Current X-Ray Technology
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X-ray
radiation is widely used today for applications including medical imaging and
therapy, homeland security and industrial inspection. The basic design of the
x-ray tubes however has not changed significantly since the discovery of
Roentgen over a hundred years ago. A conventional x-ray tube comprises a
metal filament which emits electrons when resistively heated to over 1000oC
and a metal target that emits x-ray when bombarded by the accelerated
electrons. The thermionic x-ray technology
has several intrinsic shortcomings including the high cathode operating
temperature, low temporal resolution, limited programmability, and,
especially, lack of multi-pixel capability. The difficulty to manufacture x-ray
sources with spatially distributed x-ray focal spots limits the performance
of the computed tomography (CT) scanners. In most of the current CT scanners,
a single-pixel x-ray tube is mechanically rotated around an object to collect
the multiple projection images required for reconstruction, a process that limits
the data acquisition rate and the ability to detect moving objects. |
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Xintek’s Field Emission X-Ray Technology
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Xintek, together with its partners at the UNC Chapel Hill, developed a nanotechnology based field emission x-ray source technology that can fundamentally change how x-ray radiation is generated and utilized. The technology is based on the extensive nanotechnology research conducted at UNC Chapel Hill under generous support from various federal agencies including the National Institute of Health, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Office of Naval Research. This new technology enables the generation of digitized x-ray radiation with fine control of the spatial distribution of the x-ray pixels and temporal modulation of the radiation. The additional degrees of freedom in the source configuration will enable system vendors to design imaging systems with enhanced performance and new capabilities. In particular, the technology enables the design of gantry-free stationary tomography imaging systems with faster scanning speed and potentially better imaging quality compared to today’s commercial scanners. Applications of
Xintek’s Field Emission X-Ray Technology - Diagnostic medical imaging - In vivo imaging of small animal models for preclinical cancer studies - Security screening - Industrial inspection |
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