Configurable plasma generation system

Abstract

And a power supply circuit for generating a non-thermal plasma, optionally for a therapeutic plasma. The non-thermal plasma is generated remotely by a conduit-like device that is flexible, narrow (e.g., diameter lt; 5 mm), and extends along the longitudinal direction, and can extend into the body cavity by 50-100 cm. The plasma probe power transfer cable is part of the power supply generation circuit, whose intrinsic impedance contributes to and limits the time constant of a synchronous RC circuit whose resonant frequency is synchronized with the frequency of power generation by feedback. Variable length, structure, and / or fabrication of the plasma probe, for example, may result in different time constants. In some embodiments, the transformer coupling is divided into multiple stages, allowing the inductance of the last stage transformer to be selected with sufficient margin to mask the variability of the probe and maintain a target operating frequency using a compensation component. Various selections and / or configurations for providing compensation components are disclosed herein.

Description

[0001] Related Applications

[0002] This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application No. 18 / 129,116 filed on March 31, 2023, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application No. 17 / 971,737 filed on October 24, 2022 (now U.S. Patent No. 11,621,587 published on April 4, 2023), which is a continuation-in-part (CIP) of U.S. patent application No. 17 / 866,700 filed on July 18, 2022 (now U.S. Patent No. 11,627,652 published on April 11, 2023).

[0003] This application is also a continuation-in-part (CIP) of U.S. patent application No. 18 / 130,163 filed on April 3, 2023, which is a continuation-in-part (CIP) of U.S. patent application No. 17 / 866,700 filed on July 18, 2022 (now U.S. Patent No. 11,627,652 issued on April 11, 2023).

[0004] This application is also related to commonly filed International Patent Application entitled "Plasma Generating System" (Attorney Docket No. 95980).

[0005] The contents of the above applications are all incorporated herein by reference as if fully presented herein.

[0006] Technical field and background technology of the invention

[0007] In some embodiments of the present invention, the present invention relates to the field of plasma generation, and more particularly (but not limited to), to plasma power supply design.

[0008] Non-Thermal Atmospheric Plasma (NTAP), also known as Cold Atmospheric Plasma (CAP), is an ionized gas near room temperature, consisting of a variety of neutral and charged particles. It is widely used in many fields and industries, especially in medicine, where its beneficial properties have been well-documented. The application of NTAP on tissues generates complex and unique effects at both the cellular / tissue level and the system level.

[0009] NTAP can be generated by dielectric barrier discharge (DBD), in which a flowing gas (usually an inert gas such as helium or argon) is ionized when a high voltage is periodically applied to electrodes. The electrodes are covered by a dielectric barrier so that no direct ohmic path is created between the driving source and the target tissue to which it is applied. Summary of the invention

[0010] According to one aspect of some embodiments of the present disclosure, there is provided a power supply circuit for a non-thermal plasma generator, the circuit comprising: a drive circuit, configurable to generate an AC power signal at an operating frequency of at least 500 kHz; an output stage circuit, connected to receive the AC power signal from the drive circuit and provide a feedback signal to the drive circuit so that the drive circuit operates synchronously to generate the power signal at the operating frequency; a plasma probe, having a distal end and a proximal end, the distal end comprising a plasma generation site, the proximal end coupled to the drive circuit via the output stage circuit, the distal end and the proximal end being connected via a transmission line interconnect, the transmission line having an inherent capacitance proportional to the length of the transmission line; the output stage circuit having a plurality of transformers, the plurality of transformers including at least a final transformer and an initial gain transformer; at least one compensation capacitor selectable and / or adjustable from a plurality of capacitances; wherein one of the at least one compensation capacitors selected and / or adjusted is positioned in electrical parallel with the inherent capacitance of the transmission line and has a capacitance that compensates an LC network including the inherent capacitance and a secondary coil of the final transformer to resonate at the operating frequency when the drive circuit operates to generate the power signal.

[0011] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the final transformer includes the secondary coil and a primary coil, and the secondary coil of the final transformer is electrically connected to the plasma probe, and the initial gain transformer includes a secondary coil and a primary coil, and the secondary coil of the initial gain transformer is electrically connected to the plasma probe through the final transformer, and the primary coil of the initial gain transformer is electrically connected to the drive circuit.

[0012] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the inductance of the secondary coil of the final transformer is selected so that the LC network resonates at the operating frequency when the longest supported plasma probe connected has the longest supported transmission line length and there is no selected and / or adjusted compensation capacitor; the transmission line length of the plasma probe is shorter than the longest supported transmission line length; and the sum of the capacitance of the selected and / or adjusted compensation capacitor and the inherent capacitance of the shorter transmission line matches the inherent capacitance of the longest supported transmission line.

[0013] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the selected and / or adjusted compensation capacitor is provided as a component of the plasma probe, and the selected and / or adjusted compensation capacitor is selected by selecting the plasma probe.

[0014] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, a proximal connector of the plasma probe includes the at least one compensation capacitor.

[0015] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the at least one compensation capacitor is provided together with the driving circuit, and when the plasma probe is connected to the driving circuit through the output stage circuit, the plasma probe is electrically connected to the at least one compensation capacitor.

[0016] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the at least one compensation capacitor includes a plurality of compensation capacitors, and the power supply circuit includes a controller to select a selected and / or adjusted compensation capacitor from the plurality of compensation capacitors and connect the selected and / or adjusted compensation capacitor to the plasma probe.

[0017] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the controller includes a manually operated switch.

[0018] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the controller includes an electrically operated switch.

[0019] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the electrically operable switch is one of a plurality of multiplexing switches.

[0020] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the controller selects and / or adjusts the selected and / or adjusted compensation capacitor according to a plurality of user input commands from a graphical user interface.

[0021] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the power supply circuit includes an identification number detector; wherein the controller selects and / or adjusts the selected and / or adjusted compensation capacitor based on an identification number element associated with the plasma probe and providing an identification number sensed by the identification number detector and a compensation capacitor associated with the identification number.

[0022] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the identification number includes a resistance value measured when the plasma probe is electrically connected to the driving circuit.

[0023] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the identification number includes a numerical value.

[0024] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the power supply circuit includes a frequency detector; wherein the controller selects the compensation capacitor based on the identified actual operating frequency of the device and the difference between the identified actual operating frequency of the device and the operating frequency of at least 500kHz.

[0025] According to an aspect of some embodiments of the present disclosure, a plasma generation method is provided, the method comprising: providing a power supply configured to be combined with a secondary coil of a coupling transformer to drive a high capacitance plasma probe at a first frequency, the capacitance of the high capacitance plasma probe comprising an inherent capacitance of a transmission line of the high capacitance plasma probe; providing a low capacitance plasma probe having an inherent capacitance of a transmission line lower than the inherent capacitance of the transmission line of the high capacitance plasma probe; selecting a compensation capacitor based on a difference between the capacitance of the high capacitance plasma probe and the capacitance of the low capacitance plasma probe; electrically connecting the compensation capacitor in parallel with the inherent capacitance of the low capacitance plasma probe; and operating the low capacitance plasma probe at the first frequency.

[0026] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, an RC network includes the secondary coil and the transmission line of the low-capacitance plasma probe without the compensation capacitor, the RC network resonating at a second frequency higher than the first frequency.

[0027] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the RC compensation capacitor has a capacitance approximately equal to the difference between a capacitance of the high capacitance plasma probe and a capacitance of the low capacitance plasma probe.

[0028] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the selecting is selecting the compensation capacitor from a plurality of capacitors and / or adjusting the capacitance of the compensation capacitor.

