Patent ID: 9308285
Filing Date: 2016-04-12
CPC Classification: A61L,H05H

Claim Text:
1. Plasma sterilization apparatus comprising: a microwave source; a microwave cavity connectable to receive pulses of microwave frequency radiation from the microwave source; a microwave coupler arranged to couple microwave energy out of the microwave cavity to a plasma strike zone, the plasma strike zone having a the gas flow path therethrough; a gas feed connectable to supply ionizable gas to the gas flow path; and a strike signal generation circuit arranged to deliver a pulse of radiofrequency (RF) energy to the plasma strike zone to generate a high electric field therein for striking a non-thermal plasma in ionizable gas present on the gas flow path, wherein the strike signal generation circuit includes control circuitry arranged to use a detectable characteristic of a pulse of the microwave frequency radiation received in the microwave cavity to trigger generation of the pulse of RF energy.