Plasma

Sterilization
Applications of plasmas for
sterilization in medical, food
processing, ventilating, and
air conditioning industries

Outline
What is sterilization?
Current sterilization means
Solution: Plasma Sterilization
How it works
Disadvantages
Methods of Plasma Sterilization

What is Sterilization?

Sterilization is any process or

procedure designed to entirely
eliminate microorganisms from a
material or medium

Current Sterilization
Means: Heat

Types: dry and moist heat

Medium is exposed to moist heat (steam) generated
by an autoclave, or dry heat in a heater
Pressures: 103 kPa
Temperatures: 120-140 oC
Steam transfers sufficient heat to
microorganisms to inflict demise
Exposure time ~ 30 minutes
Can cause permanent damage,
and alter material properties
significantly

Current Sterilization Means:

Chemical

EtO, H2O2, O3, bleach most

commonly used
Applications when heat is
damaging to the medium
Damages fiber optics,
electronics, some plastics
Introduces toxicity

Current Sterilization Means:

Irradiation

Types: Gamma radiation, Bremsstrahlung, X Rays

Medium is subjected to radiation radiochemical
and radionucleic reactions cellular death
Disadvantages:
Embrittlement
Chain Scission
Cross Linking
Costly

Current Sterilization Means:

Plasmas?
Yes.
Plasmas are currently employed in many
industries to accomplish both highly
effective, and delicate sterilization.
Not future technology! Plasmas are
used today!
But, how do they work?

Plasma Sterilization in Summary

A plasma is a quasi-neutral collection of

electrons, positive ions, and neutrals
capable of collective behavior
Positive ions = free radicals
Plasma sterilization operates
synergistically via three mechanisms:
Free

radicals interactions
UV/VUV radiative effects
Volatilization

Dead microorganisms = sterilization

Plasma Sterilization Mechanics: IR

Volatilization

IR is able to vaporize microbiological

matter, causing physical destruction of
spores.
Charged particles react with cellular
chemical bonds of microbiological layer to
form gaseous compounds volatile
compounds.

Plasma Sterilization Mechanics: Ionizing

Radiation (IR)

IR (UV/VUV radiation) can damage DNA/RNA,

chemical cellular bonds, and induces free radicals to
perpetuate the process
Damaged DNA/RNA microbial death by 4
mechanisms:

Apoptosis nucleases become hardwired to shrink and

cause cell to commit suicide. Caused by DNA/RNA damage
Autophagy Formation of double membrane vacuoles in
cytoplasm separation of mitochondria and ribosomes
protein production stopped cell death
Necrosis Murder by cell swelling
Mitotic Catastrophe radiation causes mis-segregation of
chromosomes, leading to Apoptosis.

Plasma Sterilization Mechanics: IR (Cellular

View)

IR impacts the cell, three outcomes can

result.

Plasma Sterilization Mechanics: IR

(Chemical View)

Free radicals O* and OH* play

crucial role in microorganism
destruction by way of chemical
reactions
O*, OH* highly reactive ~ 10-9 s

Hydrogen Abstraction & Double Bond

Cleavage

Plasma Sterilization Mechanics: IR (Nucleic Acid View), UV

Radiation

UV/VUV radiation causes

formation of thymine dimers in DNA,
inhibiting bacterial replication.
Base damage
Strand breaks

Plasma Sterilization Mechanics: IR (Nucleic Acid View),

Charged Particles

Charged species in the plasma can damage DNA

if formed in the vicinity of chromatin.
RSH act as radical scavengers

Quantifying Sterilization Efficacy

i.e. Time required for the microbial population to be

reduced to one decimal

Disadvantages of Plasma Sterilization

Weak penetrating power of the plasma

species. Complications arise in:
Presence

of organic residue
Packaging material
Complex geometries
Bulk sterilization of many devices

Solutions: Introduce preferentially

targetting UV/VUV radiation of proper
wavelength

Methods of Plasma Sterilization

Dielectric Discharge Barrier (DBD)
Inductively Coupled Plasmas (ICP)
Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Jet
(AAPJ)
Microwave (MW) Plasmas

Dielectric Discharge Barrier (DBD)

High AC voltage (1.2 kV), atmospheric pressure, 200-300

W
Dielectric layers allow for plasma discharge to reach
material surface

Inductively Coupled Plasmas (ICP)

Plasma generated via coils oppositely faced, 13.56 MHz RF

source
Magnetic flux perpendicular to substrate E field
envelopes volume of chamber
Roughing pump needed

Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Jet

(AAPJ)

RF coupled capacitive discharge neutral, cold

effluent with high concentrations of reactive
species and UV/VUV radiation.
Atmospheric pressure
Oxygen formed by interactions at the exit

Microwave (MW) Plasmas

Gas enters through an inlet

Interacts with incoming microwaves from a
waveguide
kW magnetron power supply

Sterilization Efficacy

Sterilization Efficacy
MW plasma most effective ( ~ s)
All methods < 10 min treatment
time (much less than conventional
methods!)

Parameters effecting Sterilization and

Plasmas

Parameters contd

Pressure: volatilization rate, EEDF, residence time of

active species
Power: increased power increased electron density.
Thermolabile concerns.
Frequency: determines EEDF
Quantity: loading effect
Microbiological layer: inhibits free radical reaction,
requires volatilization
Geometry: complex geometries impede reaction rates
Packaging: plasmas have low penetrability efficacy low

Conclusions
Plasmas accomplish sterilization on
order of minutes, or even seconds
Medium preservation
No toxicity introduced
Economical

Questions?