RU2074004C1 - Radiative sterilization unit - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: sterilization of medical instruments, implants, materials and wastes. SUBSTANCE: radiative sterilization unit comprises electron accelerator with beam scanning apparatus in form of metallic container. Container houses electron accelerator, beam scanning apparatus and irradiation zone. Unit comprises carriage for introducing article to be sterilized into irradiation zone, and movable protective screen for closure of port made in metallic container. Unit comprises delivery conveyor for moving articles to be sterilized after sterilization and second movable protective screen for closure of second port made in metallic container. EFFECT: effective, reliable and quick-acting unit for radiative sterilization. 3 cl, 9 dwg

Description

 The invention relates to medicine and can be used to sterilize medical instruments, implantable products, materials and waste. It can also be used to sterilize food and perfumery products in order to extend their shelf life.

 Radiation sterilization using an accelerated electron beam is a promising, reliable and environmentally friendly way to sterilize products and materials.

 For radiation sterilization, various designs of complexes are used, each of which contains an electron accelerator, a conveyor, and biological protection of personnel from ionizing radiation. Existing sterilization complexes designed for industrial sterilization of serial products are located in special rooms where concrete walls up to 2.8 m thick serve as protection. The closest in technical essence is the complex based on the IMPELA linear accelerator (Gerald E. Hare. IMPRELA Electron Acclerators For Industrial Rodiation Processibg. "Rodiat", Phys, Chem. ", Vol. 35, 4-6, p. 619 626, 1990). It contains a high-frequency electron accelerator with a power system. A beam of accelerated electrons irradiates sterilized products that move on a conveyor . Have koritel and irradiation zone located in a room with a biological shield made from thick-walled concrete. The complex occupies a large industrial premises, requires the construction of a specialized bunker and has a high cost.

 An urgent problem at present is the creation of a compact complex for radiation sterilization, which could be located in any room of the enterprise without special structures to protect service personnel, had good reliability and ease of maintenance. Its use will provide financial savings by reducing construction work.

 The problem can be solved in this way: the electron accelerator and the irradiation zone are located inside a thick-walled metal container that provides biological protection for personnel; the part of the container in which the accelerator is located is made in the form of expandable shutters; sterilized products are fed using a conveyor; each product is reloaded from the conveyor and introduced into the irradiation zone using a mobile carriage; to ensure biological protection with a continuously working accelerator, the windows in the container are covered with movable screens; there is a device for flipping sterilized products for two-sided irradiation.

 In this design of the complex, automatic transfer of products from the conveyor to the carriage and entry into the irradiation zone make it possible to position the loading and unloading platform for products at any distance from the accelerator, including in another room. This ensures the convenience of servicing the complex. During the introduction of products into the irradiation and output zone, the accelerator does not turn off, which ensures good reliability of the complex, since with frequent on and off switching, the reliability of the accelerator is low. The flaps can open, providing easy access to the most complex element of the complex to the accelerator without the use of a lifting mechanism for the repair and maintenance of the accelerator with minimal downtime.

 The invention is illustrated by drawings: in FIG. 1 shows a radiation sterilization complex, front view; in FIG. 2 radiation sterilization complex, front view, position of loading the product into the carriage; in FIG. 3 - complex radiation sterilization, side view, the position of the irradiation of the product; in FIG. 4 radiation sterilization complex, top view, sash open; in FIG. 5 radiation sterilization complex with an additional unloading conveyor, side view, loading position of the product in the carriage; in FIG. 6 - radiation sterilization complex with an additional unloading conveyor, side view, position of product irradiation; in FIG. 7 radiation sterilization complex with an additional unloading conveyor, side view, position of unloading the product from the carriage; in FIG. 8 radiation sterilization complex with additional unloading conveyor, top view; in FIG. 9 complex radiation sterilization with the revolution of the product, front view.

 The complex depicted in FIG. 1-4, contains an electron accelerator 1, an accelerator power system 2, a metal container 3, two flaps 4, a conveyor 5, a carriage 6, a movable screen 7.

