Non-Thermal Plasma Beam for Microbial Inactivation
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need for systems and methods to induce biological and biochemical effects on living tissues and microorganisms using efficacious non-thermal gas plasma treatments and protocols, as existing methods are limited in their ability to selectively target and modify biological processes without significant alterations to the substrate's pH or hydrogen peroxide concentration.
Innovation Solution
A method and system involving a non-thermal plasma (NTP) emitting source coupled with a plasma coupling mechanism, which includes a plasma beam dish with ferroelectric, ferromagnetic, piezoelectric, or piezomagnetic elements to focus and deliver a modified plasma beam in a predetermined pulsed manner to substrates hosting microorganisms, enhancing biochemical production and microbial inactivation without altering the substrate's pH or hydrogen peroxide concentration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If thermal plasma or laser is used to cut tissues, then cutting efficiency is improved, but selectivity and controllability deteriorate due to non-selective heat transfer
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from thermal plasma to non-thermal plasma, fundamentally changing the physical state and temperature parameters. Non-thermal plasma operates at or near ambient temperature while maintaining reactive species, enabling selective biochemical interactions without uncontrolled heating, thus resolving the contradiction between cutting efficiency and selectivity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the thermal mechanism (heat transfer) with a chemical mechanism (reactive oxygen species generation). Instead of using thermal energy to cut tissues, the system uses chemically reactive species produced by non-thermal plasma, providing selective and controllable biochemical effects on microorganisms
2Productivity
If non-thermal plasma is applied to microorganisms, then biochemical production is enhanced, but exposure time must be extended to achieve sufficient biological effects
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs pulsed non-thermal plasma treatment instead of continuous exposure. The periodic pulsing allows accumulation of biochemical effects during treatment intervals while enabling recovery periods, achieving enhanced biochemical production in shorter total exposure times compared to continuous plasma application
Solution Approach 2:
The system optimizes plasma parameters including power density, pulse duration, and gas composition to maximize reactive oxygen species generation efficiency. By changing these parameters, the patent achieves sufficient biological effects with reduced exposure time while maintaining enhanced biochemical production
3Reliability
If plasma treatment is applied to seeds, then sterilization effect is improved, but treatment duration is extended to several minutes or more than 40 minutes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces conventional thermal sterilization methods with non-thermal plasma sterilization. This substitution allows achieving reliable sterilization effects through reactive oxygen species without the extended treatment durations required by thermal methods, reducing treatment time to shorter periods while maintaining sterilization reliability
4Manufacturing precision
If non-thermal plasma is used for microbial inactivation, then selectivity is improved, but significant alterations to substrate pH or hydrogen peroxide concentration occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements monitoring and control of plasma treatment parameters to maintain substrate composition stability. By using feedback control on pH and hydrogen peroxide concentration during plasma treatment, the system achieves selective microbial inactivation while preventing significant alterations to substrate composition
Solution Approach 2:
The patent optimizes plasma generation parameters including power density, gas flow rate, and treatment duration to control reactive oxygen species production. By carefully adjusting these parameters, the system achieves selective microbial inactivation while maintaining substrate pH and hydrogen peroxide concentration within acceptable ranges
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system effectively induces therapeutic, regenerative, or biochemical effects on microorganisms by enhancing biochemical compound production and microbial inactivation, achieving desired biological effects within a short exposure time and recovery period without engineering or transformation processes.
Implementation Method 1
a plasma coupling mechanism (PCM), said PCM comprises a plasma beam dish having at least one opening for the passage of said NTP beam; said plasma beam dish having a first surface and a second opposite surface; said first surface of said plasma beam dish is mounted with at least one coupling element selected from a group consisting of: 1. at least one ferroelectric element for providing a ferroelectric induced field for coupling with said NTP beam
Implementation Method 2
2. at least one ferromagnetic element for providing a ferromagnetic induced field for coupling with said NTP beam
Implementation Method 3
3. at least one piezoelectric element for providing a piezoelectric induced field for coupling with said NTP beam
Implementation Method 4
4. at least one piezomagnetic element for providing a piezomagnetic induced field for coupling with said NTP beam
Implementation Method 5
said system additionally comprises at least one reflecting element configured to focus said NTP beam thereby generating modified plasma beam
Implementation Method 6
non-thermal plasma created by dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) has dose-dependent effects on mammalian cells in culture that range from increasing cell proliferation to inducing apoptosis. It has been further shown that these effects are primarily due to the formation of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), which are known to cause DNA damage
Implementation Method 7
these effects are primarily due to the formation of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), which are known to cause DNA damage
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention discloses a method for providing at least one biological effect in at least one microorganism. The aforementioned method comprises steps of: (a) providing a system for administering modified plasma; (b) providing a substrate hosting said at least one microorganism; and (c) administering the generated modified plasma beam in a predetermined pulsed manner to said substrate hosting said at least one microorganism to provide said at least one biological effect to said at least one microorganism. The present invention further provides a system thereof.