Sterilization Mechanism by Functional Radical Transportation of BiocompatiblePlasma Flow

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The radical transportation and its sterilization mechanisms in the nonequilibrium plasma flow were studied in this research project for development of innovative plasma sterilization system to protect human environment from infection by pathogenic microorganism. The results of this research project are summarized as follows.Escherichia coli can be sterilized by a low-temperature argon plasma flow at atmospheric pressure and the inactivation of E. coli results from the destructions of the cytoplasmic membrane and the outer membrane under plasma exposure and the destruction of nucleic acids by exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the plasma source. These were clarified by analyzing the surviving cells and the potassium leakage of cytoplasmic material using ICP-MS, and by observing the morphological aspect by SEM. This result was published in the "Applied Physics Letters" and it was selected for the "Virtual Journal of Biological Physics Research". Optical analysis system for very weak emission was successfully developed, which is capable of measuring intensity of 10^<-8> of that in the discharge region. Using this system, the radical flow fields downstream the discharge region was optically investigated.An innovative catheter sterilization system using a nonequilibrium plasma flow was developed. This system is capable of sterilizing anti-UV and anti-heat bacteria within 5 minutes under the condition of low temperature less than 70 degrees Celsius. The sterilization was caused by a radical flow induced by plasma in the tube, which were clarified by analysis systems for the flow fields and radical emissions.Those results were summarized in the 5 academic papers and 7 patents which includes 1 international patent.