 The electron accelerator 1 comprises an electron injector, a high-frequency accelerating section, and a beam sweep device. The metal container 3 is made of thick-walled, it can consist of separate blocks. The wall thickness provides a dose of ionizing radiation on the outer surface of the container, not exceeding the value acceptable for personnel. The upper part of the container is made in the form of two wings 4, which can be opened using hinges. The metal container has two windows for carriage movement with the sterilized product 8. One of the windows is blocked by a movable screen 7, which can open the window for carriage movement, rising up. The carriage is made in the form of a massive rectangular block with a slot for laying a sterilized object. The conveyor 5 is located next to the metal container.

 The complex works as follows. The valves of the metal container are in a closed state, the electron accelerator, powered from the accelerator power system, is turned on for continuous operation. The sterilized products are loaded onto the conveyor on the left side (Fig. 1) of the metal container. The conveyor moves in steps. When the position of the carriage (Fig. 2), the sterilized product moves from the conveyor to the carriage. The carriage enters a metal container and holds the product to be sterilized under the accelerator (Fig. 3). The electron beam exiting the accelerator is deployed with the help of a scanning device in a plane perpendicular to the direction of movement of the sterilized product, and passes through the sterilized product. When the carriage approaches the movable screen, it rises, making way for the carriage to continue moving. After the entire sterilized product passes under the accelerator and its entire volume is irradiated, the carriage returns to its original position (Fig. 2), and the movable screen is lowered. The conveyor takes the next step, pushing the sterilized product out of the carriage and introducing a new one into it. Next, the cycle repeats. In all positions of the carriage, the windows in the metal container are blocked either by the carriage body or by a mobile screen and ionizing radiation does not exit through the windows.

 In FIG. 4 shows a top view of the complex with the flaps open; the electron accelerator can be removed or repaired on site. Despite the large mass of the metal container, the use of hoisting mechanisms is not required for maintenance work.

 In FIG. 5-8 shows a design diagram of the complex with an additional unloading conveyor 9 and an additional mobile screen 10. In the loading position of the product to be sterilized from the conveyor 5 to the carriage 6 (Fig. 5), the mobile screen 10 is raised and the mobile screen 7 is lowered. Next, the carriage, moving to the right, conducts the sterilized product under the accelerator, and the mobile screen 10 is lowered (Fig. 6). Next, the movable screen 7 rises, the carriage leaves the metal container and the sterilized product moves from the carriage to the unloading conveyor 9. Next, the carriage returns to the position (Fig. 5) and the cycle repeats. In this case, there is a guarantee that the product will not go to the finished goods warehouse without going through the irradiation zone.

 In FIG. 9 shows a complex with an additional device for turning over the sterilized product 11. Here, the conveyor 5 also moves in steps. At the next step, the product moves from the conveyor to the carriage 6, after which the carriage conducts it under the accelerator 1 and returns it back. The product is transferred to the coup device 11, which after the coup again puts the product on the carriage. The carriage conducts the product a second time under the accelerator and returns back, the conveyor takes a step, the next product moves from it to the carriage, and the sterilized product slides onto the conveyor. Next, the cycle repeats. Bilateral irradiation allows you to get a more uniform absorbed dose along the height of the product and sterilize the product with a higher height.

Claims (3)

 1. A radiation sterilization complex containing an electron accelerator with a beam sweep device, a biological protection device against ionizing radiation and a conveyor for supplying sterilized products, characterized in that the biological protection device is made in the form of a metal container, including an electron accelerator with a beam sweep device and an irradiation zone and having two openable shutters for access to the electron accelerator, the complex comprises a carriage for introducing the sterilized product into the irradiation zone I and a mobile protective screen for closing the window in a metal container.  2. The complex according to claim 1, characterized in that the complex is supplemented by an unloading conveyor for transporting sterilized products after sterilization and a second movable protective screen for closing the second window in a metal container.  3. The complex according to claim 1, characterized in that the complex is supplemented with a device for turning over the sterilized product.

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