Air-Based Plasma and its Impact on Bacillus subtilis: Implications for Healthcare Sterilization

Abstract

This study addresses the limitations of current sterilization methods in the healthcare industry, which expose operators to carcinogens and reproductive hazards, the environment to pollution, and compromise the integrity of polymer-based medical devices. This research focused on generating plasma using a custom-designed electrode system with aluminum and stainless steel as conductive materials and 3D-printed polylactic acid (PLA) as insulation. The electrode system was designed to operate at Normal Glow Discharge conditions, achieving a pressure of 1.5 × 10−1 Torr, a voltage of 500 V, and an average current of 2.21 mA. The experiments revealed that TSA solution volumes significantly affect vacuum performance and plasma generation, highlighting the need for optimization to improve efficiency and effectiveness.