Plasma Treatment and Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition onto Temperature Sensitive Biological Materials

An apparatus for depositing a film on a biological substrate, comprising:

• a gas flow system for generating a combined gas flow that includes a precursor material;
• and
• a floating electrode dielectric barrier discharge device, comprising:
• a dielectric conduit having an internal portion through which the combined gas flow is directed;
• a high voltage electrode disposed about an external surface of the dielectric conduit;
• and
• a power supply configured to supply the high voltage electrode with an alternating voltage, wherein an electric field generated by a potential difference between the high voltage electrode and the biological substrate ionizes at least a portion of the combined gas flow causing a plasma to emanate from a downstream end of the dielectric conduit and to contact the biological substrate, and wherein the plasma induces a reaction of the precursor material to form a film that is deposited on the biological substrate.