PLANAR FLEXIBLE ELECTRODE ARRANGEMENT FOR A DIELECTRIC BARRIER PLASMA DISCHARGE

Abstract

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).

Claims

1. A planar flexible electrode arrangement for a dielectric barrier plasma discharge, comprising: a central region; an edge region; at least one planar electrode for receiving an applied high voltage potential, wherein said at least one planar electrode is embedded in a planar dielectric material forming a top side and a bearing side, wherein the planar dielectric material has a shape of a strip wound in a spiral at least in the edge region forming a wound strip, and wherein and the at least one planar electrode is formed by at least one electrical conductor which extends in a longitudinal direction of the wound strip, wherein the at least one electrical conductor discharges into an end surface of the strip and with the exception of solely the end surface of the strip is enclosed by the planar dielectric material of the strip; a cover element which electrically insulates the end surface of the wound strip, wherein a width of the strip has material recesses, and wherein the dielectric material and of the at least one conductor are both tearable together along the material recesses over the width of the strip.

2. The electrode arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one conductor consists of a plastic provided with conductive additives.

3. The electrode arrangement as claimed in claim 2, wherein the plastic of the conductor corresponds to the dielectric material of the at least one planar electrode.

4. The electrode arrangement as claimed in claim 3, wherein both the dielectric material and the at least one conductor are formed from a silicone.

5. The electrode arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one conductor extends in portions of the width of the strip which are not interrupted by the material recesses.

6. The electrode arrangement as claimed in claim 1, further comprising additional material recesses located along lateral edges of the strip, wherein connecting portions exist between adjacent strip portions.

7. The electrode arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one conductor is formed in the strip and has a width which is reduced in a region of the material recesses.

8. The electrode arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one conductor has perforation passages aligned with the material recesses of the strip in the direction of the width of the strip which facilitate tearing off of the at least one conductor along the material of the strip.

9. The electrode arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein the electrode arrangement has a rectangular footprint, and wherein the strip is formed in one piece from angled linear strip portions.

10. The electrode arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cover element is a contact element for supplying at least one voltage to the at least one conductor.

11. The electrode arrangement as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a separate high-voltage step which is connected to a battery arrangement installed in the electrode arrangement, and wherein the cover element connects at least two conductors; and a sensor which detects connection of the at least two conductors to switch on the high-voltage step.

Description

[0021] The invention will be explained in greater detail hereafter on the basis of exemplary embodiments illustrated in the drawings. In the figures:

[0022] FIG. 1 shows a view of the bearing side of an electrode arrangement according to a first exemplary embodiment;

[0023] FIG. 2 shows a section through the electrode arrangement according to FIG. 1 along line A-A from FIG. 3;

[0024] FIG. 3 shows a sectional illustration of the electrode arrangement according to FIG. 1 along line B-B in FIG. 2;

[0025] FIG. 4 shows a schematic illustration of the detaching of a strip portion to reduce the size of the contact surface of the electrode arrangement according to FIG. 1;

[0026] FIG. 5 shows a view from below of an electrode arrangement according to a second embodiment;

[0027] FIG. 6 shows a section through the electrode arrangement according to FIG. 5 along line A-A in FIG. 7;

[0028] FIG. 7 shows a sectional illustration of the electrode arrangement according to FIG. 5 along line B-B in FIG. 6;

[0029] FIG. 8 shows a schematic illustration of the removal of a strip portion to reduce the size of the contact surface of the electrode arrangement according to FIG. 5;

[0030] FIG. 9 shows a view from below of an electrode arrangement according to a third embodiment;

[0031] FIG. 10 shows a section through the electrode arrangement according to FIG. 9 along line A-A in FIG. 11;

[0032] FIG. 11 shows a sectional illustration of the electrode arrangement according to FIG. 9 along line B-B in FIG. 10;

[0033] FIG. 12 shows a schematic illustration of the removal of a strip portion to reduce the size of the contact surface of the electrode arrangement according to FIG. 9;

[0034] FIG. 13 shows a view from below of an electrode arrangement according to a fourth embodiment;

[0035] FIG. 14 shows a section through the electrode arrangement according to FIG. 13 along line A-A in FIG. 15;

[0036] FIG. 15 shows a sectional illustration of the electrode arrangement according to FIG. 13 along line B-B in FIG. 14;

[0037] FIG. 16 shows a schematic illustration of the detaching of a strip portion to reduce the size of the contact surface of the electrode arrangement according to FIG. 13;

[0038] FIG. 17 shows a view from below of an electrode arrangement according to a fifth embodiment;

[0039] FIG. 18 shows a section through the electrode arrangement according to FIG. 17 along line A-A in FIG. 19;

[0040] FIG. 19 shows a sectional illustration of the electrode arrangement according to FIG. 17 along line B-B in FIG. 18;

[0041] FIG. 20 shows a section through the electrode arrangement according to FIG. 17 along line C-C in FIG. 18.

