Medical X ray systems are pretty common now-a-days. We see those in all hospitals, big or small. Do you know that most of these X-ray systems are powered by line frequency generators and thereby emit lot of unwanted radiation?

Before you get alarmed, let’s understand the basics.

An X ray system typically has two main components. One is the X Ray Tube (for generating the rays) and the other, a specialized power supply for supplying the required high voltage to the tube.

In most of the developing countries, these power supplies (also called generators) are based on a simple design of a step up transformer that is switched at line frequency (50Hz), followed by a rectifier circuit. The output is then used to accelerate electrons. When electrons hit a specialized metal, X rays are generated.