Patent ID: 8795599
Filing Date: 2014-08-05
Classification: A61L

Abstract:
1. A facility for sterilizing objects by electron bombardment, comprising: a sterilization device including a treatment chamber having a linear path which moves the objects in a linear conveying direction, and three sources configured to generate an electron beam energy of 400 keV to 10 MeV, each source being positioned to generate an electron beam along a respective axis passing through the treatment chamber; a first conveyor and a second conveyor used for moving said objects and being respectively located on either side of said treatment chamber; an input rotatable conveyor designed for moving said objects and placed between the first conveyor and said treatment chamber; an output rotatable conveyor also designed for moving said objects and placed between said treatment chamber and the second conveyor, each of the input and output rotatable conveyors including both a plurality of radial projections laid out such that any two of the radial projections being directly consecutive to each other define a housing to receive an object and a casing surrounding the radial projections, the casing and the radial projections each comprising lead and arranged to create a radiation barrier such that radiation from the treatment chamber cannot pass between the casing and the radial projections, the object being able to be moved in said housing when a corresponding rotatable conveyor is set into motion, causing rotation of the housing; and a first transfer device configured to move the object located in the housing of the input rotatable conveyor which communicates with an inlet of said treatment chamber right up into the inside of the treatment chamber, said treatment chamber being equipped with a primary internal conveyor onto which the object may be brought by said first transfer device; a second transfer device configured to move the object located inside said treatment chamber right up into the housing of the output rotatable conveyor which communicates with an outlet of this treatment chamber, said treatment chamber being equipped with a secondary internal conveyor from which the object may be moved into the housing of the output rotatable conveyor by said second transfer device, wherein a downstream end of the primary internal conveyor is located facing and away from an upstream end of the secondary internal conveyor so as to form an inter-conveyor space, the three axes each pass through the inter-conveyor space, and the primary internal conveyor is on an opposite side of the input rotatable conveyor from the first conveyor and the secondary internal conveyor is on an opposite side of the output rotatable conveyor from the second conveyor.