Multi-Electrode Plasma Torch Characterization for Rapid Wound Healing and Sterilization

A multi-electrode dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma jet device/plasma torch is designed and tested. It is shown that plasma characteristics (plasma temperature and radical relative concentration) can be varied in a passive manner without changing the plasma input power and working gas flow rates. For this purpose, several outer electrodes are mounted on the plasma torch/device exiting ceramic tube that acted as a dielectric medium to produce a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma. Additionally, it is found that plasma characteristics strongly depends on the choice of outer electrode. The DBD plasma discharge was generated using helium at voltages up to 10 kV and 25 kHz with input power that was less than 20 W at all operating conditions. Plasma temperatures were measured along the plasma jet with a thermocouple and spectroscopy was conducted to capture the relative concentration of various radicals including various nitrogen second positive system, OII, and multiple helium lines. Plasma wound healing and sterilization processes were investigated and for this purpose blood coagulation process was captured in real time showing that plasma exposure could accelerated the coagulation process. Preliminary work on bacteria mitigation was conducted by exposing Escherichia coli K-12 to a plasma jet and then investigating/counting the bacterial colonies to estimate the plasma impact. © 2021 by Begell House, Inc.