Plasma irradiation device and method for producing plasma-treated liquid

Abstract

A plasma irradiation apparatus comprising: a container for storing an untreated liquid; a plasma generation apparatus for generating plasma for irradiating the liquid to be treated stored in the container; and a container temperature measuring device for measuring the temperature of the container.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a technique for producing a plasma-treated liquid by irradiating a liquid to be treated with plasma. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent documents describe a technique for irradiating plasma onto a liquid to be treated stored in a container. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2020 / 026324 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] An object of the present specification is to efficiently produce a plasma-treated liquid by irradiating plasma onto a liquid to be treated stored in a container. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, this specification discloses a plasma irradiation device comprising a container for storing a non-treated liquid, a plasma generating device for generating plasma to be irradiated onto the treated liquid stored in the container, and a container temperature measuring device for measuring the temperature of the container. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to efficiently produce plasma-treated liquid. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an atmospheric pressure plasma irradiation device. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the plasma generating device. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the plasma generating device. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a plasma generating device. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an atmospheric pressure plasma irradiation device. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a side view of an atmospheric pressure plasma irradiation device. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a side view of an atmospheric pressure plasma irradiation device. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an atmospheric pressure plasma irradiation device. [Figure 9] 1A is a perspective view of an irradiation block, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional perspective view taken along line AA of the irradiation block. [Figure 10] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an atmospheric pressure plasma irradiation device. [Figure 11] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an atmospheric pressure plasma irradiation device. [Figure 12] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a laser beam measuring device. [Figure 13] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a control device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0009] FIG. 1 shows an atmospheric pressure plasma irradiation apparatus 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The atmospheric pressure plasma irradiation apparatus 10 is an apparatus for irradiating a culture solution (an example of a "liquid to be treated") with plasma under atmospheric pressure, and includes a plasma generator 20, a cover housing 22, an opening / closing mechanism 24, a stage 26, an elevator 28, a purge gas supply mechanism 32 (see FIG. 5), a concentration detection mechanism 34, a hygrometer 36, a spectrometer 38 (see FIG. 8), an irradiation block temperature measuring device 40 (see FIG. 10), an apparatus temperature measuring device 42 (see FIG. 11), a laser beam measuring device 44 (see FIG. 12), an exhaust mechanism 46, and a control device 48 (see FIG. 13). The width direction of the atmospheric pressure plasma irradiation apparatus 10 is referred to as the X direction, the depth direction of the atmospheric pressure plasma irradiation apparatus 10 is referred to as the Y direction, and the direction perpendicular to the X direction and the Y direction, i.e., the up-down direction, is referred to as the Z direction.

[0010] As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the plasma generator 20 includes a cover 50, an upper block 52, a lower block 54, a pair of electrodes 56, and a nozzle block 58. The cover 50 is generally shaped like a covered rectangular cylinder, and the upper block 52 is disposed inside the cover 50. The upper block 52 is generally shaped like a rectangular parallelepiped and is made of ceramic. A pair of cylindrical recesses 60 are formed on the lower surface of the upper block 52.

[0011] The lower block 54 also has a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape and is molded from ceramic. A recess 62 is formed in the upper surface of the lower block 54. The recess 62 is composed of a pair of cylindrical recesses 66 and a connecting recess 68 that connects the pair of cylindrical recesses 66. The lower block 54 is fixed to the lower surface of the upper block 52 while protruding from the lower end of the cover 50, and the cylindrical recesses 60 of the upper block 52 and the cylindrical recesses 66 of the lower block 54 are connected to each other. The cylindrical recesses 60 and 66 have approximately the same diameter. A slit 70 is formed in the bottom surface of the recess 62, penetrating the lower surface of the lower block 54.

[0012] Each of the pair of electrodes 56 is disposed in a cylindrical space defined by a cylindrical recess 60 in the upper block 52 and a cylindrical recess 66 in the lower block 54. The outer diameter of the electrode 56 is smaller than the inner diameters of the cylindrical recesses 60, 66. The nozzle block 58 is generally flat and is fixed to the lower surface of the lower block 54. The nozzle block 58 is formed with an ejection port 72 that communicates with the slit 70 in the lower block 54, and the ejection port 72 passes through the nozzle block 58 in the vertical direction.

[0013] The plasma generator 20 further includes a processing gas supply device 74 (see FIG. 13). The processing gas supply device 74 is a device that supplies processing gas obtained by mixing an active gas such as oxygen and an inert gas such as nitrogen at an arbitrary ratio, and is connected to the cylindrical space defined by the cylindrical recesses 60, 66 and to the upper part of the connecting recess 68 via piping (not shown). As a result, the processing gas is supplied into the recess 62 from the gap between the electrode 56 and the cylindrical recess 66 and from the upper part of the connecting recess 68.

[0014] With this structure, the plasma generator 20 ejects plasma from the nozzle 72 of the nozzle block 58. More specifically, a processing gas is supplied into the recess 62 by the processing gas supply device 74. At this time, a voltage is applied to the pair of electrodes 56 in the recess 62, and a current flows between the pair of electrodes 56. This causes a discharge between the pair of electrodes 56, which converts the processing gas into plasma. The plasma is then ejected from the nozzle 72 through the slit 70.

