Self-sterilizing device using plasma fields
AssigneeUniversity of Florida Research Foundation, Inc.
InventorsSubrata Roy, Karl Zawoy
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Embodiments of the invention relate to a method and apparatus for self-sterilizing a surface or other portion of the apparatus and/or sterilizing other objects. Embodiments can utilize self-generated and/or remotely controlled plasma fields for the purpose of self-sterilization and/or sterilization of another object. Embodiments of the invention can have broad applications in procedures and equipment requiring the sterility of devices used for medical procedures, decontamination procedures, drug delivery, sterility of consumer products, and sterility of food preparation equipment and tools.
Claims15
A device capable of sterilizing or decontaminating a surface of the device, comprising:
- one or more first electrodes located proximate an entirety of the surface of the device;
- one or more second electrodes located proximate the one or more first electrodes;
- a power source for applying a voltage across at least one of the one or more first electrodes and at least one of the one or more second electrodes so as to generate plasma that sterilizes or decontaminates the entirety of the surface of the device,
- wherein the surface is on a laminate material comprising:
- a first electrode layer, wherein the first electrode layer incorporates the one or more first electrodes;
- a second electrode layer, wherein the second electrode layer incorporates the one or more second electrodes;
- and
- a dielectric layer, wherein a dielectric material of the dielectric layer is located between the at least one of the one or more first electrodes and the at least one of the one or more second electrodes that the voltage is supplied across to produce the plasma;
- and
- a plurality of apertures extending through the laminate material from a first side to a second side of the laminate material located opposite of the laminate material from the first side, wherein the voltage applied generates a plasma discharge through the plurality of apertures, wherein the surface is a surface of at least one of the plurality of apertures.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.