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9
PLASMA STERILIZATION IN LOW-PRESSURE RF DISCHARGE
V.A. Lisovskiy, S.D. Yakovin, V.D. Yegorenkov, A.G. Terent’eva
Kharkov National University, Kharkov,Ukraine
lisovskiy@ftf.univer.kipt.kharkov.ua
The present paper clarifies the conditions under which the process of plasma sterilization of medical tools may be
efficiently performed in the RF capacitive gas discharge of low pressure in air. Experiments were performed with a
number of gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria as well as with fungi. The process of sterilization in the RF dis-
charge is shown to possess a threshold pattern. Probably the bombardment of bacteria with positive ions and hot
molecules of the neutral gas is the main sterilizing factor in the low pressure RF discharge, and the UV radiation of
plasma plays the auxiliary role.
78
ture grows and approaches the values T ≈ 100÷150 оC.
Increasing the pressure (up to 0.6-0.7 Тоrr) leads to
the monotonous growth of the gas temperature, but at
higher pressure values and small RF voltages the gas
temperature decreases. The increase of the RF voltage
at all pressure values was accompanied by the increase
of the gas temperature. Within the pressure range up to
0.4 Тоrr and with RF voltages up to 450 V the plasma
density did not actually depend on air pressure, by the
subsequent increase of pressure led to the decrease in
plasma density. In Fig. 6 the first three curves
(Urf = 210-450 V) relate to the weak-current mode of
the RF discharge burning. At Urf = 600 V and p > 0.7
Torr the RF discharge assumes the strong-current
mode accompanied by a sharp increase of the gas tem-
perature as well as of the plasma density near the
gauze surface.
79
near the gauze surface shown in Fig. 7 have been deter- • flows of charged particles (electrons, ions);
mined from the current-voltage characteristics of the
cylindrical probe (5 mm in length and 0.18 mm in di-
ameter). One sees from this figure that the plasma den-
sity near the gauze surface is approximately proportional
to the RF voltage applied in the weak-current regime.
After the transition of the RF discharge to the strong-
current regime the growth rate of the plasma density
increases abruptly. The electron temperature near the
gauze surface is practically constant in the weak-current
regime (Te = 3.6 eV). On increasing the RF voltage the
electron temperature incrases up to 5 eV before the
quenching of the discharge. The transition of the RF
discharge to the strong-current regime of burning leads
to the decrease of the electron temperature [12-14].
80
Consequently, the contribution of the electron flow to References
the sterilization process could not be substantial.
A flow of positive ions was also incident on the 1. V.I. Vashkov Sredstva i metody sterilizatsii, prime-
samples. For the ions this voltage drop 10-15 V was nyaemye v meditsine. M.: "Meditsina", 1973 (In Rus-
accelerating. The accelerated ions bombarded the sur- sian).
face of bacteria demolishing their protective outer 2. The Future of Low-Temperature Sterilization Tech-
shells. If one measures the flux of positive ions on the nology. // Advanced Sterilization Products, 1996.
probe at the RF voltage values given in Figs 2-5 and 3. P.T. Jacobs // J. Healthcare Materiel Management,
multiplies the threshold time ts, at which one observes 1989, vol. 7, p. 49.
the step-like decrease of the number of bacteria on the 4. K.B. Frey // Surgical Technology, 1994, p. 8 .
sample by the ion current value Ii, then the product 5. P.T. Jacobs STERRAD Sterilization System: A
D = ts Ii remains approximately constant. For example, new technology for instrument sterilization. // Ad-
for the cylindrical probe applied (0.18 mm in diameter, vanced Sterilization Products, 1994.
5 mm in length) we have obtained the value D = 770- 6. Y. Ku, C. Brickman, K. Wintenberg, T.C. Montie,
800 µА⋅s. The quantity D is the dose of ion irradiation. P. Tsai, L. Wadsworth, J.R. Roth // Record-Abstracts
Probably for a bacterium to be killed it should obtain a of IEEE Intern. Conf. On Plasma Sci., 1996, Boston,
certain dose of ion irradiation, i.e., its shell should expe- USA, p. 2IP15.
rience a certain amount of collisions with accelerated 7. M. Laroussi // IEEE Trans. Plasma Science, 1996,
ions. vol. 23, p. 1188.
Hot gas molecules may cause heat damage to the 8. A.K. Carr, J.R. Roth, C. Brickman, K. Kelly-
outer shells of bacteria involving their death. At the air Wintenberg, T.C. Montie, P. Tsai, L. Wadsworth //
pressure p = 0.6 Torr even at the lowest RF voltage of Record-Abstracts of IEEE Intern. Conf. On Plasma
RF discharge burning Urf = 210 V the neutral gas tem- Sci., 1997, San Diego, USA, p. 4Q21.
perature is approximately 100 оС (Fig.6), and at 9. D.M. Sherman, R.B. Gadri, F. Karakaya, Z.Che,
Urf = 600 V the gas temperature is already 200 оС. For T.C. Montie, K. Kelly-Wintenberg, P.P.Y. Tsai, J.R.
the instantaneous death of S. aureus bacteria one should Roth // Record-Abstracts of IEEE Intern. Conf. On
heat them to the temperature of 100 оС. The processing Plasma Sci., 1999, Monterey, USA, p. 2B08.
occurs at the lowered gas pressure, then for heating 10. K. Kelly-Wintenberg, T.C. Montie, J.R. Roth, Z.
bacteria one requires more time than in air at atmos- Chen // Record-Abstracts of IEEE Intern. Conf. On
pheric pressure. The more is the temperature of the neu- Plasma Sci., 1999, Monterey, USA, p. 4P09.
tral gas, the less time is required for heating bacteria to 11. E. Garate, O. Gornostaeva, I. Alexeff // Record-
death temperatures. Abstracts of IEEE Intern. Conf. On Plasma Sci., 1999,
Consequently, bombardment of bacteria with the Monterey, USA, p. 4P10.
flows of positive ions and hot molecules of the neutral 12. V.A. Khomich, I.L. Mikhno, I.A. Soloshenko,
gas is the main sterilizing factor in the low-pressure RF V.V. Tsiolko // Abstracts of 25th EPS Conf. on Con-
discharge. Probably the UV radiation of plasma plays trolled Fusion and Plasma Physics, Praha, 1998,
the auxiliary role. p. 209.
12. Yu.P. Raizer Gas Discharge Physics. Berlin:
4. Conclusions Springer, 1991.
13. Yu.P. Raizer, M.N. Shneider and N.A. Yatsenko
Thus the present paper clarifies the conditions under Radio-Frequency Capacitive Discharges New York:
which the process of plasma sterilization of medical CRC Press, 1995.
tools may be efficiently performed in the RF capacitive 14. V.A. Lisovskiy // Technical Physics, 1998, vol. 43,
gas discharge of low pressure in air. Experiments were p. 526.
performed with a number of gram-positive and gram-
negative bacteria as well as with fungi. The process of
sterilization in the RF discharge is shown to possess a
threshold pattern. Probably the bombardment of bacteria
with positive ions and hot molecules of the neutral gas is
the main sterilizing factor in the low pressure RF dis-
charge, and the UV radiation of plasma plays the auxil-
iary role.
81