• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.799-804
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• 2016

A miniature X-ray tube based on a carbon-nanotube electron emitter has been employed for the application to a dental radiography. The miniature X-ray tube has an outer diameter of 7 mm and a length of 47 mm. The miniature X-ray tube is operated in a negative high-voltage mode in which the X-ray target is electrically grounded. In addition, X-rays are generated only to the teeth directions using a collimator while X-rays generated to other directions are shielded. Hence, the X-ray tube can be safely inserted into a human mouth. Using the intra-oral X-ray tube, a dental radiography is demonstrated where the positions of an X-ray source and a sensor are reversed compared with a conventional dental radiography system. X-ray images of five neighboring teeth are obtained and, furthermore, both left and right molar images are achieved by a single X-ray shot of the miniature X-ray tube.

• ETRI Journal
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.1164-1167
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• 2013

We correlate the failure in miniature X-ray tubes with the field emission gate leakage current of gated carbon nanotube emitters. The miniature X-ray tube, even with a small gate leakage current, exhibits an induced voltage on the gate electrode by the anode bias voltage, resulting in a very unstable operation and finally a failure. The induced gate voltage is apparently caused by charging at the insulating spacer of the miniature X-ray tube through the gate leakage current of the field emission. The gate leakage current could be a criterion for the successful fabrication of miniature X-ray tubes.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.279-284
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• 2012

The X ray has been widely used in both diagnosis and treatment. Recently, a miniature X ray tube has been developed for radiotherapy. The miniature X ray tube is directly inserted into the body irradiated, so that X rays can be guided to a target at various incident angles according to collimator geometry and, thus, minimize patient dose. If such features of the miniature X ray tube can be applied to development of X ray imaging as well as radiation treatment, it is expected to open a new chapter in the field of diagnostic X ray. However, the miniature X ray tube requires an added filter and a collimator for diagnostic purpose because it was designed for radiotherapy. Therefore, a collimator and an added filter were manufactured for the miniature X ray tube, and mounted on. In this study, we evaluated beam characteristics of the miniature X ray tube for diagnostic X ray system and accuracy of measuring the HVL. We used the Si PIN Photodiode type Piranha detector (Piranha, RTI, Sweden) and estimated the HVL of the miniature X ray tube with added filter and without added filter. Through an another measurement using Al filter, we evaluated the accuracy of the HVL obtained from a direct measurement using the automatic HVL calculation function provided by the Piranha detector. As a result, the HVL of the miniature X ray tube was increased around 1.9 times with the added filter mounted on. So we demonstrated that the HVL was suitable for diagnostic X ray system. In the case that the added filter was not mounted on, the HVL obtained from use of the automatic HVL calculation function provided by Piranha detector was 50% higher than the HVL estimated using Al filter. Therefore, the HVL automatic measurement from the Piranha detector cannot be used for the HVL calculation. However, when the added filter was mounted on, the HVL automatic measurement value using the Piranha detector was approximately 15% lower than the estimated value using Al filter. It implies that the HVL automatic measurement can be used to estimate the HVL of the miniature X ray tube with the added filter mounted on without a more complicated measurement method using Al filter. It is expected that the automatic HVL measurement provided by the Piranha detector enables to make kV-X ray characterization easier.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics and Information Engineers
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• v.50 no.5
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• pp.262-266
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• 2013

A new concept of periapical radiography, intra oral x-ray tube and detector system is introduced. It is new system that a miniature x-ray tube is inserted into mouse and it acquired digital image using external detector. In this study, we have investigated temperature and dose distribution of insertional x-ray tube for periapical radiography. To analyze temperature characteristic of x-ray tube, we attached the thermocouple to surface of x-ray tube and we measured the temperature according to distance. Also, we measured the dose distribution of a miniature x-ray tube according to distance. As a result, temperature was constant to $27^{\circ}C$ over 2mm without cooling system, dose distribution of x-ray tube was 3.14 and 1.84mGy in 3 and 5cm, respectively. Therefore, the proposed x-ray system works in lower dose than conventional dental x-ray system. Thus, it is considered that new concept of system will have a significant effect on medical imaging technology.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.39-45
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• 2012

Conventional periphery radiography system has a various problem such as patient dose and the pain of X-ray examination. In this paper, to solve these problems, we suggested insertional miniature x-ray system and we verified the feasibility of this system. First, we performed the Geant4 x-ray simulation to design x-ray collimator and filter to use miniature x-ray tube and we decided optimized thickness of filter and collimator. Also, we measured x-ray spectrum using CdTe detector and PX4 module to verify simulation results. Also, we acquired teeth image of fabricated phantom using conventional dental x-ray and prosed miniature x-ray system. As a results, our system has good image quality as compared to those of conventional systems. Our evaluation of the proposed system indicates that it can be potentially very useful for dental imaging.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics Engineers of Korea SC
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.94-101
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• 2011