[0015] 5, the cover housing 22 includes an upper cover 76 and a lower cover 78. The upper cover 76 is generally cylindrical with a lid, and a through-hole (not shown) having a shape corresponding to the lower block 54 of the plasma generator 20 is formed in the lid of the upper cover 76. The cover 50 of the plasma generator 20 is fixed in an upright state to the lid of the upper cover 76 so as to cover the through-hole. Therefore, the lower block 54 and the nozzle block 58 of the plasma generator 20 protrude in the Z direction toward the inside of the upper cover 76. As a result, plasma generated by the plasma generator 20 is ejected in the Z direction from the ejection port 72 of the nozzle block 58 toward the inside of the upper cover 76.

[0016] 12, four roughly rectangular through-holes 77 are formed at equally spaced positions on the side of the upper cover 76, and transparent glass plates 80 are disposed to cover the through-holes 77. This makes it possible to view the inside of the upper cover 76 through the glass plates 80.

[0017] As shown in Fig. 5, the lower cover 78 of the cover housing 22 is generally disk-shaped and is fixed to a lower housing 81 (see Fig. 10) of a mounting portion on which the atmospheric pressure plasma irradiation device 10 is mounted. The outer diameter of the lower cover 78 is larger than the outer diameter of the upper cover 76, and an annular gasket 82 having the same diameter as the upper cover 76 is disposed on the upper surface of the lower cover 78. When the upper cover 76 is slid downward by the opening / closing mechanism 24, the upper cover 76 comes into close contact with the gasket 82, and the interior of the cover housing 22 is sealed.

[0018] More specifically, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the opening / closing mechanism 24 includes a pair of slide mechanisms 86 and an air cylinder 88. Each slide mechanism 86 includes a support shaft 90 and a slider 92. The support shaft 90 is erected on the lower housing 81 (see FIG. 10) so as to extend in the Z direction. The slider 92 has a generally cylindrical shape and is fitted onto the support shaft 90 so as to be slidable in the axial direction of the support shaft 90. The upper cover 76 is held to the slider 92 by an upper bracket 96 and a lower bracket 98. This allows the upper cover 76 to slide in the Z direction, i.e., in the up-and-down direction.

[0019] The air cylinder 88 includes a rod 100, a piston (not shown), and a cylinder 102. The rod 100 is disposed so as to extend in the Z direction, and its upper end is fixed to the upper cover 76. A piston is fixed to the lower end of the rod 100. The piston is fitted into the cylinder 102 from its upper end, and moves slidably inside the cylinder 102. The cylinder 102 is fixed to the lower housing 81 (see FIG. 10) at its lower end, and a predetermined amount of air is sealed inside the cylinder 102.

[0020] This allows the air cylinder 88 to function as a damper, preventing the upper cover 76 from suddenly descending. The air pressure inside the cylinder 102 is set to a pressure that can be compressed by the weight of the components that slide together with the upper cover 76, i.e., the upper cover 76, plasma generator 20, slider 92, etc. In other words, if an operator releases the upper cover 76 while it is raised, the upper cover 76 will descend due to the weight of the upper cover 76, etc. Then, the upper cover 76 will come into close contact with the packing 82 of the lower cover 78, and the interior of the cover housing 22 will be sealed by the upper cover 76 and the lower cover 78, as shown in FIG. 8.

[0021] Furthermore, when the operator lifts the upper cover 76, the interior of the cover housing 22 is opened. A magnet 106 (see FIG. 1) is fixed to the upper surface of the upper cover 76, and when the upper cover 76 is lifted, the magnet 106 is attracted to the upper housing (not shown) of the placement unit. In this way, by attracting the magnet 106 to the upper housing, the state in which the upper cover 76 is lifted, i.e., the state in which the cover housing 22 is open, is maintained.

[0022] The stage 26 is generally disk-shaped, and an irradiation block 180 is placed on the upper surface of the stage 26. The outer diameter of the stage 26 is smaller than the outer diameter of the lower cover 78. The stage 26 is disposed on the upper surface of the lower cover 78.

[0023] The irradiation block 180 is used to store the liquid to be treated delivered by the liquid delivery tube 120 and to generate a plasma-treated liquid by irradiating the stored liquid to be treated with plasma ejected from the plasma generator 20. The generated plasma-treated liquid is discharged from the irradiation block 180 by the drainage tube 122.

[0024] The liquid to be treated is sent to the liquid supply tube 120 using a supply pump (not shown) provided outside the cover housing 22, and is supplied to the irradiation block 180 inside the cover housing 22. In addition, the plasma-treated liquid generated in the irradiation block 180 is discharged from the irradiation block 180 to the liquid drain tube 122 using a discharge pump (not shown), and is stored in a temporary storage bottle (not shown) provided outside the cover housing 22. Therefore, through holes 134 and 136 are formed in the side surface of the lower cover 78, through which the liquid supply tube 120 and the liquid drain tube 122 pass, respectively.