[0029] According to an aspect of some embodiments of the present disclosure, there is provided a combination of at least two plasma probes, each of which comprises a remotely positioned plasma generation site, a proximally positioned connector configured to be connected to a plasma power source, and a transmission line interconnecting the connector and the plasma generation site; and wherein: each of the plasma probes comprises a respective compensation capacitor having rated values ​​that differ from each other by at least 10%, and the respective inherent capacitances of the plurality of transmission lines differ in capacitance value from each other by a greater difference in capacitance value than the sum of the respective inherent capacitances and the compensation capacitances.

[0030] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, a difference in capacitance values ​​of the plurality of transmission lines is reduced by at least 2 times in the sum of the respective inherent capacitances and the compensation capacitances.

[0031] According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the transmission lines differ in length from each other by at least 10 centimeters.

[0032] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and / or scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as those generally understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure belongs. Although methods and materials similar or equivalent to the methods and materials described herein can be used in the practice or testing of the embodiments of the present disclosure, exemplary methods and / or materials are described below. In the event of a conflict, the patent specification including the definitions shall prevail. In addition, the materials, methods and examples are illustrative only and are not intended to be necessarily restrictive.

[0033] As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, various aspects of the present disclosure may be embodied as a system, method or computer program product. Therefore, various aspects of the present disclosure may take the form of a complete hardware embodiment, a complete software embodiment (including firmware, resident software, microcode, etc.) or a combination of software and hardware embodiments, which may generally all be referred to herein as "circuit", "module" or "system" (for example, a "computer circuit" may be used to implement the method). In addition, some embodiments of the present disclosure may take the form of a computer program product embodied in one or more computer-readable media, wherein the one or more computer-readable media have a computer-readable program code embodied thereon. The implementation of the method and / or system of some embodiments of the present disclosure may include performing and / or completing the selected task manually, automatically or in combination thereof. In addition, according to the actual instruments and devices of some embodiments of the method and / or system of the present disclosure, several selected tasks may be implemented by hardware, by software or by firmware and / or by a combination thereof (for example, using an operating system).

[0034] For example, the hardware for performing the selected tasks according to some embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented as a chip or circuit. As software, the selected tasks according to some embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented as a plurality of software instructions executed by a computer using any suitable operating system. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, one or more tasks performed by the method and / or by the system are performed by a data processor (also referred to herein as a "digital processor", with reference to a data processor operating with a digital bit group), such as a computing platform for executing multiple instructions. Optionally, the data processor includes a volatile memory for storing instructions and / or data and / or a non-volatile memory for storing instructions and / or data, such as a magnetic hard disk and / or a removable medium. Optionally, a network connection is also provided. A display and / or a user input device such as a keyboard or a mouse are also optionally provided. Any of these implementations is more generally referred to as an example of a computer circuit in this article.

[0035] Any combination of one or more computer-readable media may be used in some embodiments of the present disclosure. A computer-readable medium may be a computer-readable signal medium or a computer-readable storage medium. A computer-readable storage medium may be, for example, but not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared or semiconductor system, device or device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. More specific examples (non-consumable list) of computer-readable storage media would include the following: an electrical connection with one or more wires, a portable computer floppy disk, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), an optical fiber, a portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. In the context of this document, a computer-readable storage medium may be any tangible medium that may contain or store a program used by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system, device or device. Computer-readable storage media may also contain or store information for use by such programs, for example, data structured in a manner recorded by the computer-readable storage media so that the computer program can access it as, for example, one or more tables, lists, arrays, data trees, and / or another data structure. Here, a computer-readable storage medium that records data in a form that can be retrieved as a digital bit group is also referred to as a digital memory. It should be understood that in some embodiments, in the case of a computer-readable storage medium that is not read-only in nature and / or is in a read-only state, the computer-readable storage medium is optionally also used as a computer-writable storage medium.

[0036] In this article, a data processor is said to be "configured" to perform data processing actions as long as it is coupled to a computer-readable medium to receive instructions and / or data from the computer-readable medium, process it, and / or store the processing results in the same or another computer-readable medium. The processing performed (optionally on the data) is specified by the instruction, and its effect is that the processor operates according to the instruction. The processing behavior can be referred to additionally or alternatively by one or more other terms; for example: compare, estimate, determine, calculate, identify, associate, store, analyze, select and / or convert. For example, in some embodiments, the digital processor receives instructions and data from a digital memory, processes the data according to the instructions, and / or stores the processing results in the digital memory. In some embodiments, "providing" the processing results includes sending, storing and / or presenting one or more of the processing results. Presentation optionally includes displaying on a display, indicating by sound, printing on a printout, or giving the results in a form accessible to human sensory capabilities.

[0037] A computer readable signal medium may include a propagated data signal containing a computer readable program code, for example, in baseband or as part of a carrier wave. Such a propagated signal may take any of a variety of forms, including but not limited to electromagnetic, optical, or any suitable combination thereof. A computer readable signal medium may be any computer readable medium that is not a computer readable storage medium and that can communicate, propagate, or transport a program used by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system, device, or apparatus.

[0038] Program code embodied on a computer readable medium and / or data used thereby may be transmitted using any appropriate medium, including but not limited to wireless, wireline, optical fiber cable, RF, etc., or any suitable combination of the foregoing.

[0039] The computer program code for performing the operations of some embodiments of the present disclosure can be written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including object-oriented programming languages ​​such as Java, Smalltalk, C++ or the like and traditional procedural programming languages ​​such as the "C" programming language or similar programming languages. The program code can be executed entirely on the user's computer, partially on the user's computer, as a stand-alone software package, partially on the user's computer, partially on a remote computer, or entirely on a remote computer or server. In the latter case, the remote computer can be connected to the user's computer through any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or can be connected to an external computer (e.g., through the Internet using an Internet service provider).

[0040] Some embodiments of the present disclosure may be described below with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods, devices (systems) and computer program products according to embodiments of the present disclosure. It should be understood that each block of the flowchart illustration and / or block diagram and the combination of blocks in the flowchart illustration and / or block diagram may be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions may be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer or other programmable data processing device to generate a machine, so that instructions executed by a processor of a computer or other programmable data processing device create a device for implementing the functions / actions specified in a flowchart and / or block diagram block or multiple blocks.

[0041] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable medium, which may direct a computer, other programmable data processing device, or other device to function in a specific manner so that the instructions stored in the computer-readable medium generate an article of manufacture including instructions for implementing the functions / actions specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram block or multiple blocks.

[0042] Computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer, other programmable data processing device, or other device so that a series of operational steps are performed on the computer, other programmable device, or other device to generate a computer-implemented process, so that the instructions executed on the computer or other programmable device provide a process for implementing the functions / actions specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram block or multiple blocks.

[0043] Some of the methods described herein are generally designed to be used only by computers, and may not be feasible or practical for purely manual execution by a human expert. A human expert who wishes to manually perform a similar task (e.g., inspecting an object) may desire to use an entirely different approach, e.g., utilizing expert knowledge and / or the pattern recognition capabilities of the human brain, which would be much more efficient than manually performing the steps of the methods described herein. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0044] Some embodiments of the present invention are described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings by way of example only. With specific reference now to the drawings in detail, it should be emphasized that the details shown are only examples for illustrating embodiments of the present invention. In this regard, the description in conjunction with the drawings will make it clear to those skilled in the art how to practice the embodiments of the present invention.