[0042] According to the first embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4, an electrode arrangement has a planar, flexible dielectric material 101, which encloses a planar electrode 102 on all sides in an insulating manner. The dielectric material 101 forms a planar top side 103 and a planar bearing side 104, which is intended for bearing on a surface to be treated, in particular a skin surface of a human or animal. FIG. 1 shows a view of the bearing side 104. On the bearing side 104, the dielectric material is formed having a grid-like surface, on which webs 105 perpendicular to one another delimit chambers 106, in which a plasma can form by the ionization of air when the electrode arrangement rests with the bearing side 104 on a surface to be treated and the electrode 102 is supplied with a high voltage, by which the air between the dielectric material 101 and the surface to be treated is ionized, although a current flow through the dielectric material 101 is obstructed. In the first embodiment of the electrode arrangement, a high-voltage potential is supplied to the electrode 102, wherein the surface to be treated of a body acts as a counter electrode (floating ground potential).

[0043] The webs 105 are used as spacers to form an air space required for the formation of the plasma, in the form of the chambers 106 here, between the surface to be treated and the dielectric material 101 having its embedded electrode 102. Of course, the air space can also be ensured in another form, for example, by nubs or the like as spacers, wherein the air space formed in this case does not have to be laterally terminated.

[0044] The dielectric material 101 has a central region 107, in which the dielectric material is formed in one piece. An edge region 108 adjoins the central region 107 radially to the outside, in which the dielectric material is formed as a strip 109 having strip portions 110a, 110b, 110c, 110d, 110e, 110f. The strip portions are each of equal width and jointly form a strip 109 in the edge region 108, which extends in a spiral from the outer edge of the electrode arrangement to the central region 107 of the dielectric material 101. In the illustrated embodiment, the strip 109 extending in a spiral has a polygonal formation, in which the turns of the spiral strip 109 are composed of linear portions, which adjoin one another at right angles. These portions can, but do not have to, correspond to the strip portions 110a to 110f. The strip portions 110a to 110f abut one another and each have material recesses 111 extending over the strip width at the joints thereof. The material recesses 111 thus extend perpendicularly in relation to the width of the strip portions 110a to 110f and form a tear line, at which, for example, the outer strip portion 110a can be detached from the strip portion 110b by tearing off. In the same manner, it is possible to detach the strip portion 110b from the strip portion 110c, the strip portion 110c from the strip portion 110d, etc., and the radial innermost strip portion 110f from the central region 107 by tearing off.

[0045] To enhance the stability, the strip portions 110a to 110f are connected in the illustrated embodiment to the strip portions adjacent radially inward or to the central region 107, respectively, via material recesses 112 extending in the longitudinal direction of the strip portions 110a to 110f. As FIG. 4 shows, the radial outer strip portion 110a can thus, for example, be detached along the material recesses 112 over its length from the remainder of the dielectric material 101 and can then be torn off along the material recesses 11 extending over the width of the strip 109, whereby the contact surface of the dielectric material may be reduced in size. For a further reduction in size, furthermore the strip portion 110b could be detached in a corresponding manner from the remainder of the dielectric material along the material recesses 112 and possibly torn off at the material recesses 111. In this manner, a step-by-step reduction of the contact surface of the dielectric material 101 down to at minimum the area of the central region 107 is possible. If such a strong reduction in size of the contact surface is to be performed, of course, it is not necessary to detach each of the strip portions 110a to 110e along the material recesses 111, because then detaching the last strip portion 110f from the central region 107 of the dielectric material is sufficient.

[0046] FIG. 2 illustrates that the material recesses 112 only effectuate material weakenings and do not form continuous openings. The material recesses 111 are preferably formed in the same manner.