[0025] Fig. 9 shows a schematic configuration of the irradiation block 180. Fig. 9(a) is a perspective view showing the overall appearance of the irradiation block 180, and Fig. 9(b) is a cross-sectional perspective view taken along line AA in Fig. 9(a). The direction from left to right is the direction in which the liquid to be treated flows.

[0026] The irradiation block 180 is made of ceramic and includes an irradiation block main body 181 having a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape. The long side direction of the irradiation block 180 is the X direction, and the short side direction is the Y direction. The irradiation block main body 181 is formed with a groove portion 183 and a storage portion 184, the surfaces of which facing the plasma generator 20 are open when the irradiation block 180 is installed in the cover housing 22.

[0027] The groove 183 has a U-shape in YZ cross section that opens upward. A bottom surface 183a that constitutes the groove 183 is curved. The YZ cross section of the groove 183 is slightly narrower than the cross-sectional shape of the liquid-feed tube 120 (see FIG. 1), and the liquid-feed tube 120, which is flexible, is fitted into the groove 183, thereby fixing the liquid-feed tube 120.

[0028] The storage section 184 stores the liquid to be treated for plasma irradiation. The storage section 184 is configured as a cylindrical recess having a side surface 184a and a bottom surface 184b. The bottom surface 184b of the storage section 184 is formed to be located lower than the bottom surface 183a of the groove section 183. The bottom surface 184b of the storage section 184 is further formed with a drainage hole 184c for discharging the plasma-treated liquid generated by irradiating the liquid to be treated with plasma from the storage section 184. The bottom surface 184b is an inclined surface that slopes downward from the side surface 184a toward the drainage hole 184c. This is to achieve the functions of quickly discharging the plasma-treated liquid from the storage section 184 and preventing, as much as possible, a state in which part of the plasma-treated liquid remains in the storage section 184 without being discharged.

[0029] In addition to the above configuration, the irradiation block main body 181 has a discharge portion 186. The discharge portion 186 is formed on the lower surface 181a of the irradiation block main body 181, protruding downward from a position including the drainage hole 184c of the storage portion 184. The discharge portion 186 has a base 186a, a flange portion 186b, and a discharge locking portion 186c, and is integrally formed with the respective components 186a to 186c connected downward. Furthermore, a through-hole 186d is formed in the center of the discharge portion 186 in the Z direction, and communicates with the drainage hole 184c of the storage portion 184.

[0030] The portion of the outer peripheral surface of the discharge part 186 that is continuous with the lower surface 181a of the irradiation block main body part 181 is the base part 186a. The diameter of the outer periphery of the discharge locking part 186c, which is formed below the base part 186a with the flange part 186b sandwiched therebetween, is larger than the diameter of the drainage tube 122 (see FIG. 1). The outer diameter of the upper part 186c1 of the discharge locking part 186c is smaller than the outer diameter of the discharge locking part 186c. As a result, when the flexible drainage tube 122 is fitted up to the upper part 186c1, the drainage tube 122 is deformed along the outer periphery of the discharge locking part 186c, and the drainage tube 122 is fixed. The base part 186a is fitted into the notch part 26a of the stage 26 (see FIG. 1), whereby the irradiation block 180 is fixed to the stage 26. In this way, since the irradiation block 180 is not fixed using a fixture, it can be easily attached to and detached from the stage 26 .

[0031] As shown in Fig. 7, the lifting device 28 includes a support rod 112, a rack 114, a pinion 116, and an electromagnetic motor 117 (see Fig. 13). A through-hole (not shown) that penetrates the lower cover 78 in the vertical direction is formed, and the support rod 112 is inserted through the through-hole. The outer diameter of the support rod 112 is smaller than the inner diameter of the through-hole, and the support rod 112 is movable in the vertical direction, i.e., in the Z direction. The lower surface of the stage 26 is fixed to the upper end of the support rod 112.

[0032] Furthermore, the rack 114 is fixed to the outer circumferential surface of the portion of the support rod 112 that extends downward from the lower cover 78 so as to extend in the axial direction of the support rod 112. The pinion 116 is meshed with the rack 114 and rotates when driven by an electromagnetic motor 117. The pinion 116 is rotatably held by the lower housing 81 (see FIG. 10 ). With this structure, when the pinion 116 is rotated by the drive of the electromagnetic motor 117, the support rod 112 moves in the Z direction and the stage 26 rises and falls. A measurement rod 118 is erected on the upper surface of the lower cover 78, next to the stage 26. A scale is marked on the outer circumferential surface of the measurement rod 118, and the height of the stage 26 in the Z direction, i.e., the amount of elevation of the stage 26, can be visually confirmed using the scale.

[0033] As shown in Fig. 5, the purge gas supply mechanism 32 includes four air joints 130 (three are shown in the figure) and a purge gas supply device 132 (see Fig. 13). The four air joints 130 are provided at four equally spaced positions on the upper end of the side surface of the upper cover 76, and each air joint 130 opens into the interior of the upper cover 76. The purge gas supply device 132 is a device that supplies an inert gas such as nitrogen, and is connected to each air joint 130 via piping (not shown). With this structure, the purge gas supply mechanism 32 supplies an inert gas into the interior of the upper cover 76.

