot of a rotary anode rotatable around a rotation axis and a slit-shaped diaphragm for generation of a fan-shaped x-ray beam that is gated from the x-ray and emission is moved through an examination region in the manner of a scan. To improve the image resolution, the fan-shaped x-ray beam can be moved over the examination region essentially in the direction of the rotational axis of the rotary anode by tilting the x-ray tube on the focal spot, with the x-ray tube being tilted on the focal spot so that the fan-shaped x-ray beam is always gated from the region of the overall emitted x-ray beam having the highest image resolution or the highest image definition in the movement through the examination region.

Abstract: An x-ray radiator with an anode accommodated in a housing such that it can rotate around an axis has a device for determination of the position of an x-ray-emitting focal spot on the anode. To increase the measurement precision, the device includes a collimator aligned on the focal spot.

Abstract: A high-performance anode plate for a directly cooled rotary piston x-ray tube is formed of a high-temperature-resistant material such as tungsten, molybdenum or a combination of both materials. In the region of the focal spot path, the underside of the anode plate is shaped, and/or in this region a different highly heat-conductive material is inserted or applied, such that an improved heat dissipation and thus a lower temperature gradient results.

Abstract: A monochromator to be used in an X-ray device having an X-ray source is formed by a crystal for spectral restriction of X-rays produced by the X-ray source. The monochromator includes a positioning device that can move the crystal so that it changes the spectral composition of the X-radiation. The crystal can be moved so that it changes the angle between an X-ray path and the crystal, or so that the crystal is removed out of X-ray path or returned into it.

Abstract: An x-ray tube has an anode plate connected to an anode tube that is mounted such that it can rotate around a rigid anode shaft. To improve the heat dissipation from the anode plate, a liquid for dissipation of heat to the anode shaft is accommodated in an intervening space formed between the anode shaft and the anode plate.

Abstract: To reduce the rotational power, an apparatus with a rotational body that is rotationally driven in a fluid-filled housing a rotational directing body is provided between the rotational body and the housing, which is rotatably supported coaxially with respect to the rotational body. The rotational directing body is configured such that in operation it rotates at an intermediate rotational frequency in comparison to the housing and the rotational body. The apparatus is particularly an X-ray radiator having a cathode and anode that are mounted in a vacuum tube in a spatially fixed manner in relation to the tube, the vacuum tube being rotationally driven as a rotational body in a coolant housing.

Abstract: In a method to detect the pressure in an x-ray tube having a cathode of the x-ray tube that is heated with a heater current, and wherein electrons are accelerated between the cathode and an anode by an applied x-ray tube voltage, the heater current is measured, a tube current corresponding to the tube -ray voltage is measured, the difference between the measured heater current and the measured tube current is determined or the temporal change of the measured heater current or of the measured tube current is determined, the difference or the temporal change is compared with predetermined calibration values, and a value representing the pressure in the x-ray tube is determined from the comparison.

Abstract: An X-ray source to be introduced into the body vessels of a living being by means of a catheter is designed as a laser plasma X-ray source and is arranged in a housing, which has a diameter of a maximum of about 2 mm transversely to the direction from which the X-ray source is intended to be introduced into the body vessel. A catheter with such an X-ray source and a system for an intracorporeal X-ray source irradiation with such a catheter also are provided.

Abstract: An x-ray tube has a vacuum housing containing an electron-emitting cathode and an anode on which the electron beam, accelerated with an electrical field, is incident. The x-ray tube contains a magnet system which generates a main magnetic field with spring focus for deflecting and focusing the electron beam such that the focal spot on the incident surface of the anode can be azimuthally varied. A coil is located spatially separate from the main magnetic field and the alignment of the focal spot relative to the incident surface can be influenced therewith. The coil is fashioned and arranged such that a non-uniform magnetic field that effects a parallel alignment of the focal spot in the spring function is generated therewith.