Various kinds of medical imaging devices have been studied to develop periapical radiography. However, there are some problems such as high x-ray exposure rate and pains for patients because of the problems caused by intra-oral sensor based radiography system. In this study, a new concept of periapical radiography, intra oral X-ray tube and detector system, is introduced to solve these problems. This system is made up of miniature X-ray tube based on subminiature thermal electron or cold electron, CMOS based detector, and a body including automatic position and system control devices. In order to confirm the possibility of proposed new concept to periapical radiography, miniature x-ray tube from XOFT corporation is used to develop new x-ray system, and the performance evaluation of this system is performed according to collimator. Also, dental images are compared after acquiring both images from existing system versus new concept of system. As a result, new concept of system showed excellent image. Thus, it is considered that new concept of system will have a significant effect on medical imaging technology.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.160-167
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• 2015

Radiation exposure from medical diagnostic imaging procedures to patients is one of the most significant interests in diagnostic x-ray system. A miniature x-ray intraoral tube was developed for the first time in the world which can be inserted into the mouth for imaging. Dose evaluation should be carried out in order to utilize such an imaging device for clinical use. In this study, dose evaluation of the new x-ray unit was performed by 1) using a custom made in vivo Pig phantom, 2) determining exposure condition for the clinical use, and 3) measuring patient dose of the new system. On the basis of DRLs (Diagnostic Reference Level) recommended by KDFA (Korea Food & Drug Administration), the ESD (Entrance Skin Dose) and DAP (Dose Area Product) measurements for the new x-ray imaging device were designed and measured. The maximum voltage and current of the x-ray tubes used in this study were 55 kVp, and 300 mA. The active area of the detector was $72{\times}72mm$ with pixel size of $48{\mu}m$. To obtain the operating condition of the new system, pig jaw phantom images showing major tooth-associated tissues, such as clown, pulp cavity were acquired at 1 frame/sec. Changing the beam currents 20 to $80{\mu}A$, x-ray images of 50 frames were obtained for one beam current with optimum x-ray exposure setting. Pig jaw phantom images were acquired from two commercial x-ray imaging units and compared to the new x-ray device: CS 2100, Carestream Dental LLC and EXARO, HIOSSEN, Inc. Their exposure conditions were 60 kV, 7 mA, and 60 kV, 2 mA, respectively. Comparing the new x-ray device and conventional x-ray imaging units, images of the new x-ray device around teeth and their neighboring tissues turn out to be better in spite of its small x-ray field size. ESD of the new x-ray device was measured 1.369 mGy on the beam condition for the best image quality, 0.051 mAs, which is much less than DRLs recommended by IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) and KDFA, both. Its dose distribution in the x-ray field size was observed to be uniform with standard deviation of 5~10 %. DAP of the new x-ray device was $82.4mGy*cm^2$ less than DRL established by KDFA even though its x-ray field size was small. This study shows that the new x-ray imaging device offers better in image quality and lower radiation dose compared to the conventional intraoral units. In additions, methods and know-how for studies in x-ray features could be accumulated from this work.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.50 no.6
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• pp.937-943
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• 2018

Background: This work presents the performance of a novel electronic brachytherapy (EBT) device and radiotherapy (RT) experiments on both skin cancer cells and animals using the device. Methods and materials: The performance of the EBT device was evaluated by measuring and analyzing the dosimetric characteristics of X-rays generated from the device. The apoptosis of skin cancer cells was analyzed using B16F10 melanoma cancer cells. Animal experiments were performed using C57BL/6 mice. Results: The X-ray characteristics of the EBT device satisfied the accepted tolerance level for RT. The results of the RT experiments on the skin cancer cells show that a significant apoptosis induction occurred after irradiation with 50 kVp X-rays generated from the EBT device. Furthermore, the results of the animal RT experiments demonstrate that the superficial X-rays significantly delay the tumor growth and that the tumor growth delay induced by irradiation with low-energy X-rays was almost the same as that induced by irradiation with a high-energy electron beam. Conclusions: The developed new EBT device has almost the same therapeutic effect on the skin cancer with a conventional linear accelerator. Consequently, the EBT device can be practically used for human skin cancer treatment in the near future.