Abstract: The present invention is related to an apparatus and method for irradiating product packages (1). One measures the effective dimension of a product package (1), one processes a product package (1) having everywhere an effective thickness below a predefined threshold with an e-beam source (17), and other packages with either a gas sterilisant device or an X-ray or gamma source. Packages for treating with the X-ray or gamma source are grouped in layers and stacked, in order to optimise the throughput of the apparatus.

Abstract: A device for varying the energy of a particle beam extracted from a fixed-energy particle accelerator includes a block of energy degrading material positioned in the path of the particle beam. The block of energy degrading material is preferably in the form of a ring arranged on a wheel. The ring is of a staircase configuration, having discrete steps defining a thickness between parallel entry and exit faces. According to one aspect of the invention, the block is configured so that the particle beam energy variation reaches a maximum at the edges of each step. This upper limit is also the lower limit of the next step. Thus, continuous energy variation is possible despite the fact that the thickness of the block varies in discrete steps.

Abstract: A method for extracting a charged particle beam out of an isochronous cyclotron (1) comprising an electromagnet forming a magnetic circuit that includes at least a number of sectors (3, 3') known as "hills" where the air-gap is reduced, and separated by sector-shaped spaces (4) known as "valleys" where the air-gap is larger. According to the extraction method, the particle beam is extracted without using an extraction device as the magnetic field has a special arrangement produced by designing the electromagnet air-gap at the "hills" (3, 3') of the isochronous cyclotron in such a way that the aspect ratio between the electromagnet air-gap at the "hills" in the region of the maximum radius, and the radius gain per turn of the particles accelerated by the cyclotron at said radius is less than 20.

Abstract: A toroidal cavity-type electron accelerator is provided with a pair of electron beam sources. The beams from the two sources are respectively injected into the accelerating cavity at the mid-plane thereof and at a point displaced from the mid-plane whereby the electrons comprising the beam injected on the mid-plane will be accelerated while the electrons comprising the beam injected at the off mid-plane location will be decelerated and contribute their energy to producing a field for accelerating the electrons of the other beam.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of producing perforations in a solid material in sheet form, an irradiation device for working the method and the resulting perforated material.

Abstract: A non-superconductive cyclotron comprises a magnetic circuit comprising at least three sectors called "hills", wherein the air-gap is reduced to a size similar to that of the accelerated beam and wherein the magnetic flux is substantially concentrated. The hills are separated by spacings configured like sectors called "valleys" wherein the air-gap is a very large size so that the magnetic flux is essentially null. The magnetic circuit is further comprised of a single pair of coils which are substantially circular and surround the hills and valleys.