A screen panel for a wood-chip digester, comprises a screen plate having a plurality of slots therein that are curved in the form of an arc. Each slot has a generally parallel-sided middle portion in the middle of the thickness of the screen plate, which middle portion has a width in the range of from 3 mm to 10 mm, and a portion that tapers out at an angle on each side of the middle portion, at a half-angle in the range of from 10.degree. to 20.degree., for approximately one quarter of the thickness of the plate. All of the slots have their concave sides facing in the upstream direction of chip flow in the digester.