Method of producing tomograms with x-rays or similarly penetrating radiation

Claim 1

A tomographic system for producing tomograms of a body with X-rays, said tomographic system comprising X-ray source means for producing X-ray beams for scanning a subject under examination, a recording device for registering the intensity of the X-ray beams which issue from the subject under examination during a scanning operation, said X-ray source means comprising a multiplicity of X-ray beam sources, and scanning means for successive switching-on of the X-ray beam sources to produce the X-ray beams which scan the subject such that a tomographic layer image can be produced with the aid of said recording device, said beam sources being arranged along a scanning path and being consecutively switched on by said scanning means in a selectable sequence and with a duration necessary for actuation of the recording device, means causing said recording device to be aligned with the respective switched on X-ray beam sources so as to receive the consecutively switched on X-ray beams therefrom, said X-ray sources having a vacuum envelope and being formed by an anode within said envelope extending along said scanning path and at least five cathodes within said envelope and disposed in operative relation to successive portions of said anode, and said scanning means comprising a switching grid connected to control emission of electrons from each cathode to the associated portion of the anode, said vacuum envelope comprising a single vacuum envelope, said anode comprising a single elongated anode element in said single vacuum envelope, the successive cathodes being disposed in said single vacuum envelope in adjacent relation to successive portions of said single elongated anode element, and the successive cathodes having a special interval from one another of not more than five centimeters.