System and method for irradiating large articles
First Claim
1. An assembly for irradiating an article having a center point, comprising:
- an accelerator generating an electron beam;
a magnet assembly for shaping and deflecting the electron beam in a sweep path through a scan horn;
a compound bending magnet for directing the electron beam toward the center point of the article along the entire sweep path; and
an x-ray conversion plate for converting the electron beam into an x-ray radiation beam.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
An irradiation assembly is effective to irradiate large articles, up to about 48 inches thick in an exemplary embodiment. The assembly provides radiation to an article from all sides in a 360 degree exposure range, and includes at least one irradiating subsystem that provides x-ray radiation in a portion of the 360 degree exposure range. A conveying system carries the article through the at least one irradiating subsystem in a number of passes appropriate to provide x-ray radiation to the article in the full 360 degree exposure range. Each irradiating subsystem is configured to direct radiation toward a center point of the article being irradiated. An accelerator generates an electron beam, and a magnet assembly shapes and deflects the electron beam in a sweep path through a scan horn. A compound bending magnet directs the electron beam toward a center point of the article being irradiated along the entire sweep path. An x-ray conversion plate converts the electron beam into an x-ray radiation beam.
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Citations
31 Claims
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1. An assembly for irradiating an article having a center point, comprising:
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an accelerator generating an electron beam; a magnet assembly for shaping and deflecting the electron beam in a sweep path through a scan horn; a compound bending magnet for directing the electron beam toward the center point of the article along the entire sweep path; and an x-ray conversion plate for converting the electron beam into an x-ray radiation beam. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. An assembly for irradiating an article radially from all sides in a 360 degree exposure range, comprising:
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a plurality of irradiating subsystems each providing x-ray radiation in a portion of the 360 degree exposure range, wherein each of the plurality of irradiating subsystems comprises; an accelerator generating an electron beam; a magnet assembly for shaping and deflecting the electron beam in a sweep path through a scan horn; a compound bending magnet for directing the electron beam toward a center point of the article along the entire sweep path; and an x-ray conversion plate for converting the electron beam into an x-ray radiation beam; and a conveying system for carrying the article through the plurality of irradiating subsystems. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. An assembly for irradiating an article radially from all sides in a 360 degree exposure range, comprising:
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an irradiating subsystem providing x-ray radiation in a portion of the 360 degree exposure range; a conveying system for repeatedly carrying the article through the irradiating subsystem and rotating the article in a plurality of passes to expose the article to radiation in the 360 degree exposure range, wherein the rotating occurs outside a path of the x-ray radiation. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A method of irradiating an article having a center point, the method comprising:
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(a) generating an electron beam; (b) deflecting the electron beam at a controlled angle through a scan horn; (c) directing the electron beam exiting the scan horn toward the center point of the article; (d) iterating steps (b) and (c) through a sweep path; and (e) converting the directed electron beam exiting the scan horn into an x-ray radiation beam. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26)
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27. A method of irradiating an article radially from all sides in a 360 degree exposure range, the method comprising:
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(a) providing x-ray radiation from a plurality of subsystems each covering a portion of the 360 degree exposure range so that a sum of exposure provided by the plurality of subsystems covers the entire 360 degree exposure range, each of the plurality of subsystems directing an x-ray radiation beam toward a center point of the article; and (b) carrying the article through the plurality of subsystems. - View Dependent Claims (28)
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29. A method of irradiating an article radially from all sides in a 360 degree exposure range, the method comprising:
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(a) providing x-ray radiation from at least one subsystem in a portion of the 360 degree exposure range; and (b) carrying the article through the at least one subsystem; (c) rotating the article; and (d) repeating steps (b) and (c) in a plurality of passes to expose the article to x-ray radiation in the 360 degree exposure range, wherein steps (a) and (c) are performed at different times. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31)
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Specification