[0045] In the attached picture:

[0046] Figure 1 schematically represents a plasma generating apparatus according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0047] Figure 2schematically illustrates a resonant high voltage plasma generating system according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0048] Figure 3 schematically illustrates a transmission line of a calibrated capacitor of a plasma probe according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0049] Figure 4 Schematically illustrates a system for variable capacitor compensation of the inherent capacitance of a transmission line of a plasma probe according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0050] Figure 5 schematically illustrates an optional capacitor compensation of the inherent capacitance of a transmission line of a plasma probe according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0051] FIG. 6A to FIG. 6C Schematically illustrating various methods of controlling multiplexed capacitor compensation of the intrinsic capacitance of a transmission line of a plasma probe according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0052] Figure 7 Schematically illustrates a system for selectable port capacitance compensation of the intrinsic capacitance of a transmission line of a plasma probe according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0053] Figure 8 schematically illustrates a system for providing multiple transformer impedance selection for the final transformer stage of a plasma power supply according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0054] Fig. 9 schematically illustrates a method of automatically compensating for capacitance of a plasma probe according to some embodiments of the present disclosure; and

[0055] Fig.10 A method of automatically compensating for capacitance of a plasma probe according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is schematically illustrated. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0056] In some embodiments of the present invention, the present invention relates to the field of plasma generation, and more particularly (but not limited to), to plasma power supply design.

[0057] Overview

[0058] One aspect of some embodiments of the present disclosure relates to modification and / or control of characteristics of an output portion of a plasma power generator. In some embodiments, the output portion includes a plurality of transformer stages. In some embodiments, the operating characteristics of the output portion (e.g., its operating frequency) are caused in part by the impedance of the transmission line (e.g., its capacitance, which may be proportional to the length).

[0059] In some embodiments, the operating characteristics of the output portion of the plasma power generator are inherently affected by the impedance of the transmission line - that is, not only affecting one aspect of design choice, but actually operating differently depending on the characteristics of the transmission line currently connected. The impact on the operating characteristics can be manifested, for example, by a change in the impedance of the transmission line, which leads to a direct impact on the ability of the plasma power generator to generate a signal suitable for effective plasma generation at any location in the circuit. The signal can be completely blocked, and / or the characteristics of the signal, such as frequency and / or amplitude, can be changed from the range used to generate plasma. For example, in some embodiments, a feedback signal from the output portion of the plasma power generator is used to synchronize (entrain) the oscillation of an earlier stage of power generation. When the output portion cannot respond at the appropriate frequency, the earlier stage cannot generate the corresponding frequency due to the lack of feedback. The impact on the operating characteristics can be distinguished from such impedance matching, where the signal is generated regardless of the impedance of the transmission line, but the impedance of the generation circuit and the transmission line is matched so that the signal can more effectively propagate into the transmission line instead of reflecting back into the power generator.

[0060] In some embodiments, the transmission line is an element of a plasma delivery probe. The plasma delivery probe is long, thin, and flexible (e.g., catheter-like and / or wire-like in structure) to allow it to be introduced into a body cavity by pushing from a proximal position. The probe typically includes a discharge gas conduit extending along the conductive element of the transmission line, the discharge gas conduit leading to a plasma generation site at the distal end of the plasma probe, where the discharge gas and the transmitted electrical signal interact to generate plasma. Additionally or alternatively, the discharge gas is introduced by another method, for example, through the lumen of a second probe.

[0061] In some embodiments, the plasma delivery probe generates non-thermal atmospheric plasma (NTAP), also known as "cold" plasma. Generally speaking, the temperature of the non-thermal plasma should be maintained below 50°C; or lower, for example, below 40°C or below 30°C.

[0062] To efficiently generate plasma, in some embodiments, the signal generated (and transmitted along the transmission line to the site of plasma generation) has a relatively high voltage (e.g., 500V or higher). To generate plasma appropriately and efficiently, the signal frequency can be, for example, in the range of about 500kHz to about 10MHz. At lower frequencies, plasma generation may tend to be intermittently extinguished, for example, due to shielding of mobile charged species, thereby reducing efficiency. At lower voltages, plasma may not be generated at all.

[0063] In some embodiments, the impedance of the transmission line inherently affects the operating characteristics of the output section because the capacitance of the transmission line provides a portion of the inductance of the resonant LC circuit that provides frequency-entraining feedback to the earlier stages of power generation. These operating requirements may become a significant limitation in the design of the power generation circuit, especially when the transmission line length reaches tens of centimeters (e.g., 50 cm to 2 meters).

[0064] In particular, all else being equal: as the selected transmission line length increases, the impedance contribution of the transmission line (e.g., its capacitance) also tends to increase. This in turn tends to increase the time constant of any particular LC circuit of which it is a part. In some embodiments, this creates a particular design problem in order to provide operating frequencies at sufficiently high levels for efficient plasma generation. The output stage, which relies on coil transformation, should generate a relatively high voltage gain (e.g., 20 to 50 total gain) while also maintaining a high resonant frequency. However, the high frequency requirement implies a relatively low output (secondary) coil inductance (so that the LC time constant remains low), and the high gain requirement tends to drive this lower inductance on the input coil (primary coil). In a single transformer stage implementation, this may result in a theoretical circuit requiring a low impedance coil that in practice cannot handle the required power and / or voltage slew rate.

[0065] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, this is handled by splitting the output stage into two or more transformer stages. Thus, the earlier stages are isolated from the high capacitance of the transmission line, allowing a higher impedance transformer to be selected to generate gain. With the gain requirement handled, the later stages can use approximately equal (or at least closer to equal) transformer coils on both the input and output sides, so that the input transformer coils do not need to be unrealistically small.

[0066] Transmission line impedances vary not only by length, but may additionally or alternatively vary based on other construction aspects; for example, the cross-sectional geometry and / or material of the transmission line cable. Ordinary variations in transmission line manufacturing may also result in differences in electrical characteristics such as cable impedance. It should be noted that in some embodiments, plasma probes are considered consumables (e.g., to avoid complex procedures such as re-sterilization). Therefore, instead of calibrating the probe to the power supply in the factory, there may be a practical requirement that many different probes be available for the same power supply, and that the probes may be produced as part of different batches (e.g., with different cable sources), and / or different versions or even models of probes.

[0067] As the internal electrical characteristics of the transmission line change (e.g., as a result of component modification or exchange; and / or from a manufacturing tolerance perspective), maintaining the same power output characteristics (e.g., the same amplitude and / or frequency of the power output) for the entire circuit can be achieved if one or more other circuit elements are modified.

[0068] However, when the constraints on the circuit design are very tight, the freedom to make such modifications is low. This may result in requiring the transmission line to be produced to tight tolerances that are inconvenient (or even impractical). The inventors have realized that the design freedom created by separating the output stage duty cycle (high gain vs. high frequency resonance including transmission line capacitance) also creates more freedom for accommodating changes in transmission line impedance. Additionally or alternatively, the additional freedom in component characteristics can be used to tune power signal characteristics, such as frequency.

[0069] For example: In some embodiments, this degree of freedom is used by providing a final transformer stage with a coil inductance that is even lower than the coil inductance required to achieve frequency matching with some practically manufacturable transmission line of the required length, so as to be able to work with a wider range of transmission lines. In effect, the final stage inductance sets the maximum capacitance of the transmission line with which the output stage can interface with AC.

[0070] In some embodiments, the transmission line of the plasma probe is inherently made "worse" by additions (e.g., during manufacturing and / or calibration), however, a lot of additional capacitance is needed to couple with the final transformer stage impedance to resonate at the target operating frequency. The highest capacitance transmission line does not require additional capacitance. This may help improve the manufacturability of the plasma probe, as variations in the probe capacitance can be eliminated through adjustments.

[0071] In some embodiments, "extra capacitance" is provided as part of the plasma power generator. For example, an adjustable variable capacitor, or multiple capacitors (fixed, or optionally adjustable through different ranges) may be provided. The selection / adjustment of the capacitor is made according to the specific characteristics of the connected plasma probe and its transmission line.

