Patent ID: 8241580
Filing Date: 2012-08-14
Classification: A61L,H05H

Abstract:
1. A plasma processing method for inactivating toxins sticking to the surface of a treatment object, comprising steps of: (a) providing an ambient gas adjuster; (b) providing an electrode pair disposed in a space, said electrode pair comprising an anode and a cathode; (c) providing a pulse power supply; (d) providing a reflection member; (e) making said ambient gas adjuster to supply nitrogen gas from said anode side and to exhaust nitrogen gas from said cathode side, generating a nitrogen gas flow and adjusting ambient gas of the space in which an inactivation process is scheduled; (f) making said pulse power supply to apply electric pulses repeatedly to said electrode pair, generating a pulse electric field parallel to said nitrogen gas flow, inducing fine streamer discharge without inducing arc discharge, and stopping the discharge at an initial stage of growth of a streamer; (g) making said reflection member to reflect back short wavelength ultraviolet ray into inside of the space, said short wavelength ultraviolet ray being emitted by nitrogen ambient gas due to fine streamer discharge and going from the inside of the space to outside; (h) applying pulse electric field to toxins, the pulse electric field being generated by application of the electric pulse to said electrode pair; (i) applying nitrogen radicals to toxins, the nitrogen radicals being contained in the plasma generated in the nitrogen ambient gas due to fine streamer discharge; (j) applying short wavelength ultraviolet rays to toxins, short wavelength ultraviolet rays being generated by the nitrogen ambient gas due to fine streamer discharge; and (k) nitriding and oxidizing toxins by said steps (h), (i) and (j) so as to be removed from the surface of the treatment object.