T. Schmidt 1 and R.

Behling1

MRC: a successful platform for future X-ray tube

development

Spiral-groove The introduction of spiral-groove bearing tech- bearings are a major weak point in conventional
bearings with nology with liquid-metal lubrication, some ten X-ray tubes, and are responsible for many of the
liquid-metal years ago, made it possible to achieve significant premature failures. Because the ball bearings are
lubrication offer improvements in rotating-anode X-ray tubes. running in a vacuum, conventional oil-based
significant These improvements relate to both the applica- lubricants cannot be used, and the bearings suffer
improvements. tional and the economic aspects. Spiral-groove from heavy wear. In the course of time, the elec-
bearing technology has now been applied trode surfaces become coated with debris from
in thousands of X-ray tubes of the Maximus the worn bearings, resulting in electrical instabil-
Rotalix Ceramic (MRC) series. ity. In MRC tubes, bearing wear and its undesir-
able side-effects are absent.
Initially, the main objective of the technology
was to avoid waiting times during or between Aging effects do, of course, occur in MRC tubes.
examinations. However, the technology also However, these processes can be controlled. In
offered some completely new solutions to familiar total, the overall performance of the associated
problems. For example, the high output of imaging systems is significantly increased.
MRC X-ray tubes has made it possible to achieve
applicational innovations such as the dose-saving Angiography
filter technique in angiography, and provides The MRC tube was initially developed to meet
a major increase in system utilization in CT. the characteristically high loading requirements
of cardiac angiography. Now, the MRC tube
Applicational aspects family comprises many different types. The first
refinement was to supplement the cardio version
Experience has shown that the number of expos- with a grid-switch version which allows pulsed
ures per year is significantly higher in systems with fluoroscopy with sharply-defined pulses. This
MRC tubes than in those with conventional tubes. offers particularly high dose saving and an im-
Furthermore, it has now been demonstrated provement in the image quality. Consequently,
that, in spite of the heavier workload, MRC the MRC tube was soon introduced in angio-
tubes last longer than conventional tubes. graphy systems for neuroradiology and general
vascular diagnostics (Fig. 1).
MRC tubes have From the point of view of the user, MRC tubes
a higher output have been shown to offer economic advantages. There is now a marked shift in emphasis from
and longer life. In addition, there are advantages in operational the mainly diagnostic use of angiocardiography
convenience, such as minimal waiting times systems to interventional use. This shift can be
and down times, and reserves of heat loading attributed, on one hand, to the increasing use of
capacity for special examination situations. alternative innovative imaging techniques such
The noiseless continuous rotation of the as echocardiography and MR angiography and,
spiral-groove bearing eliminates the preparatory on the other hand, to the continuous further
phases, so that exposures can be started immedi- development of interventional techniques such
1 PhilipsMedical ately. as PTCA and stenting.
Systems,
Development and Improved reliability The longer examination times required, as well
Manufacturing
Centre, Hamburg, Spiral-groove bearings replace the conventional as the significantly higher proportion of pulsed
Germany. ball-bearings used in conventional tubes. Ball- fluoroscopy, make heavy demands on the load-

MEDICA MUNDI 44/2 November 2000 50

 Fig. 1.
The Philips Integris
Cardio/Vascular
Systems use the
MRC tube, offering
new applicational
possibilities such
as SpectraBeam
filtration and
rotational
angiography.

ability of the X-ray tubes. Here, the MRC tube by radiation alone. This is inadequate for lengthy Heat conduction
sets a standard against which all other manufac- continuous operation, and leads to delays while via the spiral-
turers have to be measured. For example, the the tube cools off. groove bearing
increase in the proportion of pulsed fluoroscopy allows an
increases the proportion of the patient dose due In MRC tubes, the additional heat conduction extremely high
to fluoroscopy from 15–15 % to 40–80 % of via the spiral-groove bearing allows an extremely continuous load.
the total patient dose. high average continuous load. This means that,
in practice, working speed is no longer restricted
An effective measure for reducing patient dose by the limitations of the anode or rotor system,
without loss of image quality is the use of strong as it is in conventional tubes.
pre-filtration. The SpectraBeam option of the
Philips Integris System uses strong Cu filtration The use of new imaging techniques also imposes
to harden the radiation and, as a result, to reduce heavy demands on the X-ray tube. In rotation
the absorption in the patient. However, in order angiography, exposures are made in rapid succes-
to maintain the same image quality, the same sion while the C-arm of the system rotates around
input dose is needed at the image receptor. the patient, with rotation speeds of up to 60°/s.
This requires a significantly higher tube output. This technique asks very short exposure times
A reduction of the patient dose to about 30 %, with a high X-ray pulse output. This requires a
using 0.7 mm Cu, requires about four times as large anode disc in order to provide a high heat-
much output from the tube (measured in a 20 cm storage capacity around the focal track at the
water phantom at 75 kV). outer edge of the disc. The larger anode disc
makes heavy demands on the bearing. It must Continuous
In the case of long interventions, the energy ap- not only be able to support a greater mass, but rotation
plied to the anode must be dissipated as quickly must also withstand the lateral and gyroscopic overcomes the
as possible in order to avoid overloading the tube. forces arising from the rotation of the whole time-to-speed
In conventional X-ray tubes, cooling takes place imaging assembly. barrier.

