The invention relates to an electrode array for a dielectrically impeded plasma treatment of a surface of a body, comprising at least one flexible flat electrode (1) and one dielectric (2) consisting of a flat flexible first material which protects the electrode (1) from the surface to be treated, with a layer (3) impeding a direct current flow. The dielectric (2) can lie on the surface to be treated, above a structure (4) with projections (7), air spaces (5) being formed between the projections (7) for the creation of the plasma, which have a side open towards the surface to be treated, and a bottom-side closure as a result of the layer (3) impeding the direct current flow. The structure (4) comprises a plurality of spacer elements (6) consisting of a second material that has less flexibility than the first material, and the projections (7) of the structure (4) are partially or completely formed by the spacer elements (6).

A speculum body is configured to attach to the otoscope. An array of radially situated microchannels is within the speculum body and extends to apertures in a distal end of the speculum body. A power electrode array is within the speculum body positioned with respect to the microchannels to excite plasma generation within the microchannels. An optically transparent central portion is in the body to permit viewing of an eardrum by a practitioner. A method of treatment of the middle ear and/or middle ear cavity incudes actuating plasma jets to extend into the ear canal from a speculum attached to the otoscope and continuing the plasma jet treatment for a period of time sufficient to inactivate or kill a bacterial biofilm in the middle ear and/or the middle ear cavity.

A plasma source (100), comprises an outer face (10) with an aperture (14) for delivering a plasma from the aperture. A transport mechanism is configured to transport a substrate (11) and the plasma source relative to each other parallel to the outer face, with a substrate surface to be processed in parallel with at least a part of the outer face that contains the aperture. First (4-1) and second tile (4-2) are arranged within a first plane of a working electrode (22) with neighbouring edges (12) bordering a first plasma collection space (6-1) and a third tile (4-3) is arranged in a second plane of the working electrode parallel to the first plane such that the third tile overlaps neighbouring edges in the first plane. At least one of the working and counter electrodes comprises a local modification (13,15) near said neighbouring edges to increase a plasma delivery to the aperture compensating for loss of plasma collection due to the neighbouring edges.

Catalytic CO.sub.2 hydrogenation to ethanol utilizing radio frequency is very attractive due to higher selectivity (˜99%) to ethanol and yield of 0.000718 g/h or higher. A dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma reactor packed with a catalyst comprising of Cu/Zn/Al.sub.2O.sub.3 can be used for this purpose, which can be operated at approximately 100-200° C., 1-20 atm pressure and gas flow rates above 20 mL/min. The reactor can be made of a simple inert tube. The process is very attractive for a feasible industrial application. To scale up the process to industrial relevance, a multi-tubular reactor configuration is proposed.

A planar flexible electrode arrangement for a dielectric barrier plasma discharge has a central region (107) and an edge region (108) and at least one planar electrode (102) to which a high-voltage potential can be applied and which is embedded in a planar dielectric (101) that forms an upper face (103) and a contact face (104), wherein the planar dielectric (101), at least in the edge region (108), has the shape of a spiral-shaped wound-up strip (109) and the at least one electrode (102) is formed by at least one electrical conductor (114) that extends in the longitudinal direction of the wound-up strip (109) and that opens into an end face of the strip (109), which conductor (114) is surrounded, with the sole exception of the end face of the strip (109), by the dielectric of the strip (109) and, in the region of the end face of the strip (109), is electrically insulated from the surroundings by a cover element (116). The electrode arrangement can be adapted easily, and without tools, in its bearing surface to the size of the area of a surface that is to be treated, by virtue of the fact that material recesses (111) are present across the width of the strip (109), and that the material of the dielectric (101) and of the at least one conductor (114) is chosen such that the strip (109), together with the at least one conductor (114), can be torn off across its width along the material recesses (111).

A floating type plasma electrode pad includes the plasma electrode made of a conductive metal thin film, a flexible dielectric thin film layered on the plasma electrode, and made of a polymer material, the dielectric thin film being spaced apart from the skin by a predetermined distance such that microdischarge is generated in a space defined between the dielectric thin film and the skin, and a spacer layered on the dielectric thin film, to space the dielectric film from the skin by the predetermined distance.

Provided are a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma reactor including dielectric particles in a packed-bed in a discharge zone, e.g., a DBD plasma reactor for non-oxidative coupling of methane in which an average gap distance between dielectric particles in the packed-bed is adjusted to improve methane conversion and/or product selectivity; a method of regenerating dielectric particles including removing coke, which sis produced by side reactions, from the dielectric particles deactivated by the coke by using a low temperature plasma in an oxidizing atmosphere in the reactor; a method of manufacturing C.sub.2+ hydrocarbons, the method including converting methane into C.sub.2+ hydrocarbons including ethylene and/or ethane by non-oxidative coupling of methane in the reactor; and a method of manufacturing hydrogen, the method including generating hydrogen from methane by non-oxidative coupling of methane in the reactor.

There is provided a compound electrode assembly for generating a plasma in a plasma chamber of a plasma discharge device. The compound electrode assembly includes a casing, a discharge electrode and a sealing compound. The casing is made of a dielectric material and includes at least one side wall and an end wall defining a closed end. The discharge electrode is mounted in the casing and is bonded to the end wall. The sealing compound surrounds the discharge electrode and extends within the casing.

In a treatment arrangement for treating a surface, with a planar electrode array (2,2′), to which an electrical voltage can be fed, and with a planar shielding layer (1) which is made of an insulating plastic and which ate least partially surrounds the electrode array (2,2′), a reliable and fixed connection between the electrode array (2,2′) and shielding layer (1) is achieved by the fact that electrode array (2,2′) is made of a pourable plastic provided with plastic additives and that, in the region of a boundary layer (22) between electrode array (2,2′) and shielding layer (1), the plastics of the electrode array (2,2′) and of the shielding layer (1) are connected to each other by material bonding.

A liquid treatment device includes an electron emitting element, a first power supply, and a second power supply. The electron emitting element including a first electrode which is disposed facing water. The first power supply discharges electrons from the first electrode by applying a drive voltage to the electron emitting element. The second power supply applies a collection voltage between the first electrode and the water. The liquid treatment device preferably controls a substance added to the water by controlling the drive voltage.