Tohoku University Biomedical Engineering Research Organization
Abstract
The 100-μm-focus x-ray generator consists of a main controller for regulating the tube voltage and current and a tube unit with a high-voltage circuit and a fixed anode x-ray tube. The maximum tube voltage, current, and electric power were 105kV, 0.5mA, and 50W, respectively. Using a 3-mm-thick aluminum filter, the x-ray intensity was 26.0μGy/s at 1.0m from the source with a tube voltage of 60kV and a current of 0.50 mA. Because the peak photon energy was approximately 35keV using the filter with a tube voltage of 60kV, the bremsstrahlung x-rays were absorbed effectively by iodine-based contrast media with an iodine K-edge of 33.2keV. Enhanced angiography was achieved with a flat panel detector with a pixel size of 50μm using iodine-based microspheres 15μm in diameter. In angiography of non-living animals, we observed fine blood vessels of approximately 100gm with high contrasts