51 MEDICA MUNDI 44/2 November 2000

 (CT). The use of spiral scanning for volumetric
CT made it possible, for the first time, to achieve
uninterrupted imaging of large sections of the
body within a single scan.

In order to achieve high resolution with short

scan times, extremely heavy demands are made
on the X-ray tube. In addition to the thermal
loading, the X-ray tube in a modern CT scanner
(Fig. 2) also has to cope with extreme mechani-
cal forces. A reduction in the rotation time means
an increase in the centrifugal forces, and conse-
quently, more mechanical stress on the bearing.
At a rotation time of 0.5 s, the acceleration
reaches 13 times the acceleration due to gravity.
Here again, the spiral-groove bearing represents a
Fig. 2. The gantry of a modern CT scanner. In addition to the thermal load- major advantage, as there is no wear, even with
ability, modern CT scanners also make heavy mechanical demands on the tube.
high mechanical loading.
A reduction in the rotation time means an increase in the centrifugal forces,
and consequently, more mechanical stress on the bearing. At a rotation time of
0.5 s, the acceleration reaches 13 g, or 13 times the acceleration due to gravity. Given adequate mechanical strength, it is the
output capacity of the tube that determines the
Continuous rotation of the anode is essential, in number of rotations permitted with an adequate
order to overcome the time-to-speed barrier dose per rotation. Short-time peak loading is
of large anodes with large moments of inertia essential. A graphite compound anode has been
Several (u = const. Ø4 where u = moment of inertia and developed for this purpose. In addition, the
consecutive Ø = diameter). In this application as well, the spiral-groove bearing with its direct metallic heat
volumes can be construction of the MRC tube with spiral- conduction path cools the anode disc so rapidly
scanned with no groove bearings is clearly superior to conven- that the full output is available for the next
cooling-off times. tional tubes. patient, with minimum limitations (Fig. 3).

Computed tomography (CT) Conventional anodes, which unlike those of the

An additional milestone was the introduction MRC tubes are cooled by heat radiation alone,
of MRC technology in computed tomography retain a significant residual heat for a long time.
As soon as they stop glowing they become, as it
Fig. 3. Cutaway model of an MRC 160 CT tube. The graphite anode is directly were, ‘thermically invisible’, and cooling practic-
cooled via the spiral-groove bearing. Another Philips innovation is the motor ally ceases. MRC tubes are designed in such a
drive at HT potential, completely enclosed within the tube.
way that about 50 % of the heat is conducted
away via the spiral-groove bearing. In tubes
which are dependent on radiation cooling alone,
this component is zero.

In total, the design of the MRC tube allows sev-

eral volumes to be scanned, with a large number
of slices one after the other, without the need for
intervening cooling-off times.

The MRC tube embodies new standards of con-

struction which make it difficult to compare its
output parameters with those of conventional
tubes. The thermal loadability of a tube is gener-
ally described by the heat storage capacity of the
anode, expressed in MHU (Mega Heat Units).
This takes no account of the difference in cooling

MEDICA MUNDI 44/2 November 2000 52

rate betweeen a conventional anode, which is connection cable to the generator. The pulses are The MRC 203 CT
cooled by radiation alone, and the anode of the sharply defined, eliminating the trailing effects is equivalent to
MRC tube which has active cooling. If the ther- that would otherwise lead to the generation of a conventional
mal loadability of the MRC tube were expressed unwanted soft radiation. tube with a
as the equivalent product of heat storage capacity capacity of
and radiation cooling alone, an MRC 203 CT The HT stability of the tubes has been improved 25 MHU.
tube with a nominal capacity of 7.7 MHU still further by the application of new cleaning
would be equivalent to a conventional tube and degassing techniques. New types benefit
with a capacity of as much as 25 MHU. from improved graphite anodes, which offer a
higher heat storage capacity for a given volume.
The image quality achieved is just as important
as the unlimited choice of examination protocols MRC: a platform for the future
with respect to the number of slices, exposure
time and the examination sequences. It is, to a The spiral-groove bearing technology is a sound The technology
large extent, determined by the dose at the input basis for new applications. These include enhanced is a sound
of the image receptor, and the radiation quality. output for vascular applications, as well as sub- basis for new
second volume scanning at high peak power in applications.
Good image quality requires a high tube current CT, in which large, rapidly rotating anodes are
and a high tube voltage. In this respect, metal- used with correspondingly high centrifugal forces.
ceramic constructions offer a clear advantage
over conventional glass tubes, because deposition While the wear on ball-bearings increases with
of material from the target or the cathode on the both loading and speed, the load and speed of
internal surface of a glass tube can disturb its the spiral-groove bearing can be increased
electrical properties, leading to problems with simultaneously without reducing the tube life.
the tube life. The gain in tube life with metal-
ceramic technology can be ten times or more. The working life of the spiral-groove bearing in A practically
continuous rotation is practically unlimited, as unlimited
The extensive experience from building metal- there is no abrasive contact between hard metal working life.
ceramic tubes for materials testing, in which surfaces. The MRC platform will therefore
operating voltages of up to 450 kV are used, become the basis for all further X-ray tube
could be usefully applied in the development developments for this application in Philips.
of the MRC tube.
Economic aspects
New technologies
In addition to the metal-ceramic technology X-ray tubes are consumables. However, as with
and the spiral-groove bearing, various other new human beings, it is not just the length of the life
technologies became incorporated in the MRC that counts, but what is achieved during that life. A long life
family. In the MRC 160 CT range, the motor The MRC tube offers the highest total amount combined with a
of the anode drive is at the HT potential, and is of X-ray energy produced per tube life. very high output.
wholly contained within the tube. This minimizes
the power consumption of the motor. From the economic point of view, it is not the
initial cost of acquisition that is decisive, but the
For a long time, electronics in the immediate cost per exposure. This can best be expressed
vicinity of the radiation source and the high in a rental or leasing concept. In addition, this
tension was a technical taboo. However, problems covers every risk of breakdown, providing a
such as high temperature, radiation and arcing secure and economical basis for a radiology
have now been solved, resulting in a major gain department.
in pulse quality.
Quality assurance
The tube current control in MRC tubes for
angiography with pulsed fluoroscopy is done by Every introduction of new techniques is, of course,
electronics directly integrated in the X-ray tube, accompanied by risks. Even the development of
avoiding distortion of the pulses due to a long the MRC platform had, in the first instance, to

