Various microplasma jets and their sterilization of microbes

Abstract Various microplasma jets including coplanar-electrodes device, hollow-electrode device, twin injection-needle device, jet from a flexible tube, and pencil-type electrode will be discussed. Argon plasma jets penetrate deep into ambient air and create a path for oxygen radicals to sterilize microbes including spores. A sterilization experiment with bacterial endospores indicates that an argon–oxygen plasma jet very effectively kills endospores of Bacillus atrophaeus (ATCC 9372), thereby demonstrating its capability to clean surfaces and its usefulness for reinstating contaminated equipment as free from toxic biological agents. The key element of the sterilization is the oxygen radicals. The pencil-type configuration produces a long cold plasma jet capable of reaching 3.5 cm and having various excited plasma species shown through optical emission spectrum. By introducing an appropriate gas flow rate, striated discharge patterns in the plasma jet from the pencil-type configuration are produced through ionization wave propagation. 2 W operation of an air plasma jet in pencil-type electrode provides an excellent opportunity for sterilization of microbes. Finally, the twin plasma columns in the twin injection-needle device will be introduced.