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EP-4736195-A1 - RADIATION PROTECTION MODULE

EP4736195A1EP 4736195 A1EP4736195 A1EP 4736195A1EP-4736195-A1

Abstract

A radiation protection module and a radiation protection structure comprising at least one radiation protection module are provided. The radiation protection module includes a first outer surface at one side and a second outer surface at the opposite side comprising openings in its surfaces, at least one radiation shielding layer and light guiding elements. The module acts like a trap for radiation while the light guiding elements are arranged to guide light from the openings at one side of the module to the opposite through the at least one radiation shielding layer to provide optical transparency which may facilitate operation, control, non-verbal communication, monitoring, etc.

Inventors

  • VOGTMEIER, GEREON
  • JOHNSON, MARK THOMAS
  • KOEHLER, THOMAS

Assignees

  • Koninklijke Philips N.V.

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20240624

Claims (14)

  1. 1. A radiation protection module (100), comprising: a first outer surface (10) at one side and a second outer surface (20) at the opposite side wherein the first and second outer surfaces comprise openings (40, 40’) in its surfaces, and are separated from each other by a spacing, at least one radiation shielding layer (30), light guiding elements (50) arranged such that at least one optical path (OP) is formed to guide light from an opening at the first outer surface (40-z), at a location (x t , y t ), to an opening at the second outer surface (40 ’-z), at a location (x, y, ’), through the at least one radiation shielding layer, and wherein the at least one radiation shielding layer and the light guiding elements are embedded within the spacing separating the first and second outer surfaces.
  2. 2. The radiation protection module of claim 1 wherein the light guiding elements are arranged such that at least one optical path is formed to guide light from an opening at the first outer surface to an opening at the second outer surface whose positions at the corresponding outer surface are substantially the same.
  3. 3. The radiation protection module of claims 1-2 wherein the light guiding elements are provided by a reflector arrangement (50-1) comprising an input port (51), an output port (52), a first reflective surface (53), and a second reflective surface (54); wherein the first reflective surface is placed to reflect incoming light from the input port to the second reflective surface, which is placed to reflect said incoming light towards the output port.
  4. 4. The radiation protection module of claims 1-2 wherein the light guiding elements (50-2) comprise an input (51) and an output (52) port and are configured to confine incoming light from the input port by total internal reflection to be transmitted to the output port (52).
  5. 5. The radiation protection module of claims 3-4 comprising: at least one layer of light guiding elements (50-L), a plurality of radiation shielding layers (30) comprising openings (31) in its surfaces, and separated from each other by a spacing, wherein within said spacing, a layer of the at least one layer of light guiding elements (50-L) is embedded and arranged to guide light from input to output ports through the openings of the radiation shielding layers, wherein for any consecutive radiation shielding layers (4, l i+ i) of the plurality of radiation shielding layers, the openings in one of the consecutive radiation shielding layers (4) have a substantially uniform offset (D) with respect to the openings in the other consecutive radiation shielding layer (4+y) such that radiation is substantially blocked by the combined plurality of radiation shielding layers.
  6. 6. The radiation protection module of claim 5 wherein the first radiation shielding layer of the plurality of radiation shielding layers is a first outer radiation shielding layer facing the first outer surface of the radiation protection module, wherein the last radiation shielding layer of the plurality of radiation shielding layers is a second outer radiation shielding layer facing the second outer surface of the radiation protection module, wherein the first and the second outer radiation shielding layers are in contact with the respective outer surface of the radiation protection module, or wherein the first and the second outer radiation shielding layers form the respective outer surface of the radiation protection module, or wherein either the first or the second outer radiation shielding layer is in contact with the respective outer surface of the radiation protection module and the other outer radiation shielding layer forms the respective outer surface of the radiation protection module.
  7. 7. The radiation protection module of claim 4 comprising: a plurality of radiation shielding layers (30) comprising openings in its surfaces (31) and separated from each other by a spacing, a plurality of light guiding elements (50) laid from an opening at the first outer surface (10), at a location (x,, y t ) of said first surface, to an opening at the second outer surface (20), at a location (xt y, ’) of said second surface, traversing the plurality of radiation shielding layers through an opening (31-/) at a location (n,, vi) in each of its surfaces, wherein the locations of the openings in the surfaces of the plurality of radiation shielding layers have a random or pseudorandom offset with respect to each other such that radiation is substantially blocked by the combination of the plurality of radiation shielding layers.
  8. 8. The radiation protection module of claims 1-4 wherein the at least one radiation shielding layer is provided by a wire mesh, a metal grid, or an X-ray absorbing wall containing X-ray absorbing material for instance in the form of particles and/or liquid.
  9. 9. The radiation protection module of claims 5-7 wherein the plurality of radiation shielding layers comprises X-ray radiation shielding layers or RF radiation shielding layers or a combination thereof.
  10. 10. The radiation protection module of claim 9 wherein the X-ray radiation shielding layers are provided by X-ray absorbing walls containing any one of lead, molybdenum, tungsten, or a combination thereof.
  11. 11. The radiation protection module of claim 9 wherein the RF radiation shielding layers are provided by any one of metal grids, wire meshes, interconnected metal foils, or a combination thereof.
  12. 12. The radiation protection module of any of the previous claims wherein the light guiding elements comprise at least one optical fiber for any one of the following purposes: transmission of light in the visible spectrum, data transmission, power transmission, or a combination thereof.
  13. 13. A radiation protection structure (200) comprising at least one of the radiation protection modules (100) of any of the previous claims.
  14. 14. Use of the radiation protection module (100) of any of claims 1-12 in the fabrication of a radiation protection structure (200).

