New local electrical diagnostic tool for dielectric barrier discharge (DBD).

A new diagnostic tool to study dielectric barrier discharges (DBDs) at atmospheric pressure by local electrical measurements is introduced. The square ground electrode is divided into 64 square segments (3.44 mm side length) so as to measure the discharge currents and gas voltages with spatial resolutions, which allows a 2D mapping. The electrical measurement results are validated by a comparison with short exposure time photographs taken from the top view of the discharge cell. For this purpose, we changed the local discharge behavior by varying locally the gas gap and the barrier capacitance and also by using a gas flow. Then, in both situations, the breakdown voltage depends on the position, and the discharge current and gas voltage are different as well. The measurements performed for a planar DBD in nitrogen with admixed nitrous oxide gas show that even if the discharge operates in a diffuse regime, the discharge does not behave exactly homogeneously on the whole surface area. The resulting electrical parameters allow us to refine the understanding of planar DBDs. The discharge activity changes the gas composition and thus, the level of preionization in the direction of the gas flow. This influences the local breakdown voltage and thus, the discharge morphology and local power density on the surface. The use of this new electrical diagnostic tool will allow us to refine the analysis of the spatial development of the discharge. This work gives some clues to improve the spatial resolution of this tool in the future.

High-resolution measurements of the electric field at the streamer arrival to the cathode: a unification of the streamer-initiated gas-breakdown mechanism.

A time-correlated single-photon counting technique was used to verify the formation of a cathode-directed streamer inside the narrow cathode region following the interpulse phase of regular negative corona Trichel pulses in ambient air. A purely experimental approach was used to determine the spatiotemporal development of the electric field during the Trichel pulse rise with an extremely high resolution of 10 µm and tens of picoseconds. The results confirm the positive-streamer mechanism for Trichel pulse formation and provide supportive evidence for the hypothesis that the formation of a primary cathode-directed streamer occurs always in any streamer-initiated breakdown and prebreakdown phenomena associated with cathode spot formation.

Cold plasma is well-tolerated and does not disturb skin barrier or reduce skin moisture.

BACKGROUND: Cold plasma, a new treatment principle in dermatology based on ionic discharge delivering reactive molecular species and UV-light, exhibits strong antimicrobial efficacy in vitro and in vivo. Before implementing plasma as new medical treatment tool, its safety must be proven, as well as assessing skin tolerance and patient acceptance. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We investigated the plasma effects of three different plasma sources (pulsed, non-pulsed atmospheric pressure plasma jet (APPJ) and a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD)) on the transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and skin moisture after treating the fingertips of four healthy male volunteers. RESULTS: TEWL values were reduced by pulsed APPJ and DBD by about 20% but increased after non-pulsed APPJ by 5-20%. TEWL values normalized 30 min after all forms of plasma treatment. Skin moisture was increased immediately and 30 min after treatment with pulsed APPJ but was not affected by non-pulsed APPJ and DBD. CONCLUSIONS: All plasma treatments were well-tolerated and did not damage the skin barrier nor cause skin dryness. Cold plasma fulfils basic recommendations for safe use on human skin and as future option may serve as the first physical skin antiseptic.

Striated microdischarges in an asymmetric barrier discharge in argon at atmospheric pressure.

The investigation of striated microdischarges in barrier discharges in argon at atmospheric pressure is reported. Microdischarges were investigated by means of electrical measurements correlated with intensified CCD camera imaging. The scaling law theory known from low-pressure glow discharge diagnostics was applied in order to describe and explain this phenomenon. The investigated microdischarge is characterized as a transient atmospheric-pressure glow discharge with a stratified column. It can be described by similarity parameters i/r≈0.13 A/cm, pr≈5 Torr cm, and 3<λ/r<5 with the current i, pressure p, interval of subsequent striations λ, and radius of the plasma channel r. An attempt to describe the mechanism of creation of a striated structure is given, based on an established model of the spatial electron relaxation.

Are laptop ventilation-blowers a potential source of nosocomial infections for patients?

Inadequately performed hand hygiene and non-disinfected surfaces are two reasons why the keys and mouse-buttons of laptops could be sources of microbial contamination resulting consequently in indirect transmission of potential pathogens and nosocomial infections. Until now the question has not been addressed whether the ventilation-blowers in laptops are actually responsible for the spreading of nosocomial pathogens. Therefore, an investigational experimental model was developed which was capable of differentiating between the microorganisms originating from the external surfaces of the laptop, and from those being blown out via the ventilation-blower duct. Culture samples were taken at the site of the external exhaust vent and temperature controls were collected through the use of a thermo-camera at the site of the blower exhaust vent as well as from surfaces which were directly exposed to the cooling ventilation air projected by the laptop. Control of 20 laptops yielded no evidence of microbial emission originating from the internal compartment following switching-on of the ventilation blower. Cultures obtained at the site of the blower exhaust vent also showed no evidence of nosocomial potential. High internal temperatures on the inner surfaces of the laptops (up to 73°C) as well as those documented at the site of the blower exhaust vent (up to 56°C) might be responsible for these findings.

PLASMOSE - antimicrobial effects of modular atmospheric plasma sources.

The technological potential of non-thermal plasmas for the antimicrobial treatment of heat sensitive materials is well known and has been documented in a great number of research activities, but the realisation of industrial plasma-based decontamination processes remains a great challenge. One of the reasons for this situation is the fact that an antimicrobial treatment process needs to consider all properties of the product to be treated as well as the requirements of the complete procedure, e.g. a reprocessing of a medical instrument. The aim of the BMBF-funded network project PLASMOSE is to demonstrate the applicability of plasma-based processes for the antimicrobial treatment on selected, heat sensitive products. Modular and selective plasma sources, driven at atmospheric pressure are used. This basic approach shall combine the technological advantages of atmospheric pressure plasmas (avoidance of vacuum devices and batch processing) with the flexibility and handling properties of modular devices. TWO DIFFERENT OBJECTIVES WERE SELECTED: the outer surface treatment of medical products and the treatment of hollow packaging for pharmaceutical products. The outer surface treatment of medical products, in particular catheters for intracardial electrophysiological studies, is investigated by means of RF-driven plasma jets in argon. Due to its compact design they are predestined for modularisation and can be adapted to nearly any complex 3-dimensional structure as given by the medical products. The realisation of an antimicrobial treatment process of hollow packaging for pharmaceutical products has quite different demands. Such a process is needed to be implemented in in-line filling procedures and to work without additional process gases. The idea is to use an atmospheric air, microwave-driven self propagating discharge. The plasma process is optimized for the decontamination of 200 ml bottles by field simulation studies combined with optical emissions spectroscopy and micro-biological tests.