[0034] The concentration detection mechanism 34 includes an air joint 140, a pipe 142, and a detection sensor 144 (see FIG. 13). A through hole (not shown) is formed in the lower cover 78, communicating the top and side surfaces of the lower cover 78. An opening 146 of the through hole on the top side of the lower cover 78 is located inside the packing 82. Meanwhile, the air joint 140 is connected to the opening of the through hole on the side surface of the lower cover 78. The detection sensor 144 is a sensor that detects the oxygen concentration, and is connected to the air joint 140 via the pipe 142. With this structure, the concentration detection mechanism 34 detects the oxygen concentration inside the cover housing 22 when the cover housing 22 is sealed.

[0035] The hygrometer 36 measures humidity and is provided upright on the upper surface of the lower cover 78 as shown in Fig. 10. Therefore, when the cover housing 22 is sealed, the hygrometer 36 measures the humidity inside the cover housing 22.

[0036] Spectrometer 38 measures the electromagnetic spectrum of light, and during measurement, it separates light into wavelengths and measures the intensity of the light for each separated wavelength. To this end, as shown in Fig. 8, spectrometer 38 has a light receiver 150 that receives light and a measuring instrument 152 that separates the received light and measures its intensity. Light receiver 150 is disposed outside cover housing 22 in a position facing glass plate 80, and receives plasma light generated inside cover housing 22. Measuring instrument 152 separates the plasma light and measures its intensity.

[0037] The irradiation block temperature measuring device 40 measures temperature using infrared rays and is fixed facing downward to the side of the cover 50 of the plasma generator 20, as shown in FIG. 10 . The cover 50 of the plasma generator 20 is erected on the upper surface of the upper cover 76, and a through-hole 156 is formed in the upper surface of the upper cover 76, located below the irradiation block temperature measuring device 40 fixed to the side of the cover 50. The through-hole 156 is formed in a location different from the storage section 184 of the irradiation block 180, i.e., above a location of the irradiation block 180 where the liquid to be treated is not stored, and a transparent glass plate 158 is disposed to cover the through-hole 156. In other words, the irradiation block temperature measuring device 40, the glass plate 158, and the irradiation block 180 are positioned on a straight line in the vertical direction. With this structure, the irradiation block temperature measuring device 40 measures the temperature of the irradiation block 180 using infrared rays emitted from the irradiation block when plasma is irradiating the liquid to be treated stored in the irradiation block. Since the inside of the cover housing 22 becomes hot due to the irradiation of plasma, the irradiation block temperature measuring device 40 is disposed outside the cover housing 22 to prevent damage, malfunction, etc. to the irradiation block temperature measuring device 40.