Description

RADIATION PROTECTION MODULE FIELD OF THE INVENTION The invention generally relates to the field of radiation shielding. In particular, the invention relates to a radiation protection module, a radiation protection structure comprising at least one radiation protection module, and to the use of the radiation protection module in the fabrication of a radiation protection structure. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Radiation is a form of energy that is naturally present all around us. Radiation is classified into two types: ionizing and non-ionizing type depending on its ability or inability to ionize matter. X-rays and gamma rays are examples of ionizing radiation. Visible light, infrared rays, radiofrequency (i.e., microwaves and radio waves) are examples of non-ionizing radiation. Forms of ionizing radiation have enough energy to remove an electron from an atom. This can damage the DNA inside of cells, which can be harmful, e.g., it can sometimes lead to cancer. Exposure to very high levels of radiofrequency (RF) radiation can be harmful due to the ability of RF energy to rapidly heat biological tissue, which can lead to bums and body tissue damage. Although high doses of radiation can be harmful to health, radiation provides diverse advantageous applications. RF radiation provides a wide range of applications, to name a few: in the telecommunication sector (broadcast, cellular phones, radio communications for police and fire- departments, microwave point-to-point links, satellite communications, etc.), but also in radar (applications such as traffic enforcement, air traffic control and military applications) and for industrial heating and sealing. Ionizing radiation and radioactive materials are also used every day in medical settings to improve health outcomes and even save lives. In diagnostic imaging, X-rays are used for plain film and computed tomography imaging, gamma rays are used in radionuclide imaging, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) uses RF radiation as a transmission medium. X-rays are also used for nondestructive testing, geological exploration, and in security systems. Naturally, it is desired that people do not get more exposure to radiation than necessary, e.g., from imaging studies, from workplace environments, from education and training, etc. Therefore, activities where radiation is involved are subject to standards of safety where safe levels of exposure for both the general public and for workers are recommended. As a result, restrictive measures or actions may be necessary to ensure the safe use of these forms of energy (e.g., X-ray, RF energy). A basic protective measure in radiation safety is shielding. Radiation shielding is based on the principle of atenuation, i.e., on reducing a wave’s or ray’s effect by blocking or bouncing particles through a barrier material. Hence, radiation shielding is accomplished by installing barriers around potential sources and victims of radiation (humans, animals, plants, or objects). The most effective shielding depends on the kind of radiation. For example, X-rays are absorbed by heavy, dense materials, such as lead and cement. RF shielding requires barriers made of conductive and magnetic materials to block the RF signals that cause RF interference. Radiation shielding can be incorporated in facilities, a region, or simply a barrier in for example, healthcare, military, banking, business, government, research, testing setings. An MRI room is an example of a facility needing RF shielding because interference with external RF signals and magnetic fields distorts the images, and MRI machines also emit electromagnetic radiation that can disrupt other medical equipment. X-ray technicians, doctors, or other occupational radiation workers may need a protective barrier or a shielded area to be protected from radiation generated from a radiation source used during a medical scan, an industrial test, ataining session, or other technical, medical, or research activity. It is often desirable that shielded barriers, areas, or facilities offer some degree of visibility to the operator for example, to facilitate operation, control and/or non-verbal communication. To provide optical transparency in at least a part of such protective structures, leaded glass or leaded acrylic are typically integrated into X-ray protective structures. Transparent RF shielding solutions include transparent conductive films for RF shielding of glass or use of a double layer of RF blocking material (e.g., wire cloth, mesh screen) with associated glazing. Lead glass is porous and fragile and is not suitable for use by itself in an exterior application. Generally, transportation and installation of glassbased panels may also need special precautions, and flexibility in their use may be limited. Moreover, often the conventional transparent shielding solutions are used for windows, i.e., openings on a structure, which means that part of the structure is transparent, and the rest is opaq