[0072] Where multiple capacitors are provided, they may be selected by selecting which port of the power supply the plasma probe is connected to and / or by an internal multiplexer (e.g., a multiplexing integrated circuit, a relay switch bank, or another implementation). The internal multiplexer itself may perform capacitor selection under the control of a user interface; either mechanical (e.g., a rotary switch) or electronic (e.g., a graphical user interface (GUI)).

[0073] Additionally or alternatively, the selection is automatic. For example, a digital or analog (e.g., resistor) identification number may be provided to each plasma probe, and the multiplexer is controlled to select the auxiliary capacitor based on the identification number sensed when the plasma probe is plugged in or otherwise in communication with the power output generator.

[0074] In some embodiments, the selection of auxiliary capacitance is automatic based on feedback from actual circuit performance; for example, the probe can be induced to oscillate with the test circuit, and the actual operating capacitor is selected based on the oscillation frequency found by testing. In some embodiments, the test circuit is simply the normal plasma generation circuit. In some embodiments, a separate test circuit is provided.

[0075] In some embodiments, regulation of the output stage circuit is provided by adjusting the inductance in at least the last transformer stage. For example, multiple transformers are provided, each with a different secondary inductance, and selected by multiplexing. To this end, a single primary coil with multiple selectable secondary coils may be provided, or a different transformer may be selected with each setting. Optionally, the inductance of the coil is variably selected; for example by selecting different taps on the same coil. The choice of transformer has the potential advantage of avoiding the need to add additional capacitance, thereby allowing a transformer that may be more robust to be selected when the transmission line capacitance is low enough to allow.

[0076] Other uses of selectively matched transmission line and output stage impedances include the selection of variable output frequency, for example as a means of controlling plasma power.

[0077] By increasing the number of transformer stages of the output stage to more than two, the feedback signal to the earlier stages of power signal generation is potentially made less sensitive to changes in the impedance of the transmission line. Roughly speaking, the added transformer stages of the output stage each have their own natural resonant frequencies that are combined in a weighted manner between the transformer stages to generate the frequency of the feedback signal. The feedback signal must be within a range that the earlier power generation stage can accept, otherwise it will not be able to generate an oscillating power signal. When there are more transformer stages, the relative weight of the last transformer stage decreases. Increasing the gain of the last transformer stage above 1 tends to increase this effect.

[0078] It should be noted that the result of reducing the weight of the last transformer stage is that the change in transmission line capacitance will shift the resonant frequency of the last transformer stage further than the operating frequency of the power output generator. This reduces the transmission efficiency, which is common for mismatched impedances, even if the power signal itself continues to be generated. However, the impact of this loss of transmission efficiency can still be mitigated by providing a selectable impedance range to bring the last transformer stage resonant frequency into an allowable range closer to the frequency optimum. Maintaining efficiency is useful for achieving power supply portability (e.g., battery operation) and / or reducing component stress due to heating.

[0079] Before explaining at least one embodiment of the present disclosure in detail, it should be understood that the present disclosure is not necessarily limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangement of components and / or methods set forth in the following description and / or illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The features described in the present disclosure, including the features of the present invention, can have other embodiments, or can be practiced or implemented in various ways.

[0080] Plasma treatment equipment

[0081] Reference now Figure 1 , which schematically represents a plasma generating device 100 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0082] In some embodiments, the plasma generation device 100 includes a high voltage power generator 201 and an ionized gas supply 61 interconnected with the plasma probe assembly 62. The high voltage power generator 201 provides an ionization voltage to the plasma probe assembly 62 through a cable 203 (for example, a coaxial cable, or another electrical conduit with controlled impedance). The ionized gas supply 61 supplies ionized gas to the plasma probe assembly 62 through a pipe 72. The supplied gas may include, for example, one or more inert gases, such as neon, argon, or helium; and / or other gases suitable for ionization into a plasma plume 90. Optionally, the cable 203 and the pipe 72 are integrated into a single wiring unit connected to the plasma probe assembly 62. Optionally, the high voltage power generator 201 and the ionized gas supply 61 are housed in one piece.

[0083] The plasma probe assembly 62 optionally includes a handle 80. The handle 80 is optionally provided with controllers 81, 82 for controlling the actuation of the probe catheter 73 and / or the plasma delivery tip 66, for controlling the function of the power generator 201, and / or for controlling the delivery of ionized gas from the gas supply 61. Optionally, the plasma probe assembly 62 physically integrates the power function and the gas delivery function into the probe catheter without using a dedicated handle. In some embodiments, the probe catheter 73 includes a lumen for delivering ionized gas and a high-voltage transmission line (e.g., a continuation of the cable 203 and the pipeline 72). In some embodiments, the probe catheter includes multiple lumens, for example, a lumen attached to the gas supply 61 for delivering ionized gas, and a lumen for clearing (removing) ionized gas (optionally under suction). In some embodiments, any one or more lumens of the lumen of the probe catheter 73 are optionally used as a working channel by inserting a tool. In some embodiments, the handle 80 includes one or more ports 83 for introducing such a tool into the lumen of the probe catheter 73.

[0084] In some embodiments of the present invention, the size and other configurations (e.g., safety configurations) of the probe catheter 73 and the plasma delivery tip 66 are used to deliver non-thermal plasma to a location in the body. The location in the body can be remotely located relative to the insertion point, for example, 25 cm or more from the point of insertion into the body; for example, 50 cm, 80 cm, 100 cm, or 120 cm. In some embodiments, the achievable range includes at least a range between 50 and 100 cm. As long as the plasma tip 60 includes a site for plasma generation (as implemented in some embodiments), the device must provide an ionization-level voltage to the tip 60 (e.g., a voltage of 1 kV or higher). This length can provide a limit on the minimum capacitance of the cable 203.

[0085] In some embodiments, the stylet catheter 73 (including the lumen for delivering the ionized gas and the high voltage transmission line) has an overall diameter of less than 12 mm, less than 10 mm, less than 8 mm, or less than 5 mm. The narrower the overall diameter, the narrower the minimum lumen through which the stylet catheter can be traversed as a catheter; for example, a ureter, blood vessel, or other subcutaneous passage leading to the target treatment site.

[0086] Power supply output stage with multiple transformer stages

[0087] Reference now Figure 2, which schematically illustrates a resonant high voltage plasma generating system 300 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. The generator 301 divides the task of providing voltage gain and coupling to the plasma probe 62 into two transformer stages: a gain transformer 305A and a decoupling transformer 305B. Optionally, more than two transformer stages are used; for the purposes of discussion, the stages other than the first stage are considered to be part of the "decoupling transformer" (although any or all of them may also provide some gain), and the transformer stage that is connected to the plasma probe 62 without another intervening transformer stage is the "last transformer stage."

[0088] In some embodiments, this allows relatively high capacitive loads to be driven while maintaining the potential advantages of a resonant architecture to achieve high frequencies and potentially true sinusoidal output while generating plasma.

[0089] Considering the combination of the drive circuit 204 with the gain transformer 305A, a fundamental resonance is achieved by matching the time constant of the LC network of the gain transformer to the feedback LC network in the drive circuit 204. The capacitance in the LC network of the gain transformer can be selected to be relatively small (e.g., within a decade of 1-5 pF). This allows its corresponding secondary coil inductance to be substantially higher. This conversion allows the primary coil and / or feedback coil inductance to be substantially higher, potentially entering a practical range of permissible gain that is not available at frequencies of, for example, 1-2 MHz when the capacitance of the plasma probe transmission line 203 is directly connected to the gain transformer.

[0090] The remainder of the circuit delivers the high frequency, high voltage signal to the load.When only a single stage is included, the decoupling transformer 305B has a primary side inductor connected to the gain transformer 305A and a secondary side inductor connected to the plasma probe (eg, through connectors 220, 221).

