Two Patents Awarded by the United States Patent and Trademark Office

​GOTHENBURG, SWEDEN–(1 Sept. 2020) Luxbright AB, a leading creator of breakthrough X-ray emission solutions, is happy to announce that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has now granted the patents for both “An electron emitter for an x-ray tube” and “An electron guiding and receiving element.” The company now has a total of 28 granted patents in 13 countries spanning three patent families. With these approvals from the USPTO, Luxbright’s core technology is now protected in all essential markets for the company today.

Dr. Qiu-Hong Hu, Founder and Chief Scientist with Luxbright, is the inventor of these innovations. He holds a Ph.D. in Material Science from Chalmers University of Technology, and for over 20 years, Dr. Hu has researched applications in field emission lighting, solid-state lighting, nano-electronics, and photonics, both in academic and industry settings.

Upon learning of the granted patents, Dr. Hu remarked:
​Luxbright’s patented innovations represent a fundamental breakthrough in X-ray technology and are comparable to the introduction of LED lighting in the 1990s. For example, Luxbright’s X-ray tubes emit a more concentrated flow of electrons to produce brighter and more focused X-rays with the same or less energy consumption. The USPTO granting these patents is a significant acknowledgment of the height of the science relating to these innovations.

The “An electron emitter for an x-ray tube” patent relates to Luxbright’s award-winning ZnO ColdNano emitter. This innovation is a revolution in X-ray emissions. It has many beneficial properties and has the potential to achieve output levels for many practical applications such as Non-Destructive Testing (NDT), security screening, and medical imaging.

​The “An electron guiding and receiving element” patent relates to Luxbright’s “Electron Antenna,” which contains a tungsten blade acting as a receiver by attracting the electron beam and then concentrating the X-rays into a smaller focal spot. The design is a cost-effective and straightforward way to create microfocus X-ray tubes in comparison with more complicated and expensive systems available in the market.

Brighter X-rays with a smaller focal spot generate higher resolution images leading to faster and easier diagnostics. Whether it is an orthopedic surgeon repairing a hand in the operating room or a quality control technician inspecting lithium-ion batteries, better X-ray images lead to better diagnostics helping to save, protect, and improve peoples’ lives.