Rapid Decontamination System of PPE and Medical Equipment for Reuse using Flexible Non-thermal Plasma Generator

该项目旨在开发一种使用低温等离子体对口罩/口罩进行去污以安全重复使用的方法和程序。由于口罩是保护一线医护人员免受新冠肺炎侵袭的基本个人防护装备，全球长期短缺的N95/N99口罩是对我们集体拯救生命免受冠状病毒感染能力的最紧迫威胁之一。重新使用口罩可能需要考虑作为危机能力战略，以确保持续供应，即使大多数口罩被认为是一次性使用的。此外，环保人士警告说，一次性口罩正在增加威胁海洋和海洋生物健康的过剩塑料污染。在这个项目中，我们正在通过采用最先进的等离子体技术和印刷电子设备来开发一种快速、安全的干法去污方法。拟议中的方法将利用非热等离子体的杀灭病毒能力来净化口罩，而不使用杀生化学品和任何残留的化学物质。该项目将确保口罩的安全重复使用，同时保持生物和材料评估的结构和功能的完整性。该项目的具体目标包括(1)制备和验证冠状病毒样本；(2)开发血浆净化系统；(3)量化等离子体处理前后生物样本的浓度和分布；(4)测量等离子体处理对口罩性能的影响；(5)量化病毒灭活效率；以及(6)整理和解释结果，以评估这一概念的有效性、前景和潜在的实施途径。通过开放口罩的再使用，该项目将为目前全球口罩严重短缺的个人防护用品短缺提供新的解决方案，并将塑料污染降至最低。

This project aims to develop a method and procedure for decontaminating mask/respirators using non-thermal plasma for safely reuse. As a respirator is a basic personal protective equipment (PPE) to protect frontline healthcare workers against COVID-19, the chronic, global shortage of N95/N99 masks is one of the most urgent threats to our collective ability to save lives from the coronavirus. The reuse of masks may need to be considered as a crisis capacity strategy to ensure continued availability, even though most of the masks are considered one-time use. Moreover, a single-use mask is adding to the glut of plastic pollution threatening the health of oceans and marine life, environmentalists warn.In this project, we are developing a rapid and safe dry decontamination method through adapting the state-of-art plasma technologies and printed electronics. The proposing approach will use the viricidal capability of non-thermal plasmas to decontaminate masks without using biocidal chemicals and remaining any chemical residues. The project will ensure the safe reuse of masks with maintaining structural and functional integrity with the biological and material assessments.Specific objectives of the project include (1) preparing and validating coronavirus samples; (2) developing a plasma decontamination system; (3) quantifying concentration and distribution of biological samples before and after plasma treatment; (4) measuring the effect of plasma treatment on mask performance; (5) quantifying viral inactivation efficiency; and (6) collating and interpreting results to assess the efficacy, promise, and potential implementation pathway for the concept. Through opening up re-use of masks, this project will provide a new solution for current PPE shortage for acute global mask shortage and minimise plastic pollution.