[0038] The device temperature measuring device 42 also measures temperature using infrared rays and is disposed outside the upper cover 76, facing the side of the upper cover 76, as shown in FIG. 11 . A bracket 160 extending outward from the side edge of the upper surface of the upper cover 76 is fixed to the upper surface of the upper cover 76, and the device temperature measuring device 42 is fixed to the underside of the bracket 160, facing the side of the upper cover 76. A through-hole 162 is formed in the side of the upper cover 76 facing the device temperature measuring device 42, and the device temperature measuring device 42 corresponds to the lower block 54 of the plasma generator 20 through the through-hole 162. A transparent glass plate 164 is disposed to cover the through-hole 162. In other words, the device temperature measuring device 42, the glass plate 164, and the lower block 54 of the plasma generator 20 are aligned in the left-right direction. With this structure, the device temperature measuring device 42 measures the temperature of the plasma generator 20 by infrared rays emitted from the lower block 54 of the plasma generator 20 when the plasma generator 20 is irradiating plasma. Note that since the inside of the cover housing 22 becomes hot due to plasma irradiation, by disposing the device temperature measuring device 42 outside the cover housing 22, damage, malfunction, etc. to the device temperature measuring device 42 can be prevented.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 12 , the laser beam measurement device 44 has an irradiator 170 that irradiates laser beams and a photoreceiver 172 that receives the laser beam irradiated from the irradiator 170. The irradiator 170 is disposed outside the cover housing 22 in a position facing one of the four glass plates 80 fitted in the upper cover 76, namely, glass plate 80a, and irradiates laser beams through the glass plate 80a toward plasma 176 generated at the center inside the cover housing. The photoreceiver 172 is disposed outside the cover housing 22 in a position facing another of the four glass plates 80 fitted in the upper cover 76, glass plate 80b, which is located on the opposite side of the glass plate 80a on which the irradiator 170 is disposed. In other words, the irradiator 170 and the photoreceiver 172 are disposed so as to sandwich the two glass plates 80a and 80b that are disposed symmetrically about the plasma 176 generated inside the cover housing 22. Therefore, the photoreceiver 172 receives the laser light irradiated by the irradiator 170 toward the plasma 176. The photoreceiver 172 measures the intensity by separating the received laser light into wavelengths. Furthermore, since the inside of the cover housing 22 becomes hot due to the irradiation of the plasma, by disposing the laser light measuring device 44 outside the cover housing 22, damage, failure, etc. of the laser light measuring device 44 can be prevented.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 1, the exhaust mechanism 46 includes an L-shaped pipe 187, a connecting pipe 188, and a main pipe 189. As shown in FIG. 7, the lower cover 78 is formed with a duct opening 190 that opens to both the upper and lower surfaces. The opening of the duct opening 190 on the upper surface of the lower cover 78 is formed with a tapered surface 192 whose inner diameter increases upward. In other words, when the cover housing 22 is sealed, the tapered surface 192 is inclined toward the inner wall surface of the upper cover 76. Meanwhile, the L-shaped pipe 187 is connected to the opening of the duct opening 190 on the lower surface of the lower cover 78. The main pipe 189 is connected to the L-shaped pipe 187 via the connecting pipe 188. The portion of the connecting pipe 188 on the L-shaped pipe 187 side is omitted. An ozone filter 196 is disposed inside the main pipe 189. The ozone filter 196 is made of activated carbon and adsorbs ozone.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 13 , the control device 48 includes a controller 200 and multiple drive circuits 202. The multiple drive circuits 202 are connected to the electrode 56, the process gas supply device 74, the electromagnetic motor 117, and the purge gas supply device 132. The controller 200, which includes a CPU, ROM, RAM, and the like and is primarily a computer, is connected to the multiple drive circuits 202. The controller 200 controls the operation of the plasma generator 20, the elevator device 28, and the purge gas supply mechanism 32. The controller 200 is also connected to the hygrometer 36 and acquires the measurement result of the hygrometer 36, i.e., the humidity inside the cover housing 22. The controller 200 is also connected to the irradiation block temperature measuring device 40 and acquires the measurement result of the irradiation block temperature measuring device 40, i.e., the temperature of the irradiation block 180. The controller 200 is also connected to the apparatus temperature measuring device 42 and acquires the measurement result of the apparatus temperature measuring device 42, i.e., the temperature of the plasma generator 20. The controller 200 is also connected to the detection sensor 144 of the concentration detection mechanism 34, and acquires the detection result of the detection sensor 144, i.e., the oxygen concentration inside the cover housing 22. The controller 200 is also connected to the measuring instrument 152 of the spectrometer 38, and acquires the measurement result of the measuring instrument 152, i.e., the intensity of the plasma light for each wavelength. The controller 200 is also connected to the laser light measuring device 44, and acquires the measurement result of the laser light measuring device 44, i.e., the intensity of the laser light for each wavelength.

[0042] In the atmospheric pressure plasma irradiation device 10 configured as described above, plasma is irradiated onto the culture solution, activating the culture solution. Therefore, plasma is expected to be utilized in the medical field, such as cancer treatment using plasma-irradiated culture solution. For this reason, plasma-irradiated culture solution is produced, and it is preferable that the culture solution be irradiated with plasma under controlled conditions. With the atmospheric pressure plasma irradiation device 10 configured as described above, by placing the irradiation block 180 on the stage 26 and sealing the cover housing 22, it is possible to irradiate the culture solution with plasma under predetermined conditions. A method for irradiating the culture solution with plasma under predetermined conditions is described in detail below.

[0043] Specifically, first, the irradiation block 180 is placed on the stage 26. Next, the elevator 28 raises and lowers the stage 26 to a desired height. This makes it possible to set the distance between the plasma nozzle 72 and the culture solution, which serves as the object to be irradiated with the plasma, as desired. The height to which the stage 26 has been raised and lowered can be confirmed using the scale on the measuring rod 118.

[0044] Next, the upper cover 76 is lowered to seal the cover housing 22. Then, the purge gas supply mechanism 32 supplies an inert gas into the interior of the cover housing 22. At this time, the concentration detection mechanism 34 detects the oxygen concentration inside the cover housing 22. Then, after the detected oxygen concentration becomes equal to or lower than a preset threshold, the plasma generator 20 ejects plasma into the interior of the cover housing 22. At this time, the plasma is irradiated toward the irradiation block 180 located below the nozzle block 58 of the plasma generator 20. Note that the supply of inert gas into the interior of the cover housing 22 continues even while the plasma is being irradiated.

[0045] Furthermore, the liquid to be treated, adjusted to a constant flow rate, is fed to the storage section 184 of the irradiation block 180 via the liquid feed tube 120. When a predetermined amount of the liquid to be treated is stored in the storage section 184, the feeding of the liquid to the storage section 184 is stopped. Then, the liquid to be treated stored in the storage section 184 is irradiated with plasma gas from the plasma generator 20, thereby activating the liquid to be treated.

[0046] Furthermore, when the plasma generator 20 irradiates the irradiation block 180 with plasma gas, the irradiation block temperature measuring device 40 measures the temperature of the irradiation block 180. This makes it possible to confirm the temperature of the irradiation block 180 during plasma irradiation. Furthermore, when the plasma generator 20 irradiates the irradiation block 180 with plasma gas, the device temperature measuring device 42 measures the temperature of the lower block 54 of the plasma generator 20. This makes it possible to confirm the temperature of the plasma generator 20 during plasma irradiation.