[0091] Optionally, this transformer is configured for unity gain. The inductance is optionally selected to have a value in the range of ten times about 100 μH, for example, a value in the range of 20 to 200 μH. Alternatively, this transformer is used as a second stage gain. For example, the primary coil can be set in the range of 5 to 20 μH and the secondary coil can be set in the range of about 20–80 μH; for example, such that an effective second stage gain of 1 to 4 (for example, 2) is achieved. The LC network on the secondary (output) side of the transformer (including the capacitance of the transmission line 203) is configured to match the resonant frequency, which is also provided to the drive circuit 204 and the gain transformer 305A.

[0092] This configuration allows the coupling between frequency and gain to be relaxed somewhat by adding additional design freedoms. For example, the constraints on the coaxial cable length are relaxed—the coaxial cable length can be longer, and since the gain need not all be provided in the transformer stage to which it is connected, the primary coil inductance can be as large or nearly as large as the secondary coil selected to be paired with the transmission line capacitance. Other differences between plasma probes 62 are due to, for example, cable construction and / or manufacturing variations.

[0093] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the final stage inductance is chosen to be on the lower side of what is practically achievable for the voltage, frequency, and current requirements, leaving "headroom" for accommodating different transmission line capacitances.

[0094] Compensation element inside the probe

[0095] Reference now Figure 3 , which schematically illustrates a transmission line of a calibrated capacitor of a plasma probe according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0096] The output from the power supply 301 is directed to the power supply side connector 220, which is electrically connected to the plasma probe connector 221. At the time of manufacturing, the compensation capacitor 321 is installed so that the sum of the capacitance 303 of the transmission line 203 and the compensation capacitor 321 reaches a target value.

[0097] This may be a single value (or a value within a single uninterrupted tolerance range) that the fixed components of the power supply 301 are configured to accept. "Accept" in this context means, for example, that the resonant frequency of the one or more decoupling transformers 305B coupled together with the total capacitance of the compensation capacitor 321 and the intrinsic capacitance 303 of the transmission line 203 is reasonably close to the designed operating frequency of the entire system for operation.

[0098] In this document, the capacitance of a compensation capacitor (also referred to as a compensation element, and / or may therefore be referred to as a "compensating", e.g., LC circuit to generate a given characteristic, particularly a characteristic having a particular resonant frequency in some embodiments), regardless of how it is selected or provided (e.g., according to any of the examples described herein), is considered to be its rated capacitance; that is, the capacitance that was considered as a component in its selection during device manufacturing. Two capacitors with the same rated capacitance may be labeled as the same as originally manufactured, or placed in the "same bin" after acceptance testing at the manufacturing site.

[0099] As used herein, "suitably close" in some embodiments includes a reduction in the deviation of the uncompensated probe's intrinsic capacitance from the target capacitance by at least a factor of 2, 5, 10, or another value when the capacitance of the compensation capacitor is taken into account (added to the capacitance of the compensation capacitor). In some embodiments, the difference in compensation capacitance for different probes may be proportional to the length they lack relative to some maximum supported length of transmission line (at least on average over a production run). In some embodiments, the values ​​of compensation capacitors for different probes (however selected or provided), even if nominally of the same length and configuration, may differ from one another by at least 10%, at least 20%, at least 40%, at least 50%, or another value.

[0100] For example, power supply 301 may be configured to accept a load having a specific capacitance C 同轴{目标} The transmission line capacitance is set to a preferred value (e.g., optimal) for the target performance and operating frequency. 同轴{目标} can be defined to have any suitable tolerance, for example, a center value range of ±0.1%; alternatively, ±1%, ±2%, ±5% or other tolerance ranges. When the actual capacitance 303 of the transmission line 203 is less than C 同轴{目标} When the values ​​and / or ranges defined are exceeded, the difference is compensated by the additional capacitance of capacitor 321. Therefore, no matter what cable is used, C 同轴 +C 连接器 =C 同轴{目标} (within tolerance).

[0101] For example: Power supply 301 is configured to drive a capacitive load of 300 pF at 1 MHz, which may be equivalent to 3 meters of coaxial cable, which represents the maximum capacity cable for this particular system configuration. For a 3 meter plasma probe 62, there is no integrated compensation element 321. For a shorter 2 meter probe (measuring capacitance of, for example, 200 pF), C 连接器 = 100 pF compensation element is incorporated into the connector, providing a total capacitance of 300 pF.

[0102] By this method, the resulting resonant frequency remains the same for various types and / or lengths of plasma probe transmission line 203. As long as the total power output is frequency dependent, the power output also remains the same for all probe models, other parameters being equal.

[0103] As shown, the compensation capacitor 321 is incorporated into the plug end of the transmission line 203. Additionally or alternatively, the compensation capacitor 321 (or a portion of its capacitance) is incorporated at the distal end (plasma generation end) of the transmission line.

[0104] In some embodiments, compensation capacitor 321 comprises a discrete capacitor electrically connected (e.g., welded) in parallel with the transmission line. Alternatively, since virtually every connector introduces at least some parasitic capacitance into the line, connector 221 itself can be designed to provide all or part of the compensation capacity. In some embodiments, this includes selecting the structure of the metal surface and dielectric material inside the connector to achieve the desired compensation value.

[0105] In some embodiments, multiple tolerance ranges may be provided, and / or by Figure 3 Each probe capacitance in the calibration is Figures 3 to 8 One or more methods are combined to make the tolerance range itself adjustable to a certain extent.

[0106] In some embodiments, the plasma probe length itself is not a critical parameter (at least within tolerance), and the plasma probe transmission lines are simply shortened until their inherent capacitance matches a target value. The tolerance range can be selected to be wide enough so that no more than an acceptable number of defectives are generated in practice, but can also be selected to be narrow enough to ensure that usability and / or user quality perception is not compromised. For example, the nominal usable length of the transmission line may be two meters, but the actual length provided may be within a larger range, for example, 2 to 3 meters. Optionally, the excess length can be tidied up to avoid excessive irregularities, for example, by being coiled and tied, or hidden in a connector with sufficient free space to accommodate a large amount of excess length. In some embodiments, the plasma probes are provided as a set (e.g., shipped, stored, or otherwise provided together), including individual units that differ in transmission line length by 10 cm, 20 cm, 30 cm, or more, but have approximately the same inherent capacitance. In some embodiments, up to 10 cm, 20 cm, 30 cm, or more of the transmission line length is masked or physically concealed by permanently coiling and / or hiding the excess in a connector housing or other container located along the length of the transmission line, preferably near its proximal end. In some embodiments, the length of the plasma probe is adjusted after adjustment using an in-probe compensation capacitor. For example, a plasma probe is provided that is equipped with a compensation capacitor to provide a total capacitance slightly above a target value, while the capacitance is reduced in a controlled manner by shortening the transmission line to achieve the target value.

[0107] In some embodiments, the power supply can be configured to operate within a frequency range selectable from a plurality of different operating frequency ranges available. For example, different frequency ranges can be suitable for delivering different amounts of plasma power. In some embodiments, the plasma probe is provided as a set including probes that are individually configured with significantly different capacitances using different compensation capacitor values. In some embodiments, the compensation capacitor is provided as an add-on component to the probe. For example, in some embodiments, a kit is provided that includes a plurality of adapters, each adapter providing a different compensation capacitor.

[0108] Additionally or alternatively, an additional compensation capacitance adapter (e.g., from such a kit) may be used to adjust probes having different capacitances (e.g., probes provided together in a probe kit) to more closely match each other; e.g., to resonate at the same frequency when connected to a power supply, but at different frequencies when the additional adapter is not used. This may be helpful, for example, to enable a set of probes that were originally tuned differently to be used simultaneously from different ports of a power supply.

