Apparatus and method for broad spectrum radiation attenuation

Abstract

A system of panels for use in assembling a radiation, microbial, acoustically, and ballistically shielded space within a building or other personal space. The panels are comprised of an ionizing radiation shielding material layer, a non-ionizing radiation shielding layer, an anti-microbial treated layer, a bulletproof layer, and an acoustical shielding layer. A method is provided for using said panels to create a radiation, microbial, acoustically, and ballistically shielded space.

Claims

1. A system for assembling a shielded space, comprising: a plurality of rigid multi-layered panels with a top edge, a bottom edge, a right edge and a left edge, each panel comprising (a) a low frequency magnetic shielding layer, (b) an acoustical foam shielding layer, said acoustic foam shielding layer comprising an undulating surface topology, and (c) an ionizing radiation shield layer; wherein the right edge and left edge of adjacent panels are adapted to connect to each other.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising: a non-ionizing radiation shielding layer comprised of non-woven metallized fibers; and an anti-microbial layer.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said ionizing radiation shielding layer is comprised of lead or lead amalgam.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said ionizing radiation shielding layer is comprised of polyethylene.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said one or more of said acoustical foam shielding layer is visually aperiodic but periodic at the edges of the panel.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the multi-layer panels are adapted to be attached to the wall of a room.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of said panels is attached to the headboard of a bed.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of said panels is free-standing.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said panels are 8 feet in height.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the panel layers are bonded by an adhesive.

11. The system of claim 1, one or more of said panels further comprising a bulletproof layer.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(1) The present invention seeks to provide modular panels that will provide a radiation, microbial, acoustic, and ballistic shielded space within a building or other personal space. In a preferred embodiment, wall panels approximately 48 containing multiple shielding layers are joined together to provide protection and shielding from both ionizing radiation and non-ionizing radiation as well as providing anti microbial protection, sound damping, and protection from certain ballistics such as bullets. The present invention additionally seeks to provide modular panels that can be incorporated into an article of clothing to provide a radiation, ballistic and microbial shielded layer of clothing.

(2) In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, mumetal foil or other suitable low frequency magnetic shielding material is used as a low frequency magnetic shielding layer.

(3) In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the ionizing radiation shielding layer is comprised from either lead, lead amalgams, polyethylene or other suitable ionizing radiation shielding material. The advantage to using a thin layer (approximately 1 mm) of lead is that if the layers are electrically joined then rF shielding is also achieved. The advantage to using polyethylene is that polyethylene is lightweight and also has ballistic shielding properties eliminating the use for further ballistic materials.

(4) In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the non-ionizing radiation shielding layer is comprised from non-woven metallized fibers or other suitable non-ionizing radiation shielding material.

(5) In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the anti-microbial layer is comprised of a permanent nano-coating known to kill viral and bacterial microbes when exposed to light. Alternative embodiments of the anti microbial layer include a silver containing anti microbial or a bi-neutralizing agent (BNA) anti microbial that is micro encapsulated. The coating can be painted on the acoustically shielded outer layer of the panels.

(6) In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the ballistic layer is comprised of a layer of bulletproof material selected from the group comprising Kevlar, Twaron, Dyneema, Zylon, or other suitable ballistic material. In an alternative embodiment, if polyethylene is the material used in the ionizing radiation layer, no further bulletproof material is necessary to accomplish the ballastically shielded layer.

(7) In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the acoustically shielded layer is comprised of a layer of mass loaded dampening material such as a dense, limp mass vinyl material and a layer of visco-elastic acoustical foam which can be open cell, closed cell, with a skin, permeable, or non-permeable with skin to support bactericidal agent, with the acoustical foam layers being joined to the mass loaded dampening material by an adhesive layer.

(8) A further embodiment of the present invention eliminates the acoustical shielding properties to provide a lightweight panel that provides radiation, ballistic and microbial shielding for use in articles of clothing.

(9) A further embodiment of the present invention is to create a Faraday Cage out of the panels. For the magnetic and ionizing radiation layers of the shield it is sufficient to overlap them at the junctions between panels. The electrically conductive layer should be explicitly interconnected between panels although in some cases this can be achieved by simple overlapping. For example shielding material made of a non-woven fabric comprising nickel-coated graphite or carbon fibers, if overlapped will provide adequate continuity. This is because the nickel does not corrode or oxidize.

(10) Regarding the acoustical shielding properties, the layer of the system closest to the occupant can utilize various plastic foams, usually reticulated, for control of the interior acoustics. The present invention utilizes non-flat surface topologies on the outer layer of the acoustical foam, which serves both a decorative purpose and has the acoustical utility of simultaneously providing absorption and diffusion. The preferred surface topolgy consists of an undulating surface in the x and z dimensions, which is visually aperiodic but is in fact periodic at the panel boundaries. This allows panels to be contiguous with no step discontinuity in the surface. Avoiding contour in the y dimension eliminates projecting horizontal surfaces upon which dust and dirt can collect.

(11) Turning to FIG. 1, there is shown a perspective view of shielding panel 1 for use in assembling a radiation, microbial, acoustic and ballistic shielded space within a building. Turning to FIG. 2, the layer closest to the wall, 2, is mumetal foil or other suitable low frequency magnetic shielding material that is contiguous between adjacent layers. The next layer out, 3, is polyethelene or other suitable ionizing radiation shielding material, which is overlapped between adjacent panels. The next layer out, 4, is comprised of a suitable non-woven metalized fiber for providing non-ionizing radiation shielding, which is overlapped between adjacent panels as shown by 9. The next layer out, 5, is comprised of a mass loaded material for acoustical shielding purposes that is contiguous between adjacent layers. The last layer which is furthest from the wall is comprised of acoustical foam, 6, that is contiguous between adjacent layers and is treated with a suitable anti microbial coating, 7. The corresponding layers of adjacent panels do not need to be interconnected to achieve the shielding objectives; however, the acoustical dampening layers can be contiguous and the shielding layers need to be overlapped. The acoustical foam layer is comprised of an undulating surface in the x and z dimensions, which is visually aperiodic but is actually periodic at the panel boundaries.

(12) The layers are bonded by means of an adhesive layers 8. Adhesive layers 8 may be any of a polyimide, phenolic, polyurethane, epoxy, acrylic or silicone adhesive composition. Using the above mentioned sequence of shielding materials eliminates the need for explicit electrical insulating layers, but if a different sequence is used insulating layers of polyamide film can be incorporated.

(13) The same sequence of layers can be used to form modular panels that can be used in various ways including, but not limited to bed head boards, concentric arcs, self contained free standing environments or other personal spaces.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

(14) FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of shielding panel for use in assembling a radiation, microbial, acoustic and ballistic shielded space within a building.

(15) FIG. 2 shows an idealized arrangement for the different layers of a shielding panel for use in assembling a radiation, microbial, acoustic and ballistic shielded space within a building.