System for, and method of, irradiating opposite sides of articles with optimal amounts of cumulative irradiation
First Claim
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1. A method of irradiating, with an optimal amount of cumulative radiation, an article having first and second opposite sides, including the steps of:
- directing radiation to the first side of the articles for the passage of the radiation through the article, rotating the article through an angle of substantially 180°
to have the second side of the article face the radiation, thereafter directing the radiation to the second side of the article for the passage of the energy beam through the article, and providing a member in the path of the electron beam with a thickness, dependent upon the thickness of the article, to provide the article with the optimal amount of the cumulative irradiation.
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Abstract
Opposite sides of an article are irradiated to sterilize the article. The cumulative irradiation should be above a first value, and below a second value greater than the first value, at all of the positions in the article to provide the article with desired radiation benefits. Any amount of cumulative radiation between the first and second values is considered as optimal values. For a first range of article thicknesses, the cumulative radiation in the article is at the optimal values. For article thicknesses in a second range greater than in the first range, the cumulative radiation at positions in the article is greater than the optimal values. For article thicknesses in a third range greater than the second range, the cumulative radiation at the different positions in the article is at the optimal values. For the thicknesses in the second range, a member disposed in the radiation path weakens the radiation passing to the article, thereby reducing the cumulative radiation to an optimal value. For each thickness in the second range, a different amount of cumulative radiation above the optimal value may occur when the member is not disposed in the radiation path. The member may accordingly be provided with different thicknesses, dependent upon the amount of the cumulative radiation in the article for the different positions in the second thickness range, to reduce the cumulative radiation in the article to an optimal value. A system may automatically position the member properly for article thicknesses in the second range.
24 Citations
33 Claims
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1. A method of irradiating, with an optimal amount of cumulative radiation, an article having first and second opposite sides, including the steps of:
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directing radiation to the first side of the articles for the passage of the radiation through the article, rotating the article through an angle of substantially 180°
to have the second side of the article face the radiation,thereafter directing the radiation to the second side of the article for the passage of the energy beam through the article, and providing a member in the path of the electron beam with a thickness, dependent upon the thickness of the article, to provide the article with the optimal amount of the cumulative irradiation. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
the member is disposed in the path of the radiation to the article only when the thickness of the article is between particular limits. -
3. A method as set forth in claim 2 wherein
the member is provided with a thickness dependent upon the thickness of the article at different positions between the particular limits. -
4. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein
the direction of the radiation toward the article provides for an irradiation of the article with the optimal amount of cumulative irradiation for thicknesses of the article to a first value, provides for an irradiation of the article with an amount of cumulative radiation greater than the optimal amount of cumulative radiation for different thicknesses of the article between a first value and a second value greater than the first value and provides for a cumulative irradiation of the article with the optimal amount of cumulative irradiation for thicknesses of the article between the second value and a third value greater than the second value and wherein the member is disposed in the path of the radiation beam, when the thickness of the article is between the first value and the second value, to provide the article with the cumulative amount of irradiation at the optimal value. -
5. A method as set forth in claims 4 wherein
the member is provided with a thickness, when the thickness of the article is between the first and second values, to provide the article and the member with a combined thickness between the second and third values. -
6. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein
the member is provided with a cumulative amount of irradiation, when the thickness of the article is between the first value and the second value, to reduce the cumulative amount of the irradiation in the article to the optimal value.
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7. A method of irradiating, with an optimal amount of radiation, an article having first and second opposite sides, including the steps of:
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providing radiation for irradiating the article, disposing the article in the path of the radiation, providing a member with different thicknesses at different positions on the member, providing for the disposition, between the radiation and the article, of a portion of the member with a particular thickness dependent upon the thickness of the article, directing the radiation through the member to the first side of the article, rotating the article relative to the radiation through an angle of substantially 180°
to have the second side of the article face the radiation after the radiation has been directed through the member to the first side of the article, andthereafter directing the radiation through the member to the second side of the article. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
the cumulative irradiation received by the article with the first and second sides of the article facing the radiation exceeds the optimal amount of irradiation in a particular range of thicknesses of the article and wherein the member is positioned between the radiation beam and the article in the particular range of thicknesses of the article to reduce the cumulative amount of the irradiation at the article to the optimal amount. -
9. A method as set forth in claim 8 wherein
the excess of the radiation above the optimal amount is different for different thicknesses of the article in the particular range and wherein the amount of reduction of the cumulative irradiation in the article is varied in accordance with the thickness of the article in the particular range. -
10. A method as set forth in claim 7 wherein
the member is disposed between the radiation beam and the article only when the particular thickness of the article is within a particular range of values. -
11. A method as set forth in claim 10 wherein
the member is positioned between the radiation and the article to provide to the radiation a thickness dependent upon the thickness of the article between the first value and the second value. -
12. A method as set forth in claim 7 wherein
the member is disposed between the radiation and the article only when the thickness of the article is between a first value and a second value and each of the first and second values is greater than zero and the second value is greater than the first value. -
13. A method as set forth in claim 7 wherein
the optimal amount of the cumulative irradiation is in a particular range of thicknesses of the article greater than the second value and wherein the member is not disposed between the radiation beam and the article when the article has a thickness in the particular range. -
14. A method as set forth in claim 7 wherein
the optimal amount of the cumulative radiation is in a range of thicknesses of the article less than the first value and wherein the member is not disposed between the radiation beam and the article when the article has a thickness less than the first value. -
15. A method as set forth in claim 7 wherein
the member is provided with a variable thickness at different positions on the member and wherein the member is positioned relative to the radiation to provide to the radiation a thickness dependent upon the thickness of the article between a first value and a second value where the second value is greater than the first value.