53 MEDICA MUNDI 44/2 November 2000

 go through a learning curve. In the meantime, and fully automatic control of the pumping
the manufacturing and development departments and testing processes.
have built up a substantial body of knowledge
based on large series production. Environmental issues

To optimize the Tubes that are returned are carefully analyzed The application of high-quality and practically
flow of informa- in order to determine the cause of failure. To wear-free components in the MRC tube makes
tion, Philips has optimize the flow of information from the it possible to develop a completely new way
set up a novel field, Philips has set up a novel communications of handling the X-ray tube as a consumable.
communications network.
network. The MRC tube enhances the possibility of
Tools for simulating the hydrodynamic properties reclaiming valuable materials and re-using them
of the bearings have been, and continue to be, in the production. Some of these materials are
refined to a very high level. The preparation even better de-gassed in use.
of the spiral-groove bearing, particularly with
respect to lubricant adhesion, gas inclusion, Philips Medical Systems has taken full advantage
freedom from particles and stability under of this aspect and, in accordance with its environ-
rotation, is the subject of an ongoing process mental policy for the return of used X-ray
development, so that further developments can tubes, has dedicated itself to the reprocessing of
be made at minimum risk. recyclable materials, and the environmentally
friendly disposal of materials that are unsuitable
The manufacturing process for recycling.

The specific requirements for the manufacture Together with the construction of a new produc-
of MRC tubes have been met by setting up a tion line for MRC tubes, an independent return
new facility. In addition to the essential increase and recycling department has been set up (Fig. 5).
in the production capacity, a restructuring of the Here, all X-ray tubes returned from the field are
The MRC is a manufacturing procedure and the introduction first investigated, in order to retrieve informa-
milestone in the of new manufacturing processes play a major tion, which is then fed into the quality control
development of role. These include a reorganization of the network. Next, the tubes are carefully disassem-
X-ray technology. material flow, clean-room assembly (Fig. 4), bled in a clean-room, in order to retrieve re-usable
materials.
Fig. 4. A view in the new MRC tube manufacturing facilities in the Hamburg
production location: dust-free manufacturing procedure in a clean-room Particularly worth mentioning is the extremely
environment. The illustration shows cathode assembly at a laser workstation.
efficient and environmentally friendly cleaning
and disinfection installation, through which
all tubes pass on reception.

In the testing area, a number of installations

are available for investigating tubes for which an
unusual failure mode has been reported, ranging
from various stand-alone generators to complete
CT and cardiovascular diagnostic systems.

Conclusion

With the development of the MRC platform,

introduced some 10 years ago, Philips set a mile-
stone in the development of X-ray technology.
It not only provides a basis for future X-ray tube
developments, but also allows new applications
in which, until recently, the tube loading was the
limiting factor.

MEDICA MUNDI 44/2 November 2000 54

Now, other products have to measure up to the
output data of the MRC tube. However, this
requires comparison of new parameters, such as
the indication of an effective or equivalent MHU,
in order to take account of such far-reaching
innovations as direct cooling of the anode via
the spiral-groove bearing.

In addition to the technological standards, the

MRC also sets economic standards. Tube life,
exposure output and environmental design
require a new concept of handling the product.

The X-ray tube is no longer just a consumer

disposable, but is also a high-value economic
asset that has to be regarded as part of a closed
Fig. 5. The newly built department for the return and recycling of X-ray tubes.
system, so that a rental or leasing contract or the The starting point for all returned tubes is the automated cleaning and disin-
like would be most appropriate. fection unit.

55 MEDICA MUNDI 44/2 November 2000