Low voltage plasma jet with piezoelectric generator : preliminary evaluation of decontamination capabilities

Abstract

This paper deals with the proof of concept and the preliminary evaluation of decontamination performances obtained with a plasma jet generated by a piezoelectric transformer. This low voltage supply solution (<10V) is investigated as a plasma jet device, compact and safe solution for the decontamination of medical thermo-sensitive devices. The principle of the piezoelectric generator is presented, followed by the optical spectroscopy of the plasma jet, the protocol conditions for the bactericidal effect observations and finally the reduction rates obtained on Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus bacteria strains with an argon plasma jet at atmospheric pressure about 2.5W electrical input power.