[0047] The course of the electrode 102 may be seen from FIG. 3, because the electrode is shown in a top view of the top side 103. The electrode 102 forms a corresponding central region 113, from which it extends as strip-shaped conductor 114 in spiral portions corresponding to the strip portions 110a to 110f of the dielectric material 101. In the region of the material recesses 111, i.e., in the region of the possible detachment points of the strip portions 110a to 110f, the strip-shaped conductor 114 forms narrow connecting webs 115, which also facilitate detaching the electrode 102 over the width of the strip-shaped conductor 114 and in addition ensure that material of the electrode 102 does not extend below the material recesses 111, which would only still be covered by a small dielectric material layer in the region of the material recess 111.

[0048] The material recesses 112 formed on the longitudinal edges of the strip portions 110a to 110f are recognizably located in a region in which the strip-shaped conductor 114 does not extend, so that the material regions having the material recesses 112 form intermediate spaces between the turns of the strip-shaped conductor 114.

[0049] In the illustrated embodiment, the strip portions 110a to 110f of the dielectric material 101 and the strip-shaped conductor 114 of the electrode 102 form approximately 1½ turns around the central region 107 of the dielectric material. In this manner, a substantial variation of the size of the contact surface of the electrode arrangement may be implemented. Of course, more or fewer turns may be implemented as needed, which are detachable via the material recesses 111 and possibly 112.

[0050] In particular after at least one strip portion 110a to 110f is torn off, the strip-shaped conductor 114 discharges into an end edge of the remaining strip portion 110b to 110f resulting due to the tearing off. A cover element 116 is then applied to the end of the outermost strip portion 110b to 110f or of the central region 107, respectively, remaining after the detaching, which covers the end surface having the discharging strip-shaped conductor 114 in an electrically insulating manner. In the illustrated embodiment, the cover element 116 is provided with cutting contacts 117, which are located on an actuating rocker 118 of the cover element 116 and can be pressed through the dielectric material onto the strip-shaped conductor 114 of the electrode 102, in order, for example, to transmit an externally generated high voltage to the electrode 102 by means of a cable (not shown) connected to the cover element 116. This contacting technology is known in EP 2 723 447 B1, with the result that a detailed explanation can be omitted here.

[0051] In the illustrated embodiment, the cover element 116 is to be applied in extension of the longitudinal direction of the strip 109 of the dielectric material 102, so that the strip-shaped conductor 114 of the electrode 102 discharging into the end surface can be securely covered by the cover element. Since contacting in a position of the cover element 116 rotated by 90° would also be conceivable, beads 119 extending over the width of the strip 109 are provided on the top side 103, each arranged directly behind the material recesses 111, which beads correspond to a groove 120 extending over the width of the cover element 116, so that the cover element 116 can only be applied in the correct position and the actuating rocker 118 can be actuated to contact the electrode 102. The beads 119 thus form a twist lock with the groove 120.

[0052] The second embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 5 to 8 corresponds in its construction to the first embodiment according to FIGS. 1 to 4 with the single difference that passage openings 221, which extend through the dielectric material 201 up to its top side, are provided in the bottoms of the chamber 206 terminated on top. In particular a wound secretion can be aspirated through these passage openings 221 if the electrode arrangement is formed and/or used as a wound bandage. In order that direct contact between a conductive liquid and the electrode 202 is not possible in the region of the passage openings 221, the electrodes are provided with passage holes 222, which are aligned with the passage openings 221 of the dielectric material 201 but are formed larger, so that the passage openings 221 form a passage channel having continuous dielectric walls, which also cover the electrode 202 in an insulating manner in the region of the passage openings.

[0053] The remaining construction of the second embodiment corresponds completely to the first embodiment, so that the contact surface may be reduced in size in the same manner. The passage openings 221 and the passage holes 222 of the electrode 202 are also located in the strip 209 of the dielectric material 201 and also in the strip-shaped conductor 214 of the electrode 202.

[0054] The third embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 9 to 12 corresponds to the first embodiment with the difference that the electrode 302 is formed from two partial electrodes 302a and 302b. Two central regions of the electrode 302 are thus embedded in the central region 307 of the dielectric material 301. Strip-shaped conductors 314a, 314b, which extend adjacent to one another, are insulated from one another in the turns of the strip 309 of the dielectric material 301, and which extend adjacent to one another, abut one another at the two central regions 313a and 313b of the partial electrodes 302a, 302b.

