Also, this melting damage often leads to unrestrained X-ray production and excessive vibrations of the rotor. This heat can melt the anode material causing the introduction of gases within the X-ray tube housing, which can interfere with the vacuum integrity of the X-ray tube. Also, when a filament is repeatedly exposed to current for a prolonged period, this generally leads to the thinning of the filament, reducing its durability and making it vulnerable to cracks and breakages.Īnode failure can occur when excessive heat is generated during the X-ray generating process without adequate cooling. When current is passed to the filament for an extended period without an effective cooling system or intermittent break-in operation to allow the X-ray tube to cool down, this often results in a cathode failure. Here are some of the most common X-ray tube failures you might likely experience.Ĭathode failure can occur as a result of extensive heating of the filament. However, only a handful of these failures are common faults. While some factors can be responsible for X-ray tube failures, many can occur because of these factors.
Other factors responsible for failure in the X-ray tube include excessive heat generation, poor cooling system, and discounting the manufacturer’s instructions in the user manual. Rough handling or carelessness of X-ray machine personnel can cause defects like cracks in the housing of the X-ray tube, which allows dirt and particles to interfere with the vacuum integrity within the X-ray tube, which eventually leads to the X-ray tube failure. The aging of the X-ray tube components is another factor responsible for the failure of the X-ray tube as old parts do not operate at their optimum level and, if left unreplaced, can lead to the failure of the X-ray tube. These melted particles can interfere with the vacuum integrity within the X-ray tube, leading to its failure. Exposing the filament and other internal components of the X-ray tube can cause extreme heat within the housing of an X-ray tube leading to the melting of the tungsten material of the anode disc. For instance, a factor that can cause the failure of an X-ray tube is extremely high voltage. Various factors are responsible for causing X-ray tube failures, yet some of these factors are avoidable with only preventive maintenance. At the same time, a quick replacement is always the best way to fix some failures so that it doesn’t affect another component or result in another related failure. Ultimately, timely maintenance can prevent some failures. However, some failures can result in a permanent shutdown of the whole X-ray machine and will often require the services of an X-ray technician to come in and replace the failed component before the X-ray machine can continue working at optimum. Generally, some of these failures range from a temporary breakdown of the X-ray tube, which will require the X-ray tube to cool down before resuming the operation at the optimal level. So, if you are ready to know more, then let’s dive in together.įailures occur every now and then for an X-ray tube but what constitutes an X-ray tube failure is anything that disrupts the X-ray tube from working optimally or even working at all. Ultimately, it helps to troubleshoot X-ray machine breakdowns and reduce the cost of calling in a technician to repair simple failures. One thing is sure there are common causes of X-ray tube failures that individuals in the X-ray individuals should know about. The thing is, the causes of these failures are sometimes unknown until a technician comes to fix them and then relates the cause of the failure. However, like most components in a machine, an X-ray tube sometimes experiences failure, and it must be repaired or even replaced. X-ray tubes are essential to the X-ray machine, and the accuracy of the inspection result is obtained using an X-ray machine.
Do you ever ask yourself what common cause of failure you need to watch out for in an X-ray tube?