[0047] Furthermore, when the plasma gas is irradiated onto the irradiation block 180 by the plasma generator 20, the intensity of the plasma light of the plasma gas irradiated by the plasma generator 20 is measured by the spectrometer 38. As described above, the intensity of the plasma light measured by the spectrometer 38 is measured for each wavelength. Meanwhile, when the processing gas is converted into plasma in the plasma generator 20, light of a predetermined wavelength is emitted. Therefore, by measuring the intensity of the plasma light measured for each wavelength, it is possible to confirm the excited reaction state of the plasma gas. In other words, by measuring the intensity of the plasma light measured for each wavelength, it is possible to confirm whether the processing gas is properly converted into plasma.

[0048] Furthermore, while the plasma generator 20 is irradiating the plasma gas onto the irradiation block 180, the laser beam measuring device 44 irradiates the plasma gas with laser beam and measures the intensity of the laser beam. As described above, the intensity of the laser beam measured by the laser beam measuring device 44 is measured for each wavelength. On the other hand, when the plasma gas is irradiated with laser beam, laser beams of specific wavelengths are absorbed by the plasma gas depending on the components of the plasma gas. Therefore, by measuring the intensity of the laser beam measured for each wavelength, the components of the plasma gas can be confirmed.

[0049] Furthermore, even when the plasma generator 20 is irradiating the irradiation block 180 with plasma gas, the concentration detection mechanism 34 detects the oxygen concentration inside the cover housing 22. Therefore, the oxygen concentration inside the cover housing 22 during plasma irradiation can also be confirmed. Furthermore, when the plasma generator 20 is irradiating the irradiation block 180 with plasma gas, the hygrometer 36 detects the humidity inside the cover housing 22. Therefore, the humidity inside the cover housing 22 during plasma irradiation can also be confirmed.

[0050] In this way, in the atmospheric pressure plasma irradiation device 10, the plasma gas is irradiated onto the irradiation block 180 while measuring the temperature of the irradiation block 180, the temperature of the plasma generator 20, the excited reaction state of the plasma gas, the components of the plasma gas, and the oxygen concentration and humidity inside the cover housing 22. It has been found that the therapeutic effect of the plasma-irradiated liquid to be treated is exerted by irradiating the liquid to be treated with plasma gas for a predetermined time. For this reason, the liquid to be treated stored in the storage section 184 is irradiated with plasma gas for a predetermined time. Furthermore, the liquid to be treated undergoes natural convection within the storage section 184 due to the irradiation of the plasma gas. This allows for the production of a homogeneous, activated plasma-treated liquid that exerts a therapeutic effect.

[0051] Then, when a predetermined time has elapsed since plasma irradiation of the liquid to be treated has begun, the plasma-treated liquid stored in the storage section 184 is discharged through the drainage tube 122 by the operation of the discharge pump. At this time, when a predetermined time has elapsed since discharge of the plasma-treated liquid from the storage section 184 began, it is determined that no plasma-treated liquid remains in the storage section 184, and discharge of the plasma-treated liquid from the storage section 184 is completed. Then, the supply pump operates to supply the next liquid to be plasma-treated to the storage section 184 of the irradiation block 180 through the liquid feed tube 120. Thereafter, the plasma treatment process of irradiating the liquid to be treated stored in the storage section 184 with plasma for a predetermined time, draining the plasma-treated liquid, supplying new liquid to be treated to the irradiation block 180, irradiating the liquid to be treated with plasma, and so on is repeated until the target amount of plasma-treated liquid is produced.

[0052] In this way, in the atmospheric pressure plasma irradiation device 10, by supplying an inert gas into the cover housing 22, the air inside the cover housing 22 is exhausted to the outside of the cover housing 22. At this time, the oxygen concentration inside the cover housing 22 is adjusted to control the conditions that affect plasma irradiation. Specifically, because plasma contains active radicals, when it reacts with oxygen it becomes ozone, reducing the effectiveness of plasma irradiation. Therefore, by adjusting the oxygen concentration inside the cover housing 22 before and during plasma irradiation, it is possible to examine the effect of oxygen concentration on the effectiveness of plasma-irradiated culture solution. Furthermore, it is possible to irradiate plasma to culture solution under the same conditions. This makes it possible to produce plasma-treated liquid efficiently and reproducibly.

[0053] Furthermore, in the atmospheric pressure plasma irradiation device 10, the distance between the plasma nozzle 72 and the culture solution can be set arbitrarily. This makes it possible to investigate the influence of irradiation distance on the effect of plasma-irradiated culture solution, and to produce plasma-treated liquid efficiently and reproducibly.

[0054] Furthermore, in the atmospheric pressure plasma irradiation device 10, when the plasma generator 20 irradiates the irradiation block 180 with plasma gas, the temperature of the irradiation block 180 and the temperature of the plasma generator 20 are measured. This makes it possible to examine the influence of temperature on the effect of the plasma-irradiated culture solution, and to produce a plasma-treated liquid efficiently and reproducibly.

