FOOD IRRADIATION DOSE UNIFORMITY

• Main Authors: JURCZYK, Brian E, COVENTRY, Matthew D, ALMAN, Darren A, HOULAHAN, Thomas J, STUBBERS, Robert A
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French
• Published: 07.03.2024
• Subjects: CHEMICAL ASPECTS OF BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS, ORSURGICAL ARTICLES; CHEMICAL RIPENING OF FRUIT OR VEGETABLES; DISINFECTION, STERILISATION, OR DEODORISATION OF AIR; FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; FOODS, FOODSTUFFS, OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT COVERED BYSUBCLASSES A23B - A23J; GAMMA RAY OR X-RAY MICROSCOPES; HUMAN NECESSITIES; HYGIENE; IRRADIATION DEVICES; MATERIALS FOR BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS, OR SURGICALARTICLES; MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR STERILISING MATERIALS OR OBJECTS INGENERAL; NUCLEAR ENGINEERING; NUCLEAR PHYSICS; PHYSICS; PRESERVATION OF FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS, IN GENERAL; PRESERVING, e.g. BY CANNING, MEAT, FISH, EGGS, FRUIT,VEGETABLES, EDIBLE SEEDS; TECHNIQUES FOR HANDLING PARTICLES OR IONISING RADIATION NOTOTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; THE PRESERVED, RIPENED, OR CANNED PRODUCTS; THEIR PREPARATION OR TREATMENT, e.g. COOKING, MODIFICATION OFNUTRITIVE QUALITIES, PHYSICAL TREATMENT; THEIR TREATMENT, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES

A food irradiation system including a plurality of compact linac systems is described herein. Each compact linac system, of the plurality of compact linac systems, includes: a high energy particle beam source providing a particle beam at up to 10MeV; an emission target assembly configured to generate bremsstrahlung x-rays when impacted by particles of the particle beam; and a drift tube through which the particle beam passes on a path from the high energy particle beam source to the emission target assembly. The emission target assembly is positioned at a distal end of the drift tube for direct impingement of the particle beam to generate the bremsstrahlung x-rays in a directed radiation beam. Ones of the plurality of compact linac systems are individually positioned such that, as a group, the plurality of compact linac systems provide directed radiation beam coverage at prescribed radiation dose levels for an overall cumulative volume. L'invention concerne un système d'irradiation alimentaire comprenant une pluralité de systèmes linac compacts. Chaque système linac compact, de la pluralité de systèmes linac compacts, comprend : une source de faisceau de particules à haute énergie fournissant un faisceau de particules jusqu'à 10 MeV; un ensemble cible d'émission configuré pour générer des rayons X de bremsstrahlung lorsqu'il est impacté par des particules du faisceau de particules; et un tube de dérive à travers lequel le faisceau de particules passe sur un trajet allant de la source de faisceau de particules à haute énergie à l'ensemble cible d'émission. L'ensemble cible d'émission est positionné au niveau d'une extrémité distale du tube de dérive pour un impact direct du faisceau de particules pour générer les rayons X de bremsstrahlung dans un faisceau de rayonnement dirigé. Certains de la pluralité de systèmes linac compacts sont positionnés individuellement de telle sorte que, en tant que groupe, la pluralité de systèmes linac compacts fournissent une couverture de faisceau de rayonnement dirigée à des niveaux de dose de rayonnement prescrits pour un volume cumulé global.