Session 7P - Plasma Applications and Plasma Technology.
POSTER session, Thursday morning, November 14
Exhibit Hall - Concourse Level, Adam's Mark
The relatively recent development of the One Atmosphere Uniform Glow Discharge Plasma sterilization technique at the UTK Plasma Science Laboratory has produced initial results which indicate that the technique may have commercial potential. We have shown that active species in a OAUGDP can be applied to the sterilization of fabrics, films, solid materials, and microbiological culture media. With a OAUGDP, we can eliminate the vacuum system which enforces batch processing and requires a continuous input of electrical power. With a OAUGDP, the exposure time is as little as 15 seconds. Sterilization of microorganisms with a kill ratio of 10E6 or higher, can be achieved with minimal unwanted byproducts and at less expense, compared to such conventional sterilization methods as autoclaving, ethylene oxide, or low pressure plasma treatment. This paper discusses the sterilization mechanisms of this new technique, and compares its advantages and disadvantages with other widely used techniques.
^1 Department of Microbiology, UTK ^2 UTK Textiles and Nonwovens Development Center (TANDEC) Research supported in part by the UTK Textiles and Nonwovens Development Center and UTK Center for Materials Processing.