“Adrian Special” Coolidge Tube

Ref. E13

This bulbar Coolidge type X-ray tube (marked “Patent Pending”) comes from an early ADRIAN Shoe Fitting Device, introduced in the twenties.  With a flat helical filament and a Tungsten target embedded at a 45 degree angle in a heavy copper anode, these tubes were usually run at 50 kV with a current from 3 to 8 mA adjustable according to the size of the examined foot. Because of its proximity to the feet, the 45 degree angle of the target was necessary in order to get a wide-angle field of radiation covering both feet.

With a total length of 12” (30 cm) and a 3.5” (9 cm) bulb, this tube is asymmetrically fitted on its anode end with a peculiar thick-layered four-fold heat sink

Shoe fitting devices were totally banned in the sixties because of the high risk of radiation to both operator and clients (mostly children).