Abstract
Plasma parameters of radiofrequency discharge generated at low pressures in an argon-oxygen mixture addressed for biomedical surface sterilization have been optimized. Numerical results illustrate the density distributions of different species and electron temperatures during the electrical discharge process. The current discharge acting in the abnormal range decreases at higher oxygen gas flow rates. The temperature of electrons drops with pressure while it rises by adding oxygen. Nevertheless, electron density displays an adverse trend, exhibited by the electron’s temperature. The average particle density of the reactive species is enhanced in Ar/O2 compared to He/O2, which ensures a better efficiency of Ar/O2 in sterilizing bacteria than He/O2. The impact of oxygen addition on the discharge mixture reveals raised oxygen atom density and a reduction in metastable oxygen atoms. A pronounced production of oxygen atoms is achieved at higher frequency domains. This makes our findings promising for biomedical surface sterilization and leads to optimal parameter discharges used for sterilization being at 30% of oxygen gas ratio and 0.3 Torr pressure.
Highlights
Academic Editor: BaishakhiSterilization of medical supplies and equipment has always been a critical issue in the healthcare field with respect to attaining mandatory safety, effectiveness, and efficiency.many current sterilization methods are unable to ensure effective sterilization or even decontaminate medical devices
The mechanisms of spore etching and erosion of electrodes are regulated by radicals and active species generated by plasma discharges
A detailed comparison of He/O2 and Ar/O2 mixtures is provided, as well as their role in sterilizing microorganisms and influence on the material’s surface. This determines the optimum conditions of antimicrobial effects of low capacitively coupled radiofrequency discharge at low pressure via Ar/O2 mixtures in biomedical surface sterilization
Summary
Sterilization of medical supplies and equipment has always been a critical issue in the healthcare field with respect to attaining mandatory safety, effectiveness, and efficiency. Low-pressure oxygen plasmas provide a complex combination of reactive species bombarding the surface of the target, including excited and reactive oxygen species (ROS), ions, and energetic radiations [16,17] This effect initiates a quick erosion of biological material and has a major role in microbial deactivation, while remaining relatively harmless to the fundamental substrate [18,19]. The mechanisms of spore etching and erosion of electrodes are regulated by radicals and active species generated by plasma discharges These processes destroy the spore’s membrane and removes the material that shields them from exposure to UV radiation. The influences of discharge parameters (gas pressure, RF power, and gas composition) on electrons, ions and radical species density, and electron temperature were investigated These showed high dependency relative to microbial inactivation rates that estimate sterilization efficiency. This determines the optimum conditions of antimicrobial effects of low capacitively coupled radiofrequency discharge at low pressure via Ar/O2 mixtures in biomedical surface sterilization
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