x-ray imaging system

Dr. Ahmed Alsharef Farah

Dr. Ahmed Alsharef Farah 1
 High-voltage Generator

• The high-voltage generator provides power to

the x-ray tube in three possible ways:
1) Single-phase power.
2) Three-phase power.
3) High-frequency power.

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Single-Phase Power:
• Single-phase power results in a pulsating x-ray
beam.
• This is caused by the alternate swing in voltage
from zero to maximum potential 120 times each
second under full-wave rectification.

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• The x-rays produced when the single-phase
voltage waveform has a value near zero are of
little diagnostic value because of their low
energy; such x-rays have low penetrability.

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• One method of overcoming this deficiency is to
generate three simultaneous voltage
waveforms that are out of step with one another.
• Such a manipulation results in three-phase
electric power.

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Three -Phase Power:
• The engineering required to produce three-
phase power involves the manner in which the
high-voltage step-up transformer is wired into
the circuit.

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• Three-phase power is a more efficient way to produce
x-rays than is single-phase power.
• Shown are the voltage waveforms for un rectified
single-phase power, un rectified three-phase power,
and rectified three-phase power.
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• With three-phase power, multiple voltage
waveforms are superimposed on one another,
resulting in a waveform that maintains a nearly
constant high voltage.
• There are six pulses per 1/60 s compared with
the two pulses characteristic of single-phase
power.

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 Voltage waveforms in a three-phase generator.

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• There are limitations to the speed of starting an
exposure (initiation time) and ending an
exposure (extinction time).
• Additional electronic circuits to the three-phase
generator are necessary to correct this
deficiency.

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High-Frequency Generator:
• High-frequency circuits are finding increasing
application in generating high voltage for many
x-ray imaging systems.
• Full-wave rectified power at 60 Hz is
converted to a higher frequency, from 500 to
25,000 Hz, and then is transferred to high
voltage.

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 Voltage waveforms in a high-frequency generator.

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• One advantage of the high-frequency
generator is its size.
• They are very much smaller than 60 Hz high
voltage generators.

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• High-frequency generators produce a nearly
constant potential voltage waveform, improving
image quality at lower patient radiation dose.
• This technology was first used with Portable x-
ray imaging systems.
• Now, all Mammography and Computed
tomography systems use high-frequency
circuits.

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• High-frequency voltage generation uses inverter
circuits.
• An inverter circuit creates a high-frequency AC
waveform, which supplies the high-voltage
transformer to create a high-voltage, high-
frequency waveform.

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• Rectification and smoothing produces high-
voltage DC power that charges the high-voltage
capacitors placed across the anode and cathode
in the x-ray tube circuit.
• Accumulated charge in the capacitors will
produce a voltage to the x-ray tube according to
the relationship V = Q/C, where V is the
voltage (volts), Q is the charge (coulombs), and
C is the capacitance (farads).

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In a high-frequency inverter generator, a single- or three phase AC
input voltage is rectified and smoothed to create a DC waveform.
An inverter circuit produces a high-frequency AC waveform as input
to the high-voltage transformer. Rectification and capacitance
smoothing provide the resultant high-voltage output waveform, with
Dr. Ahmedsimilar
properties AlshareftoFarah
those of a three-phase system. 17
Voltage Ripple:
• Another way to characterize these voltage
waveforms is by voltage ripple.
• Single-phase power has 100% voltage ripple:
The voltage varies from zero to its maximum
value.

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• Three-phase, six-pulse power produces
voltage with only approximately 14% ripple;
consequently, the voltage supplied to the x-ray
tube never falls to below 86% of the maximum
value.
• A further improvement in three-phase power
results in 12 pulses per cycle rather than 6.

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• Three-phase, 12-pulse power results in only
4% ripple; therefore, the voltage supplied to the
x-ray tube does not fall to below 96% of the
maximum value.
• High-frequency generators have
approximately 1% ripple and therefore even
greater x-ray quantity and quality.

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Voltage waveforms resulting rom various power supplies.21
Dr. Ahmed Alsharef Farah
• The most efficient method of x-ray production
also involves the waveform with the lowest
voltage ripple.
• The principal advantage with less ripple is the
greater radiation quantity and quality that result
from the more constant voltage supplied to the
x-ray tube.

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• Both the number of x-rays and the x-ray energy increase
as the voltage waveform increases.

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• The radiation quantity is greater because the
efficiency of x-ray production is higher when
x-ray tube voltage is high.
• For any projectile electron emitted by the x-ray
tube filament, a greater number of x-rays are
produced when the electron energy is high than
when it is low.

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• Low-voltage ripple increases radiation quality
because fewer low-energy projectile electrons
pass from cathode to anode to produce low-
energy x-rays.
• Consequently, the average x-ray energy is
greater than that resulting from high-voltage
ripple modes.

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Power Rating:
• Transformers and high-voltage generators
usually are identified by their power rating in
kilowatts (kW).

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• A high-voltage generator for a basic
radiographic unit is rated at 30 to 50 kW.
• Generators for interventional radiology suites
have power ratings up to approximately 150
kW.

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• For specifying high-voltage generators, the
industry standard is to use the maximum tube
current (mA) possible at 100 kVp for an
exposure of 100 ms. This generally results in
the maximum available power.

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• Electric power for any device is specified in
watts, as shown in the following equation:

• Power is the product of amperes and volts.

• Because the product of amperes × volts = watts,
the product of milliamperes × kilovolts = watts.

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• Power rating is expressed in kilowatts, so the
defining equation for three-phase and high-
frequency power is as follows:

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• Single-phase generators have 100% voltage
ripple and are less efficient x-ray generators.
• Consequently, the single-phase expression of
power rating is as follows:

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 X-ray Circuit

• Next figure is a simplified schematic diagram

of the three main sections of the x-ray imaging
system: the x-ray tube, the operating console,
and the high-voltage generator.
• This figure also shows the locations of all
meters, controls, and important components.
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 The schematic circuit o an x-ray imaging system.
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 The END

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