[0109] Compensation components within the generator

[0110] Reference now Figure 4 , Figure 4 A system for variable capacitor compensation of the inherent capacitance of the transmission line of the plasma probe 62 is schematically illustrated according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0111] The variable capacitor 421 can be selected from a plurality of discrete capacitors. Figure 5-Figure 7 Several different methods of implementing such a system are shown.

[0112] In some embodiments, variable capacitor 421 is a continuously variable capacitor provided as part of capacitance control system 401, which allows variable capacitor 421 to be mechanically or electrically (e.g., via voltage and / or digital) tuned, depending on the type of variable capacitor 421 (many types of variable capacitors are known in the art). Thus, capacitance control system 401 can, for example, implement variable capacitance control via mechanical controls (e.g., knobs) and / or via a computerized graphical user interface. In particular, in the case of electrically tunable variable capacitors, variable capacitor 421 plus tuning controller 401 can be used instead of a multiplexer and capacitor bank, for example, with respect to Figure 6A-6C Automatic mechanical tuning via motorized operation of the capacitive control system 401 is also an option.

[0113] Reference now Figure 5 , Figure 5Optional capacitor compensation of the inherent capacitance of the transmission line of the plasma probe 62 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is schematically illustrated.

[0114] Figure 5 A mechanical method of selecting from a plurality of individual capacitors of capacitor bank 521 is shown, by manually or (optionally) motorized mechanically adjusting the setting of rotary selector 522. Each capacitor of capacitor bank 521 corresponds to a different value added to the inherent capacitance 303 of transmission line 203.

[0115] To provide a greater range of options, more than one capacitor may optionally be selected in combination. For example, multiple capacitor banks 521 may be provided, each selected by a different rotary selector 5220. One bank selects from a small capacitor value and one from a larger capacitor value, so that the two combinations provide a finer division of the overall range than a single bank of larger capacitor values ​​could provide.

[0116] Reference now FIG. 6A to FIG. 6C , which schematically illustrates various methods of controlling multiplexed capacitor compensation of the inherent capacitance of the transmission line of the plasma probe 62 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0117] exist Fig. 6A In the example of , multiplexer 622 is controlled by a signal selected via GUI 602 to select one of the capacitors of capacitor bank 621. Figure 5 In the case of , there may be a plurality of capacitor groups 621, and capacitors are selected from these capacitor groups 621 and used in combination.

[0118] exist Figure 6B In the example of FIG. 6 , the connector 221 is provided with an identification element 603. After automatic identification, the system automatically sets a suitable compensation capacitance for the probe.

[0119] In some embodiments, the identification number includes an identification resistor R 识别号 , when the connector 221 is plugged into the power side connector 220, the identification resistor is connected to the identification circuit in the controller 605. The value of the resistor may range, for example, from 1 to 10 kΩ. In some embodiments, probes of different lengths, models, and / or types have different identification resistor values. When the probe is plugged into the generator, a decoding unit in the controller 605 measures the identification resistor and then selects the correct compensation capacitor, for example, through a control line and a switch (e.g., a control line to the multiplexer 622). In some embodiments, R 识别号 The value of is selected to directly indicate which compensation capacitor should be selected from capacitor bank 621. In some embodiments, R 识别号The value of is chosen to be proportional to the value of capacitance 303, and the compensation capacitor is chosen accordingly.

[0120] In some embodiments, another type of identification number is used. For example, an RFID (radio frequency identification) tag can be used, or another identification number encoded as a numerical value; for example, an EEPROM connected to the probe contacts, or an optically encoded identification number.

[0121] Now briefly refer to Fig.10 , Fig.10 A method of automatically compensating for a plasma probe capacitance according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is schematically illustrated. At block 1010, in some embodiments, a plasma probe including an identification element is connected to a plasma power supply. At block 1012, in some embodiments, the identification of the connected probe is accessed and the plasma probe is identified accordingly. At block 1014, in some embodiments, a compensation capacitance (and / or in some embodiments, an appropriate transformer impedance) is selected based on the identification of the connected probe, which is also associated with an expected capacitance value of the connected probe. The compensation is selected to achieve an operating frequency of the power supply that is within and / or close to a target operating frequency of the power supply and the plasma probe.

[0122] exist Figure 6C In the example shown, the tuning of the compensation capacitor is automatically managed based on frequency sensing.

[0123] In some embodiments, a frequency measurement circuit 632 (preferably having low input capacitance itself) is connected in parallel to the output of the power supply 301. At the start of the high voltage oscillating signal, the frequency measurement circuit 632 measures the resulting frequency. The measurement is provided to the control circuit 631, which selects an appropriate compensation capacitor (e.g., by sending a control signal to the multiplexer 622) to adjust the frequency to within a desired error range of the target value, or to within another predetermined range. Optionally, if the line impedance changes during the application of the plasma, the frequency measurement circuit 632 detects the resulting change in resonance, and the control circuit 631 compensates accordingly.

[0124] Alternatively and conversely, in some embodiments, power can be controlled by intentionally "detuning" the resonant frequency. In these embodiments, the control circuit 631 selects a capacitor from the capacitor bank 621 so that the resonant frequency it produces is inefficiently coupled to the power supply 301. This method can be used to regulate power and can further be viewed as a measure of a rate of dosing. Over longer time scales (e.g., milliseconds to seconds), average power can be controlled by switching between multiple capacitors at a higher frequency duty cycle. This allows for finer power control even when switching between only two different operating frequencies (one efficient frequency and one inefficient frequency). The measurements made by the frequency measurement circuit 632 can be used to verify performance, or as input data to help estimate actual power, dose rate, cumulative dose, and / or plasma energy.

[0125] The frequency measurement circuit 632 may additionally or alternatively be used for fault detection and / or monitoring of plasma emission. For example, if the initial frequency measurement exceeds a known process / probe variance, this may be reported as a fault, which may be due to a probe failure. This may be caused by a short circuit (e.g., the probe is shorted) or an open circuit (e.g., the probe is missing or disconnected). Optionally (and possibly even after capacitance compensation), it is determined that the operating frequency and plasma probe operate together at an efficacy of plasma generation that is different from (e.g., lower than) a target efficacy (e.g., an efficacy measured in terms of power used to generate plasma), but is still sufficiently efficient for basic operation (generating sufficient plasma). For example, the actual efficacy of plasma generation may be determined to be, for example, 80%, 90%, or 95% efficient relative to a nominal (e.g., target) efficacy. Potentially, the efficacy may even be greater than 100% of the nominal efficacy (e.g., if the nominal efficacy deviates from the maximum achievable efficacy). In some embodiments, the difference between the target efficacy and the actual efficacy is further compensated, for example, by adjusting one or more of the plasma exposure time, the plasma scan rate, the composition and / or flow rate of the ionized gas, the provided ionization voltage, and / or another parameter of the plasma generation.

[0126] A short circuit condition may inherently terminate the oscillation of the power signal, for example, due to the lack of a feedback signal of the appropriate frequency to entrain the generation of power. After the lack of oscillation is detected by the frequency meter, the relevant safety circuit can be triggered, for example, by the control circuit 631 sending a signal to the power supply 301.

[0127] Similarly, an open circuit condition along the transmission line may result in a dramatic increase in the oscillation frequency. Optionally, upon detection of such a frequency rise (e.g., exceeding a predefined threshold), the safety circuit may be triggered. In the event that a rise in the resonant frequency alternately manifests as a cessation of the power signal oscillations, this will also result in the safety circuit triggering. In some embodiments, the safety circuit triggers shutting down the generation of the power signal. Optionally, the open circuit condition simply triggers the selection of a capacitor having the full nominal value of capacitance required for continued power generation.

