A surface treatment device includes a body and a plasma source disposed within the body. The plasma source includes a first inlet through the body and an ionization wave generator adjacent the first inlet to receive feedstock gas via the first inlet. The ionization wave generator includes a dielectric tube that necks down to define an elongated throat. The surface treatment device also includes a second inlet through the body and an expansion nozzle disposed within the body downstream of the second inlet. The second inlet is disposed at the elongated throat to provide further feedstock gas.

A transcutaneous connection between an exterior and an interior of a human or animal body includes a cylindrical skin penetration piece which provides a passage through the skin and has a longitudinal axis that determines the direction of passage through the skin. Wound-healing action and reliable disinfection are effected using an annular flat electrode arrangement, which has a contact surface at an angle to the longitudinal axis, can be fastened to the skin penetration piece. The electrode arrangement includes a flat electrode and a flat dielectric shielding the electrode relative to the surface of the skin, and is designed as a counter-electrode to generate a dielectric barrier plasma between the dielectric and the surface of the skin.

Disclosed herein are apparatuses and methods for generating non-thermal plasma which can form reactive oxygen species (ROS), such as those used to neutralize bacteria and other pathogens in the air and surrounding area. Also disclosed are apparatuses and methods for neutralizing bacteria and other pathogens using ROS generated through the use of non-thermal plasma. Also disclosed are apparatuses and methods for generating ROS. Also disclosed are apparatuses and methods for treating air and nearby surfaces. Also disclosed herein are apparatuses for generating non-thermal plasma, and which can monitor and analyze the operational characteristics of a plasma field generated by the aforementioned devices and/or the electrical consumption characteristics of the power supply being used to generate the plasma field, which analyzed characteristics can be used to trigger an alarm to indicate that the device is not functioning optimally or as otherwise expected.

The invention relates to an electrode arrangement for forming a dielectric barrier plasma discharge between an electrode (1) supplied with an AC high voltage by a control device (20) and a treatment surface (21) of an electrically conductive body (22), said arrangement functioning as a ground electrode, wherein a dielectric material (8) completely covets the electrode (1) up to the treatment surface (21) and forms a contact side for the surface (21). The electrode arrangement permits effective and homogeneous formation of the plasma (23), in particular for large treatment surfaces (21), because the electrode (1) consists of at least two electrode portions (2, 3) arranged next to one another at the same distance (6) from the contact side and insulated from one another by the dielectric material (8), and because adjacent electrode portions are supplied by the control device with compensating partial AC voltages which are mirror-inverted in terms of the waveform and the voltage level.

A method and apparatus for decontaminating substantially enclosed environments by using ultrasonic cavitation of a cleaning fluid to produce a low pressure, low air flow mist that can be activated by a nonthermal plasma actuator to create a cloud of activated hydroxyl species with the capacity to decontaminate articles, open surfaces or substantially enclosed spaces of pathogens, including bacteria, and other pathogenic microorganisms. An automated system and related non-transitory computer medium are also disclosed.

A fabric dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) device, a textile material comprising interconnected insulated conductive fibers can be used to generate a cold homogenous plasma by forming a discharge path from a conductive core of a first fiber, to a dielectric layer surrounding the conductive core, through an air gap towards, e.g., a second fiber or human skin. When the plasma that lights in and around the air gap comes into contact with a contaminated surface (containing, e.g., bacteria and/or viruses), it induces reactive species to form on the contaminated surface, and the reactive species are then allowed to kill the bacteria and/or viruses.

A plasma generator generates atmospheric pressure, low temperature plasma (cold plasma), and includes a first electrode; a second electrode opposing the first electrode such that a bottom surface of the first electrode faces a top surface of the second electrode, the second electrode arranged so as to define a predetermined gap between the planar bottom surface of the first electrode and the planar top surface of the second electrode; a dielectric layer that is disposed on at least a part of the bottom surface of the first electrode having a relative permittivity between 2 and 500, and a thickness of 3 mm or less; and a power supply configured to supply electrical power to the first and second electrodes at a predetermined voltage and frequency, such that, based on the predetermined gap between the first electrode and the second electrode, atmospheric pressure, low temperature plasma is generated.

A plasma device applies cold atmospheric plasma to a surface to be treated, in particular to textiles, leather and/or plastic fibers. An actuator activates a plasma source, provided that a distance between the plasma source and the surface to be treated is less than a predetermined distance. The actuator has an adjustable and pre-loaded actuator element with at least one activation element and has a recording apparatus that records the position of the actuator element at least when the distance between the plasma source and the surface to be treated is less than the predetermined distance. The plasma device makes it possible to avoid risks owing to incorrect operation by the client and to avoid emissions, since the plasma source is activated only when the distance from the item to be treated (e.g., clothing to be cleaned) is less than the predetermined threshold distance.

A plasma treatment device includes dielectric plates arranged in parallel, sets of active electrodes disposed on outwardly facing sides of the dielectric plates, respectively, and ground electrodes interposed between inwardly facing sides of the dielectric plates. The sets of active electrodes and the ground electrodes are arranged to define a plasma treatment zone, which exhibits multi-axis symmetry and which is receptive of particles, and are operable to generate plasma for plasma treating the particles therein.

Various embodiments provide a sterilisation apparatus for sterilising a channel of a surgical scoping device. The apparatus includes: a gas supply having a conduit to deliver an ionisable gas to the channel of the surgical scoping device; and, a sterilisation instrument, separate from the gas supply and the conduit, configured to be inserted through the channel of a surgical scoping device. The sterilisation instrument includes an elongate probe. The elongate probe includes: a transmission line for conveying radiofrequency (RF) electromagnetic (EM) energy and/or microwave EM energy; and, a probe tip connected at the distal end of the transmission line for receiving the RF and/or microwave EM energy, the probe tip comprising an electrode assembly configured to produce an electric field from the received RF and/or microwave frequency EM energy to generate a plasma of the ionisable gas delivered to the channel from the gas supply.