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16. A method of irradiating, with an optimal amount of cumulative irradiation, an article having first and second opposite sides, including the steps of:
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directing radiation to the opposite sides of the article, and providing a member, in the path of radiation to the article, to reduce the cumulative amount of the irradiation in the article to the optimal amount of the cumulative irradiation, when the amount of the cumulative irradiation in the article would otherwise exceed the optimal amount of the cumulative irradiation. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
the member is disposed in the path of the radiation to the article only when the thickness of the article is between first and second limits where the second limit is greater than the first limit. -
18. A method as set forth in claim 17 wherein
each of the first and second limits is greater than zero (0). -
19. A method as set forth in claim 18 wherein
the member is provided with a thickness dependent upon the thickness of the article at different positions between the first and second limits. -
20. A method as set forth in claim 17 wherein
the excess of the irradiation above the particular amount is different for different thicknesses of the article between the first and second limits and wherein the amount of reduction of the cumulative irradiation in the article is varied in accordance with the variations in the thickness of the article between the first and second limits. -
21. A method as set forth in claim 16 wherein
the optimal value of the cumulative amount of the irradiation is provided in the article in a range of thicknesses of the article less than the first limit and wherein the member is not disposed between the radiation beam and the article when the article has a thickness less than the first limit. -
22. A method as set forth in claim 16 wherein
the member is provided with an individual thickness at different positions on the member and wherein the member is positioned relative to the radiation to provide to the radiation a thickness dependent upon the thickness of the article between the first and second limits. -
23. A method as set forth in claim 16 wherein
the direction of the radiation toward the article provides for an irradiation in the article with the optimal amount of the cumulative irradiation for thicknesses of the article less than the first limit, provides for an irradiation of the article with an amount of cumulative irradiation greater than the optimal amount of the cumulative irradiation for different thicknesses of the article between the first and second limits and provides for a cumulative irradiation of the article with the optimal amount of the cumulative irradiation for thicknesses of the article between the second limit and a third limit greater than the second limit and wherein the member is disposed in the path of the radiation, when the thickness of the article is between the first and second limits, to provide the article with the optimal amount of the cumulative irradiation.
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24. A system for irradiating, with an optimal amount of cumulative radiation, an article having first and second opposite sides, including
apparatus for providing radiation, a loading area, an unloading area, a conveyor for transporting the article from the loading area past the radiation apparatus to the unloading area for an irradiation of the first and second sides of the article by the radiation apparatus, the article being constructed to receive the optimal amount of the cumulative irradiation for first thicknesses of the article and to receive greater than the optimal amount of the cumulative irradiation for second thicknesses of the article greater than the first thicknesses, and a member having first and second positions and disposed in the first position for the first thicknesses of the article to provide for the irradiation of the article by the radiation apparatus without any passage of the radiation through the member and disposed in the second position to provide, for the second thicknesses of the article, for the irradiation of the article by the radiation apparatus after the passage of the irradiation through the member to reduce the cumulative amount of the irradiation in the article to the optimal value.
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30. A system for irradiating, with an optimal amount of cumulative irradiation, an article having first and second opposite sides, including
a source of radiation, a loading area, an unloading area, a conveyor for transporting the article from the loading area past the radiation source for an irradiation of the first side of the article by the radiation source, a mechanism for rotating the article through an angle of 180° - after the irradiation of the first side of the article by the radiation source and for introducing the rotated article to the conveyor for the transport of the article past the radiation source to the unloading area and for the irradiation of the second side of the article by the radiation source during such or any port,
the article being of a size to receive a cumulative amount of radiation greater than the optimal amount, and a member positionable between the radiation source and the conveyor for reducing to the optimal amount the cumulative amount of irradiation introduced to the first and second sides of the article when the article has a size to receive a cumulative amount of irradiation greater than the optimal amount. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33)
the article has first, second and third ranges of thicknesses and wherein the article receives the optimal amount of the cumulative irradiation at the first and third ranges of thicknesses and receives cumulative irradiations greater than the optimal amount at the second range of thicknesses and where the second range of thicknesses is between the first and third ranges of thicknesses and where the member is positioned between the radiation source and the article in the second range of thicknesses of the article to reduce the cumulative radiation in the article to the optimal amount. -
32. A system as set forth in claim 31 wherein
the article receives individual amounts of cumulative irradiation at different thicknesses in the second range and where the member has individual thicknesses for the different thicknesses of the article in the second range to reduce the cumulative irradiation in the article to the optimal amount for the different thicknesses of the article in the second range. -
33. A system as set forth in claim 31 wherein
the member is disposed in the path of the radiation from the radiation source to the article in the second range of thicknesses of the article to reduce the cumulative irradiation in the article to the optimal amount and wherein the member is disposed in the first and third ranges of thickness of the article to have no effect on the cumulative irradiation in the article.
- after the irradiation of the first side of the article by the radiation source and for introducing the rotated article to the conveyor for the transport of the article past the radiation source to the unloading area and for the irradiation of the second side of the article by the radiation source during such or any port,
Specification
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Current AssigneeL-3 Communications Corporation (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
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Original AssigneeTitan (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
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InventorsMiller, Richard C., Loda, Gary K.
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Primary Examiner(s)Warden, Sr., Robert J.
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Assistant Examiner(s)Soubra, Imad
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Application NumberUS09/710,730Time in Patent Office711 DaysField of Search422/22, 422/26, 422/27, 422/28, 422/307, 250/492.3, 250/453.11, 250/454.11, 250/455.11US Class Current422/22CPC Class CodesA23L 3/263 with corpuscular or ionisin...A61L 2/081 Gamma radiationA61L 2/082 X-raysA61L 2/087 Particle radiation, e.g. el...A61L 2202/14 Means for controlling steri...G21K 5/10 with provision for relative...
