Plasma Device With Catalyst-Embedded Nanoporous Dielectric
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current plasma technologies lack the ability to selectively remove specific tissue types from mixed or multi-layered biological tissues at low temperatures with minimal impact on adjacent tissues, and fail to achieve high selectivity and efficiency in material processing.
Innovation Solution
A plasma device with a nanoporous dielectric layer embedded with catalysts on electrodes, capable of generating chemically reactive plasma species and excited-state species, which allows for tailored plasma conditions to selectively remove desired tissue types by controlling electron temperature and density, and using specific electrode structures to enhance plasma operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional plasma technologies are used for tissue removal, then material removal is achieved, but selectivity among different tissue types is insufficient and adjacent tissues are affected
Solution Approach 1:
The patent embeds catalysts specifically within nanoporous dielectric layers on electrode surfaces, creating localized zones of enhanced chemical reactivity. This local modification enables selective activation of specific plasma species at the tissue interface, allowing differential removal of target tissue types while preserving adjacent tissues through spatially targeted chemical activity.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention controls electron temperature and density parameters to generate specific plasma species compositions. By tailoring these parameters, the system activates catalysts that produce chemically reactive species with selectivity for particular tissue types, enabling precise control over which tissues are removed while protecting others through parameter-based species selection.
2Productivity
If plasma power is increased to enhance material removal rate, then productivity improves, but temperature increases causing thermal damage to surrounding tissues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces thermal plasma mechanisms with catalyst-enhanced chemical reaction mechanisms. The embedded catalysts facilitate non-thermal chemical pathways that produce highly reactive species capable of rapid tissue removal without requiring high bulk plasma temperatures, thus achieving high productivity through chemical reactivity rather than thermal energy.
Solution Approach 2:
The system operates in a non-equilibrium plasma state by controlling electron temperature independently from heavy particle temperature. This parameter separation allows high electron temperatures to drive catalytic reactions and material removal while maintaining low bulk plasma temperatures that prevent thermal damage to surrounding tissues, achieving high removal rates without thermal side effects.
3Productivity
If plasma species flux is increased to improve removal efficiency, then productivity increases, but selectivity decreases causing unwanted removal of adjacent tissues
Solution Approach 1:
The catalysts embedded in the nanoporous dielectric layers create localized regions of enhanced chemical reactivity that preferentially generate specific reactive species. This local quality enhancement allows high fluxes of selective chemical species to be produced at the target tissue interface, maintaining high removal efficiency while preserving selectivity through spatially concentrated catalytic activity.
Solution Approach 2:
The embedded catalysts act as intermediaries that mediate between the plasma environment and tissue interactions. These catalysts selectively facilitate chemical reactions that produce tissue-type-specific reactive species, enabling high flux operation while maintaining selectivity through the catalyst's role as a chemical mediator that directs plasma species toward desired reaction pathways.
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
Enables selective removal of specific tissue types with minimal effect on adjacent tissues, achieving higher removal rates and selectivity through controlled plasma conditions and catalyst-enhanced reactions, as demonstrated by increased tissue removal depth and mass loss with embedded nickel catalysts.
Implementation Method 1
Electrical discharges in dense media, such as liquids and gases at or near atmospheric pressure, can, under appropriate conditions, result in plasma formation. Plasmas have the unique ability to create large amounts of chemical species, such as ions, radicals, electrons, excited-state (e.g., metastable) species, molecular fragments, photons
Implementation Method 2
at least a portion of the plurality of pores include a catalyst embedded therein
Implementation Method 3
Plasmas are also capable of generating photons including vacuum ultraviolet photons that have sufficient energy to initiate photochemical and photocatalytic reaction paths in biological and other materials that are irradiated by the plasma
Data Source
AI summary
A plasma device is disclosed. The plasma device includes: at least one electrode including a nanoporous dielectric layer disposed on at least a portion thereof, the nanoporous dielectric layer including a plurality of pores, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of pores include a catalyst embedded therein.