Patent ID: 8377388

Claim:
A decontamination device comprising: a gas manifold having an input coupled to a gas source, the gas manifold having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, the first surface configured to be placed adjacent to a surface of an external object; a first plurality of output channels operatively formed on the first surface of the gas manifold, each output channel having an individual wire electrode with a sharp conductive point disposed therein; and a resistor network disposed adjacent to the second surface outside of the gas manifold and coupled to each of the individual wire electrodes, the resistor network further coupled to a power source for supplying the same electrical potential to each of the individual wire electrodes, wherein each individual wire electrode is mounted on individual channels formed in the resistor network such that each individual wire electrode extends from the resistor network into the first plurality of output channels; wherein when each of the individual wire electrodes are powered by the power source with the same electrical potential and gas is flowing through the plurality of output channels as supplied via the gas manifold, each sharp conductive point of the individual wire electrode creates an electric field gradient which pull electrons off of molecules of the gas and ionizes the electrons to form a cold plasma beam at each of the plurality of output channels under atmospheric pressure so as to decontaminate or sterilize the surface of the external object in contact with the cold plasma beams.