Cooled pulsed light treatment device

A device for the high-speed decontamination of solid objects to be decontaminated by means of pulsed light, the device being designed for decontaminating objects including bottle caps, bottle preforms, lids, pots or films, the device comprising:

• an illuminating means including an optical cavity for illuminating a decontamination area in which the objects are arranged, wherein said illuminating means is configured to produce streams of light pulses having wavelengths of 200 nm to 300 nm according to an adjustable pulse rate;
• a positioning means suitable for positioning the objects in the decontamination area according to a predetermined arrangement, said positioning means comprising motionless guides facing said optical cavity, said guides forming at least part of a throat-shaped space in said decontamination area that conforms to a shape of the objects to be decontaminated including bottle caps, bottle performs, lids, pots or films, said guides directly contacting at least two sides of each of the objects to independently and sequentially guide each of the objects through said throat-shaped space and in front of the illuminating means such that no object to be decontaminated is obstructed by another object to be decontaminated;
• and
• a transfer means suitable for scrolling the objects in the decontamination area according to an adjustable scrolling rate, the pulse rate being adjusted such that each solid object receives a predetermined number of light pulses in said decontamination area;
• said guides each including a cooling fluid and forming cooling tubes, said cooling tubes configured to directly cool said at least two sides of each of the objects in said decontamination area and maintain a temperature of said decontamination area below a predetermined temperature when said decontamination area is illuminated.