Apparatus and method for improved transient response in an electromagnetically controlled x-ray tube

摘要

An x-ray tube assembly (14) includes a vacuum vessel (52) that includes a cathode section (56), an anode section (60) and a neck section (84). The neck portion (84) contains a magnetic field region (100), an upstream region (110) and a downstream region (118). The magnetic field area (100) has a first susceptibility to the generation of eddy currents in the presence of a magnetic field intensity. The region (110) lying upstream is connected to the cathode section (56) and the magnetic field region (100) and has a second susceptibility to the generation of eddy currents when the magnetic field intensity is present. The region (118) lying downstream is connected to the magnetic field region (100) and has a third susceptibility to the generation of eddy currents when the magnetic field intensity is present. The first susceptibility to generation of eddy currents is lower than the second and the third susceptibility to generation of eddy currents. The assembly (14) includes an anode (58) in the anode section (60) and a cathode (54) in the cathode section (56).