Vidicon and Plumbicon X-ray T.V. Camera Tubes

Ref. L8

X-ray fluoroscopy practically started in the late forties or early fifties with the short-lived, expensive and cumbersome combination of Image Orthicon pick-up tubes (RCA) adapted to a sophisticated mirror-optical system (CINELIX), but it became popular and practical only later in the fifties with the introduction of the image intensifier which, combined with Vidicon pick-up tubes through dedicated optical systems, gave bright dynamic fluoroscopy pictures, although they suffered from some image lag and trailing artifacts.

The Plumbicon pick-up tube, introduced by Philips in the sixties, offered higher resolution with less lag and less trailing artifacts than the Vidicon and became practically, and until lately, the standard in vascular X-ray practice. 

In the Nineties, CCD’s (charge coupled devices) started replacing TV pick-up tubes and are now considered as the “state of the art” technology.

Note the different colours of the front pick-up surface of the tubes pictured above. They have standard diameter sizes of 1, 2/3 and ½ inches. The largest tube in the picture is 7.5” (17.5 cm) long and the smallest, 4” (10 cm). The large tube and the three next tubes are Plumbicons (made by Philips). The other tubes are Vidicons or similar variants (Saticon, Newvicon, etc) of different makes.