Ambient Gas Plasma

Hospital acquired infections are a challenge in developing countries, where medical supplies are routinely re-used, and supplies related to safe and sanitary practices are limited. This is compounded by the global rise of antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria. There is a need to develop new low cost, sustainable and scalable technologies to provide infection control in developing countries.

This project proposes to design, prototype and test devices and applications suitable for attacking infections and infectious disease transmission in the developing world. The technology that will be used is called “ambient gas plasma,” which utilizes reactive oxygen and reactive nitrogen species to kill bacteria and disinfect. Ambient gas plasma has been shown to kill bacteria on object, skin and in wounds without adverse physical effects.

In order to bring this technology to the developing world, the researchers propose a hand-held, rechargeable ambient gas plasma device. The researchers will be working to optimize the electronic components, and to characterize the resulting plasmas. The prototype devices will be tested against bacteria in a laboratory setting. The first application will be a device that can be used for sterilization and antisepsis of medical equipment that would typically be reused in the developing world.

Principal Investigator: David Graves, Chemical Engineering
Field Site: Pending