Hi! I am Brian Mansfield, a consultant X-ray engineer, working out of London. Welcome to my site.
Let me come clean and admit that I did not really work  with Wilhelm Rontgen, it just seems like it!
I have worked in the X-ray industry for many years, long before we had High Frequency Generators, 90 sec Processors, Automatic Exposure Control,  Image Intensifiers, X-ray Television Systems, Digital Image Processing, Direct Digital Panels, PACS networks, or Filmless Departments.              Even in those days, I was quite a I was an expert in digital imaging, I used to check the performance of a unit by taking a picture of my own hand!
This is my first attempt at setting up a web-site, so I am beginning with just a photo-gallery. Take a look at the photographs, and if you like them, come back in a couple of weeks, when I hope to have added other interesting content.   
Click on the picture to enlarge.
The Tube used by Rontgen was something like this.  For a bigger image and more details, click on the picture. This represents the next step. Instead of impacting on the end wall of the tube, the electrons now land on a metal anode.
In order to accelerate the electrons sufficiently to generate X-rays, a minimum of about 40,000v is needed. Rontgen used an Induction coil, which takes its supply from a battery. Another way of generating a high voltage is to use an electrostatic generator, like this Wimshurst machine. This device can generate high voltages, but not much current.
In order to improve the output, various metals were used as the anode. This tube had a Platinum foil anode. Since this has a higher atomic number than the more commonly used aluminum, it gave better results. The tube extending from the main body of the X-ray tube is used to control the gas pressure. Heating the tube with a gas flame releases gas from the glass walls of the tube.
The tube shown is an example of about the most sophisticated Gas tube to be made. It had a tungsten target, set in a copper anode. The "T" shaped structure is the regulator. This is a close-up of the regulator. An iron wire wrapped around a bundle of asbestos releases a small amount of gas when energized, giving some control of kV. 
Modern diagnostic X-ray tube use a rotating anode, in order to increase the output. About 99% of the energy put into the tube is converted into heat at the anode. The electron beam is concentrated on an area of only a few mm2. so that if the anode does not rotate, the tungsten will melt. The melting point is 3410ºC!
The repeated heating and cooling causes a roughening of the anode surface, and a drop in output. The heating causes the tungsten to expand and contract, which can cause the anode to crack. Cutting slots in the anode reduced the risk.
In order to increase the rate at which heat is lost, the back of the anode is chemically blackened. The front of the anode must be left untreated, as the electron beam would strip off any coating. The thermal capacity of the anode can be increased by increasing the mass, but the added weight, damages the bearings. The whole weight of the anode must be supported by the bearings.
This tube has a composite anode, made of Tungsten backed by a block of carbon. This gives high thermal capacity for less weight than a plain tungsten disk. About 20% of the electrons striking the anode bounce off, to land again outside of the target area. This causes extra-focal radiation, shown here.
The first X-ray Televisions systems used Image Orthicon tubes, like the one shown here. This has a 3 inch target. This is a photograph of an original Potter-Bucky diaphragm, or Grid.  The modern version is flat rather than curved.
A lot of my time is spent in teaching. Click on the picture for an example of the presentations that I have available.

This example is on Electrical Safety.

 

 

 

 The other activity that occupies a large proportion of my time is electrical safety checks. There is now a requirement for an Earth Reference Terminal in every medical location. I have a number of designs of ERTs available.     

 

 
Email: info@xrayengineering.co.uk