[0128] In addition, a slight decrease in the oscillation frequency may occur when applying plasma to a conductive and / or capacitive target. This may be due to, for example, an increase in current draw from the generator. In some embodiments, the frequency change is measured and interpreted as an indication of the amount of power applied at the plasma end of the probe. While the measurement of frequency change itself is not necessarily accurate as an indication of absolute power delivery (e.g., since target characteristics affect its amplitude), the measurement of frequency change can be cross-referenced with other power measurement techniques to increase the overall accuracy and confidence of the power output measurement. Frequency fluctuations can also be used as operator feedback to indicate the spatial relationship between the probe and the target.

[0129] Now briefly refer to Fig. 9 , which schematically illustrates a method of automatically compensating a plasma probe capacitance according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. At block 910, in some embodiments, a plasma probe including an identification number element is connected to a plasma power supply. At block 912, in some embodiments, the power supply is operated together with the plasma probe. At block 914, in some embodiments, an actual operating frequency of the power supply and the plasma probe is measured. At block 916, in some embodiments, a compensation capacitance is selected (and / or an appropriate transformer impedance is selected) based on the measured frequency. The compensation is selected to achieve an operating frequency of the power supply that is within and / or close to a target operating frequency of the power supply and the plasma probe.

[0130] Reference now Figure 7 , which schematically illustrates a system for port-selectable capacitance compensation of the inherent capacitance of the transmission line of the plasma probe 62 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0131] In some embodiments, multiple power supply side connectors 220 are provided to the housing 302 of the power supply 301, each connected to a different compensation capacitor 721A to 721C. According to the respective inherent capacitance 703A to 703C (an example of capacitor 303) of the transmission line 203 of the plasma probe. Typically, one plasma probe 62 is inserted and used at a time.

[0132] Optionally, two or more ports are occupied simultaneously (connected in parallel with the power supply 301). As long as the power handling capacity of the power supply 301 is sufficient, power transmission can be provided by each connected probe. In some embodiments, the disconnected port is connected to a "dummy" load (which is removed by the attachment of the probe and / or when the probe is attached), which oscillates but is not actually a plasma probe. This may have the result of maintaining the power supply oscillation when there is no connected plasma probe. This can be used, for example, to allow plasma probes to be dynamically inserted into any number of ports, so that, for example, multiple plasma probes can be used simultaneously, and conversion to single probe use is just a matter of removing the additional plasma probe. Optionally, the dummy port is provided with a permanently attached capacitor to permanently provide an oscillating feedback signal, whether or not a plasma probe is attached.

[0133] Optionally, the probes are manufactured with different plug keying and / or color coding on their connectors so that it is clear which probe should mate with which supply-side connector 220 .

[0134] Optionally, transformers (or at least the secondary windings of the transformers) with various inductance values ​​are connected to different supply side connectors 220, respectively. If the circuit (e.g., of the power supply 301) is capable of tuning and / or has a sufficiently wide operating frequency spectrum, this allows the potential advantages of higher frequencies to be achieved with shorter (or otherwise lower capacitance) probes. For example, higher operating frequencies can provide efficiency gains, which in practice justify the preference for shorter plasma probe transmission lines 203. The multi-port approach (each power side connector is considered a single port) can be combined with any other scheme or multiple schemes for capacitance and / or inductance selection, such as described herein, to support a larger and / or finer selectable compensation range to be selected. For example, there can be a high compensation range port and a low compensation range port, each port being associated with its own selectable capacitor bank, or different fixed capacitances are added to a shared selectable capacitor bank.

[0135] Reference now Figure 8 , Figure 8 A system providing multiple transformer impedance selection for the final transformer stage of a plasma power supply 301 is schematically illustrated according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0136] In some embodiments, a plurality of selectable transformers 833A to 833C are provided within the decoupling transformer stage 305B of the power supply 301. Only one transformer stage (the last one) is shown within the block of the decoupling transformer 305B, although other transformer stages may optionally be present between the blocks of the decoupling transformer 305B and the gain transformer 305A.

[0137] In some embodiments, transformer selection is performed by selecting the ports used by multiplexers (and / or relay groups) 831, 832, 834, 835 under the control of controller 834. In the case shown, the primary and secondary coils are selected together, however, this is not necessarily the only operable topology, depending on the available components and the range of transmission line capacitance and / or operating parameters supported. For example, the transformer can be provided with multiple taps, where the tap selection is adjustable on one or both sides of the transformer; and optionally in unison or independently.

[0138] The controller 834 itself may operate based on any suitable selection principle to match the transmission line capacitance 303 with a suitable compensation component; for example, FIG. 6A to FIG. 6C Additionally or alternatively, using Figures 3 to 5 and Figure 7 One or more relevant selection principles.

[0139] In some embodiments, transformer options are selected to help maintain a relatively constant frequency and / or power output over a wide range of probes. Additionally or alternatively, they can be selected to change the operating frequency of any particular connected probe. Changing the transformer and / or transformer characteristics also provides potential advantages by allowing the voltage gain to be modified, which is another way to adjust the plasma generation power, optionally with or without maintaining a constant operating frequency. For example, there can be two transformers with the same secondary coil inductance but different primary coil inductance, resulting in two different gain settings but similar resonant frequencies.

[0140] Summary

[0141] As used herein, with respect to quantities or values, the term "about" means "within ±10%."

[0142] The terms "including," "comprising," "covering," "including," and "having" mean "including but not limited to."

[0143] The term "consisting of" means "including and limited to."

[0144] The term "consisting essentially of" means that the composition, method or structure may include additional ingredients, steps and / or parts, but only if these additional ingredients, steps or parts do not materially change the basic and novel characteristics of the claimed composition, method and structure.

[0145] As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an", and "the" include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. For example, the term "compound" or "at least one compound" may include a plurality of compounds, including mixtures thereof.

[0146] “Example” and “exemplary” are used herein to mean “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any embodiment described as “exemplary” or “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments and / or to exclude the incorporation of features from other embodiments.

[0147] The word “optionally” is used herein to mean “is provided in some embodiments and not provided in other embodiments.” Any particular embodiment of the present disclosure may include multiple “optional” features, unless such features are in conflict.

[0148] As used herein, the term "method" refers to manners, means, techniques and procedures for accomplishing a given task, including but not limited to those manners, means, techniques and procedures known to practitioners in the fields of chemistry, pharmacology, biology, biochemistry and medicine or readily developable from known manners, means, techniques and procedures.

[0149] As used herein, the term "method" refers to ways, means, techniques and procedures for accomplishing a particular task, including but not limited to those known ways, means, techniques and procedures, or those readily developed by practitioners in the fields of chemistry, pharmacology, biology, biochemistry and medicine using known ways, means, techniques and procedures.

[0150] As used herein, the term "treating" includes abrogating, substantially inhibiting, slowing or reversing the progression of a condition, substantially ameliorating the clinical or aesthetic symptoms of a condition, or substantially preventing the appearance of clinical or aesthetic symptoms of a condition.

[0151] In this application, various embodiments of the present invention may be presented in a range format. It should be understood that the description of the range format is only for convenience and brevity and should not be interpreted as an inflexible limitation on the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the description of the range should be considered to have specifically disclosed all possible sub-ranges and each numerical value within the range. For example, the description of a range such as 1 to 6 should be considered to have specifically disclosed sub-ranges such as 1 to 3, 1 to 4, 1 to 5, 2 to 4, 2 to 6, 3 to 6, etc., and each number within the range, such as 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6. This applies regardless of the breadth of the range.