[0055] Furthermore, in the atmospheric pressure plasma irradiation device 10, the humidity inside the cover housing 22 is also measured when the plasma generator 20 is irradiating the irradiation block 180 with plasma gas. This makes it possible to examine the influence of humidity on the effect of the plasma-irradiated culture solution, and to produce a plasma-treated liquid efficiently and reproducibly.

[0056] Furthermore, in the atmospheric pressure plasma irradiation device 10, when the plasma gas is irradiated onto the irradiation block 180 by the plasma generator 20, the intensity of the plasma light from the plasma gas is measured by the spectrometer 38. This makes it possible to confirm the excited reaction state of the plasma gas, and to generate a plasma-treated liquid efficiently and reproducibly.

[0057] In addition, in the atmospheric pressure plasma irradiation device 10, when the plasma generator 20 irradiates the irradiation block 180 with plasma gas, the laser beam measuring device 44 irradiates the plasma gas with laser beam and measures the intensity of the laser beam. This makes it possible to confirm the components of the plasma gas, and to generate a plasma-treated liquid efficiently and reproducibly.

[0058] A duct opening 190 is also formed in the lower cover 78. Therefore, supplying an inert gas into the cover housing 22 creates a positive pressure inside the cover housing 22, and air is naturally exhausted from inside the cover housing 22. A tapered surface 192 is also formed in the duct opening 190 of the lower cover 78, the inner diameter of which increases toward the upper surface of the lower cover 78. This makes it possible to promote the exhaust of gas from inside the cover housing 22. Furthermore, an ozone filter 196 is provided in the exhaust mechanism 46. This makes it possible to prevent the ozone from being exhausted to the outside, even if ozone is generated by a reaction between plasma and oxygen.

[0059] 13, the controller 200 of the control device 48 has an irradiation unit 210 and a temperature measurement unit 212. The irradiation unit 210 is a functional unit for irradiating the liquid to be treated stored in the irradiation block 180 with plasma gas. The temperature measurement unit 212 is a functional unit for measuring the temperature of the irradiation block 180 when the liquid to be treated stored in the irradiation block 180 is irradiated with plasma gas.

[0060] In the above embodiment, the atmospheric pressure plasma irradiation device 10 is an example of a plasma irradiation device. The plasma generation device 20 is an example of a plasma generation device. The cover housing 22 is an example of a housing. The hygrometer 36 is an example of a humidity measuring device. The spectroscope 38 is an example of a spectroscope. The irradiation block temperature measuring device 40 is an example of a container temperature measuring device. The device temperature measuring device 42 is an example of a device temperature measuring device. The laser beam measuring device 44 is an example of a laser beam measuring device. The through-hole 77 is an example of a through-hole. The glass plate 80 is an example of a transparent member. The through-hole 156 is an example of a through-hole. The glass plate 158 is an example of a transparent member. The irradiator 170 is an example of an irradiation unit. The light receiver 172 is an example of a light receiving unit. The irradiation block 180 is an example of a container. The process performed by the irradiation unit 210 is an example of an irradiation process. The process executed by the temperature measurement unit 212 is an example of a temperature measurement process.

[0061] As described above, the present embodiment has the following advantages.

[0062] The atmospheric pressure plasma irradiation device 10 comprises an irradiation block 180 that stores the liquid to be treated, a plasma generator 20 that generates plasma to be irradiated onto the liquid to be treated stored in the irradiation block 180, and an irradiation block temperature measuring device 40 that measures the temperature of the irradiation block 180. This makes it possible to investigate the influence of the temperature of the irradiation block 180 on the effect of plasma-irradiated culture solution, and enables the production of plasma-treated liquid efficiently and with good reproducibility.

[0063] The atmospheric pressure plasma irradiation device 10 also includes a device temperature measuring device 42 that measures the temperature of the plasma generator 20. This makes it possible to examine the influence of the temperature of the plasma generator 20 on the effect of plasma-irradiated culture solution, and to produce plasma-treated liquid efficiently and with good reproducibility.

[0064] Furthermore, a through hole 156 is formed in the cover housing 22, and a glass plate 158 is fitted into the through hole 156. The irradiation block temperature measuring device 40 is disposed outside the cover housing 22, and measures the temperature of the irradiation block 180 through the glass plate 158. As a result, the irradiation block temperature measuring device 40 is disposed outside the cover housing 22, rather than inside the cover housing 22 where the temperature becomes high, and this prevents damage, malfunction, etc. to the irradiation block temperature measuring device 40.

[0065] The atmospheric pressure plasma irradiation device 10 also includes a spectrometer 38 that measures the intensity of the plasma generated by the plasma generator 20. This makes it possible to confirm the excited reaction state of the plasma gas, enabling efficient and reproducible production of plasma-treated liquid.