[0055] In this embodiment, the two partial electrodes 302a, 302b can interact with the surface to be treated as the counter electrode (ground electrode), by both partial electrodes 302a, 302b being supplied with the same AC high voltage. It is furthermore possible that the two partial electrodes 302a, 302b are each supplied with the high voltage via the cover element 316, but in counter phase, so that a differential voltage having twice the voltage difference of the respective peak voltages exists between the partial electrodes 302a, 302b. In a further variant of this embodiment, the two partial electrodes 302a, 302b are supplied as electrode and counter electrode, so that a surface plasma forms between the partial electrodes 302a, 302b, which can be used for superficial treatment of the surface to be treated. In this case, the surface to be treated and/or the body thereof does not function primarily as the counter electrode, since the two partial electrodes 302a and 302b form the voltage-conducting electrode and the counter electrode lying at ground.

[0056] In the fourth embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 13 to 16, the electrode 402 is again formed by two partial electrodes 402a, 402b, which extend in the same manner as in the third embodiment. In addition, however, similarly to the second embodiment of FIGS. 5 to 8, passage openings 421 are provided in the dielectric material 401 and passage holes 422 are provided in the partial electrodes 402a, 402b, respectively. This embodiment is therefore also particularly suitable as a wound bandage, but also for supplying fluid for assisting the surface treatment, which can also be wound healing. In particular, skincare substances can also be supplied through the passage openings 421 to the skin surface to be treated.

[0057] A fifth embodiment is shown in FIGS. 17 to 20, in which the bearing side 504 of the dielectric material 501 is formed in the same manner as in the first embodiment of FIG. 1. The dielectric material 501 also has a strip 509 having material recesses 511 and 512 here, by which the strip portions can be detached to reduce in size the contact surface of the bearing side 504. As explained in yet greater detail hereafter, the respective resulting free end of the strip 509 is covered by a cover element 516, via which energy supply does not take place in this embodiment. The cover element 516 firstly solely has the task of covering in an insulating manner the free edges possibly resulting upon the detachment of strip portions 510a to 510f of the electrode 502 embedded in the dielectric material 501.

[0058] FIG. 19 shows the course of the electrode 502, which can be formed having conductors 502a, 502b, 502c, 502d extending parallel to one another.

[0059] As FIG. 18 illustrates, the four conductors 502a, 502b, 502c, 502d discharging into an end surface of the dielectric material 501 are not only covered by the cover element 516, but rather also connected to one another, for example, in pairs, by contact elements 521. The connection of at least two of the conductors 502a, 502b, 502c, 502d can be detected to establish the presence of the properly insulating cover element 516.

[0060] The electrode 502 can be formed by all four conductors 502a, 502b, 502c, 502d. However, it is also possible, for example, to use two of the four conductors 502a, 502b, 502c, 502d not as the electrode 502, but rather solely as a detection circuit for the presence of the cover element 516.

[0061] FIG. 18 shows that the dielectric material 501 has a type of housing structure 522 in the central region 507, which can be connected as an insulating cover element to the dielectric material 501 by adhesive bonding or welding or can be produced in one piece with the dielectric material 501.

[0062] FIG. 20 illustrates that the fifth embodiment in the housing structure 522 has electrical components, by way of which the electrode arrangement manages without an external electrical power supply. A battery arrangement 523, a control circuit 524 having a microcontroller 525, and a high-voltage step 526 for generating high-voltage AC voltage signals for supplying the electrode 502 are located in the housing structure 522. In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, two of the conductors 502a, 502b, 502c, 502d can function as two partial electrodes, which can be activated in the same manner as explained on the basis of the third and fourth embodiments. In particular, counter-phase AC voltage pulses can be applied to the conductors used as partial electrodes, to thus generate a particularly effective plasma field on the bearing side 504. This effect can also be amplified if all four conductors 502a, 502b, 502c, 502d are interconnected in pairs to form two partial electrodes, wherein the conductors 502a and 502c are actuated as one partial electrode and the conductors 502b and 502d are actuated as the other partial electrode.

[0063] The controller 524 has the function of only enabling the generation of the high voltage in the high-voltage step 526 when the presence of the cover element 516 has been detected. Otherwise, the conductors 502a, 502b, 502c, 502d discharging into the end surface of the strip 509 could already conduct a high voltage and could be touched directly. This is prevented by the safety circuit having the cover element 516.

[0064] FIG. 20 solely shows a top view of the top side 503 of the electrode arrangement according to the fifth embodiment outside the central region 507 having the electrical components.