The Sterilization Technology Research on the Non-thermal Atmospheric Plasma

Abstract

In modern medicine, with the overuse of antibiotics, bacterial resistance has increased, and the efficacy of traditional sterilization methods has gradually weakened. There - fore, new sterilization methods have attracted attention. Recently, a non-thermal atmospheric plasma has been developed, and its interaction with living objects has been studied. 1 Plasma is capable of bacterial sterilization, operates at room temperature, and is generated at one atmo- sphere of pressure. The plasma has a low temperature, and it will not cause thermal damage to normal tissue. Furthermore, plasma has a large number of charged particles and active species. These particles interact with bacteria, resulting in the death of the bacteria. Consequently, non- thermal atmospheric plasma systems are uniquely suited for medical sterilization applications, especially in the treatment of oral diseases and the sterilization and disinfection of the medical apparatuses and instruments. Non-thermal atmospheric plasma is expected to become a per- fect alternative to traditional sterilization methods.