[0066] The atmospheric pressure plasma irradiation device 10 also includes a laser beam measuring device 44, which has an irradiator 170 that irradiates laser beam onto the plasma generated by the plasma generator 20, and a receiver 172 that receives the laser beam irradiated by the irradiator 170. The components of the plasma are calculated based on the intensity of the laser beam received by the receiver 172. This makes it possible to generate a plasma-treated liquid efficiently and with good reproducibility.

[0067] A pair of through holes 77 are formed in the cover housing 22, and a pair of glass plates 80 are fitted into the pair of through holes 77. The irradiator 170 of the laser beam measuring device 44 is disposed outside the cover housing 22, and irradiates the plasma with laser beams through one of the pair of glass plates 80. The photoreceiver 172 of the laser beam measuring device 44 is also disposed outside the cover housing 22, and receives the laser beams irradiated from the irradiator 170 through one of the pair of glass plates 80. In this way, by disposing the laser beam measuring device 44 outside the cover housing 22, rather than inside the cover housing 22 where temperatures become high, damage, malfunction, etc. of the laser beam measuring device 44 is prevented.

[0068] The atmospheric pressure plasma irradiation device 10 is also equipped with a hygrometer 36 that measures the humidity inside the cover housing 22. This makes it possible to examine the influence of humidity on the effect of plasma-irradiated culture solution, and to produce plasma-treated liquid efficiently and with good reproducibility.

[0069] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and improvements can be made based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art. For example, in the above-described embodiments, plasma is irradiated onto the liquid to be treated inside the sealed cover housing 22, but plasma may be irradiated onto the liquid to be treated in an open space. Furthermore, in the above-described embodiments, plasma is irradiated onto the liquid to be treated under atmospheric pressure, but plasma may be irradiated onto the liquid to be treated under reduced pressure.

[0070] In addition, although a culture medium is used as the liquid to be treated in the above-described embodiment, a liquid other than a culture medium can be used as the liquid to be treated. Furthermore, the present disclosure can be applied not only to the medical field but also to various fields such as the industrial field.

[0071] In the above embodiment, the hygrometer 36, the spectrometer 38, the irradiation block temperature measuring device 40, the device temperature measuring device 42, and the laser beam measuring device 44 are disposed in the atmospheric pressure plasma irradiation device 10. On the other hand, at least one of the hygrometer 36, the spectrometer 38, the irradiation block temperature measuring device 40, the device temperature measuring device 42, and the laser beam measuring device 44 may be provided in the atmospheric pressure plasma irradiation device 10. [Explanation of symbols]

[0072] 10: Atmospheric pressure plasma irradiation device (plasma irradiation device) 20: Plasma generator 22: Cover housing (housing) 36: Hygrometer (humidity measuring device) 38: Spectrometer 40: Irradiation block temperature measuring device (container temperature measuring device) 42: Device temperature measuring device 44: Laser light measuring device 77: Through hole 80: Glass plate (transparent member) 156: Through hole 158: Glass plate (transparent member) 170: Irradiator (irradiation unit) 172: Light receiver (light receiving unit) 180: Irradiation block (container) 210: Irradiation unit (irradiation process) 212: Temperature measuring unit (temperature measuring process)

Claims

1. A container for storing a liquid to be treated; a plasma generator that generates plasma to be irradiated onto the liquid to be treated stored in the container; a container temperature measuring device for measuring the temperature of the container; A plasma irradiation device comprising:

2. The plasma irradiation device according to claim 1 , further comprising a device temperature measuring device for measuring the temperature of the plasma generating device.

3. a housing that covers the container; the container temperature measuring device is disposed outside the housing and measures the temperature of the container through a transparent member fitted in a through hole formed in the housing; The plasma irradiation device according to claim 1 or 2, comprising:

4. 4. The plasma irradiation device according to claim 1, further comprising a spectrometer for measuring the intensity of the plasma generated by the plasma generator.

5. 5. The plasma irradiation device according to claim 1, further comprising: an irradiation unit that irradiates laser light toward the plasma generated by the plasma generating device; and a light receiving unit that receives the laser light irradiated by the irradiation unit, and a laser light measuring device that measures the intensity of the laser light.

6. a housing that covers the container and has a pair of through holes formed at positions that sandwich the container; The plasma irradiation device according to claim 5, further comprising: the irradiation unit disposed outside the housing and irradiating laser light through a transparent member fitted into one of the pair of through holes; and the light receiving unit disposed outside the housing and receiving laser light through a transparent member fitted into the other of the pair of through holes.

7. a housing that covers the container; a humidity measuring device for measuring the humidity inside the housing; The plasma irradiation device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, comprising:

8. A container for storing the liquid to be treated; a housing that covers the container; a plasma generator that generates plasma to be irradiated onto the liquid to be treated stored in the container; a humidity measuring device for measuring the humidity inside the housing; A plasma irradiation device comprising:

9. an irradiation step of irradiating plasma onto the liquid to be treated stored in the container; a temperature measuring step of measuring the temperature of the container while the plasma is being irradiated onto the liquid to be treated stored in the container in the irradiation step; Including, The method for producing a plasma-treated liquid includes producing a plasma-treated liquid by irradiating with plasma in the irradiation step.

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