[0152] Whenever a numerical range is indicated herein (e.g., "10-15," "10 to 15," or any pair of numbers linked by these other such range indications), it is meant to include any number (fractional or integer) within the indicated range limits, including the range limits, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. The phrases "range / range / range between" a first indicated number and a second indicated number, and "range / range / range from" a first indicated number "to," "until," "up to," or "through" (or another such range indicating term) a second indicated number are used interchangeably herein and are meant to include the first and second indicated numbers and all fractions and integers therebetween.

[0153] Although the present invention has been described in conjunction with the specific embodiments of the present invention, it is apparent that many alternatives, modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the present invention is intended to cover all such alternatives, modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and broad scope of the appended claims.

[0154] It should be understood that certain features of the invention described in the context of separate embodiments for the sake of clarity may also be provided in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features of the invention described in the context of a single embodiment for the sake of brevity may also be provided separately, or in any suitable sub-combination, or as appropriate in any other described embodiment of the invention. Certain features described in the context of various embodiments should not be considered essential features of those embodiments unless the embodiment is non-functional without those elements.

[0155] It is the intention of the applicant that all publications, patents and patent applications mentioned in this specification will be incorporated by reference in their entirety into the specification, just as each individual publication, patent or patent application is specifically and individually noted to be incorporated by reference herein when cited. In addition, citing or identifying any reference in this application should not be construed as an admission that the reference is available as prior art to the present invention. Where section headings are used, they should not be construed as necessarily limiting. In addition, the entire contents of any priority document of this application are incorporated by reference herein.

Claims

1. A power supply circuit for a non-thermal plasma generator, characterized in that: The circuit comprises: a driver circuit configurable to generate an AC power signal at an operating frequency of at least 500 kHz; an output stage circuit connected to receive the AC power signal from the drive circuit and provide a feedback signal to the drive circuit so that the drive circuit operates synchronously to generate the power signal at the operating frequency; A plasma probe having a distal end and a proximal end, wherein the distal end includes a plasma generation site, the proximal end is coupled to the driving circuit via the output stage circuit, and the distal end and the proximal end are interconnected via a transmission line, wherein the transmission line has an inherent capacitance proportional to the length of the transmission line; The output stage circuit has a plurality of transformers, the plurality of transformers including at least a final transformer and an initial gain transformer; at least one compensation capacitor, selectable and / or adjustable from a plurality of capacitors; The at least one compensation capacitor selected and / or adjusted: positioned in electrical parallel with the inherent capacitance of the transmission line, and A capacitance is provided to compensate an LC network including the inherent capacitance and a secondary winding of the final transformer to resonate at the operating frequency when the drive circuit operates to generate the power signal.

2. The power supply circuit according to claim 1, characterized in that: The final transformer includes the secondary coil and a primary coil, and the secondary coil of the final transformer is electrically connected to the plasma probe, and The initial gain transformer includes a secondary coil and a primary coil, and the secondary coil of the initial gain transformer is electrically connected to the plasma probe through the final transformer, and the primary coil of the initial gain transformer is electrically connected to the driving circuit.

3. The power supply circuit according to any one of claims 1 to 2, characterized in that: the inductance of the secondary coil of the final transformer is selected such that the LC network resonates at the operating frequency when the longest supported plasma probe having the longest supported transmission line length is connected and without the selected and / or adjusted compensation capacitor; The transmission line length of the plasma probe is shorter than the longest support transmission line length; as well as The sum of the capacitance of the selected and / or adjusted compensation capacitor and the intrinsic capacitance of the shorter transmission line matches the intrinsic capacitance of the longest supporting transmission line.

4. The power supply circuit according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The selected and / or adjusted compensation capacitor is provided as a component of the plasma probe and is selected by selecting the plasma probe.

5. The power supply circuit according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: A proximal connector of the plasma probe includes the at least one compensation capacitor.

6. The power supply circuit according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The at least one compensation capacitor is provided together with the driving circuit, and when the plasma probe is connected to the driving circuit through the output stage circuit, the plasma probe is electrically connected to the at least one compensation capacitor.

7. The power supply circuit according to claim 6, characterized in that: The at least one compensation capacitor includes a plurality of compensation capacitors, and the power circuit includes a controller to select a selected and / or adjusted compensation capacitor from the plurality of compensation capacitors and connect the selected and / or adjusted compensation capacitor to the plasma probe.

8. The power supply circuit according to claim 7, characterized in that: The controller includes a manually operated switch.

9. The power supply circuit according to claim 7, characterized in that: The controller includes an electrically operated switch.

10. The power supply circuit according to claim 9, characterized in that: The electrically operated switch is one of a plurality of multiplex switches.

11. The power supply circuit according to claim 7, characterized in that: The controller selects and / or adjusts the selected and / or adjusted compensation capacitors based on a plurality of user input commands from a graphical user interface.

12. The power supply circuit according to claim 7, characterized in that: The power circuit includes an identification number detector; wherein the controller selects and / or adjusts the selected and / or adjusted compensation capacitor based on an identification number element associated with the plasma probe and providing an identification number sensed by the identification number detector and a compensation capacitor associated with the identification number.

13. The power supply circuit according to claim 12, characterized in that: The identification number includes a resistance value measured when the plasma probe is electrically connected to the driving circuit.

14. The power supply circuit according to claim 12, characterized in that: The identification number includes a numerical value.

15. The power supply circuit according to claim 7, characterized in that: The power circuit includes a frequency detector; wherein the controller selects the compensation capacitor based on the identified actual operating frequency of the device and the difference between the identified actual operating frequency of the device and the operating frequency by at least 500 kHz.

16. A plasma generation method, characterized in that: The method comprises: providing a power supply configured to be coupled to a secondary coil of a coupling transformer to drive a high capacitance plasma probe at a first frequency, the capacitance of the high capacitance plasma probe including an inherent capacitance of a transmission line of the high capacitance plasma probe; Providing a low capacitance plasma probe having a transmission line with an intrinsic capacitance lower than the intrinsic capacitance of the transmission line of the high capacitance plasma probe; selecting a compensation capacitor based on a difference between a capacitance of the high capacitance plasma probe and a capacitance of the low capacitance plasma probe; electrically connecting the compensation capacitor in parallel with the inherent capacitance of the low capacitance plasma probe; and The low capacitance plasma probe is operated at the first frequency.

17. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that: An RC network includes the secondary coil and the transmission line of the low capacitance plasma probe without the compensation capacitor, the RC network resonating at a second frequency higher than the first frequency.

18. The method according to any one of claims 16-17, characterized in that: The RC compensation capacitor has a capacitance approximately equal to the difference between a capacitance of the high capacitance plasma probe and a capacitance of the low capacitance plasma probe.

19. The method according to any one of claims 16 to 18, characterized in that: The selecting is selecting the compensation capacitor from a plurality of capacitors and / or adjusting the capacitance of the compensation capacitor.

20. A combination of at least two plasma probes, characterized in that: Each plasma probe comprises a distally located plasma generation site, a proximally located connector configured to connect to a plasma power source, and a transmission line interconnecting the connector and the plasma generation site; as well as in: each of the plasma probes comprises a respective compensation capacitor, The compensation capacitors have rated values ​​that differ from each other by at least 10%, and The difference in capacitance between the inherent capacitances of the plurality of transmission lines is greater than the difference in capacitance between the sum of the inherent capacitances and the compensation capacitances of the plurality of transmission lines.

21. The combination of at least two plasma probes according to claim 20, characterized in that: The difference in capacitance values ​​of the plurality of transmission lines is reduced by at least 2 times the sum of the respective inherent capacitances and the compensation capacitances.

22. A combination of at least two plasma probes according to any one of claims 20-21, characterized in that: The transmission lines differ in length from each other by at least 10 cm.

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