| US 7,519,158 B2 | ||
| Pumping schemes for X-ray tubes with ferrofluid seals | ||
| Aniruddha Dattatraya Gadre, Rexford, N.Y. (US); Darren Lee Hallman, Clifton Park, N.Y. (US); John Scott Price, Niskayuna, N.Y. (US); Paul M. Ratzmann, Germantown, Wis. (US); Richard Michael Roffers, Whitefish Bay, Wis. (US); and Walter John Smith, Ballston Spa, N.Y. (US) | ||
| Assigned to General Electric Company, Niskayuna, N.Y. (US) | ||
| Filed on Dec. 12, 2006, as Appl. No. 11/609,842. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2008/0137811 A1, Jun. 12, 2008 | ||
| Int. Cl. H01J 35/20 (2006.01); H01J 35/00 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 378—123 [378/132] | 20 Claims |
| 1. A system for mitigating a gas load imposed upon a high vacuum chamber, thereby reducing the overall pressure, comprising:
a device mounted onto a rotating gantry, the device having a first chamber enclosing a high vacuum and a first region in which
anode bearings are positioned;
a rotatable shaft having a first portion extending into the first chamber and a second portion extending into the first region;
a ferrofluid seal positioned about the rotatable shaft and positioned between the first portion and the second portion, the
ferrofluid seal fluidically separating the first chamber from the first region;
a labyrinthine passage positioned between the ferrofluid seal and the first chamber, and
at least one pressure-reducing unit fluidically connected to the first chamber.
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