Experimental Investigation of Low-Pressure Microwave Plasma with Oxygen and Argon for Internal Sterilization of Medical Devices with Slender Catheters

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This study explores the application of microwave plasma sterilization methods to prevent surgical site infections, specifically targeting the challenge of sterilizing slender catheters used in medical devices. An experimental setup was designed to verify the sterilization effectiveness by varying input power levels, treatment times, and the ratio of injected gases. The temperature inside the sterilization setup was closely monitored to ensure that the death of bacterial spores was not caused by thermal effects. The results demonstrate that microwave plasma has a robust sterilization effect when the microwave power is 200 W, the treatment time is 10 minutes, and the ratio of oxygen to argon is higher than 14.45%. The study highlights that the sterilization effect of plasma significantly depends on the composition of the discharge gas. The experimental setup is capable of simulating sterilization inside slender catheters, indicating the potential of microwave plasma sterilization for such medical devices.