CBRN Decontamination using a Large-Area Cold Plasma Applicator

Abstract

The medical community has used cold plasma for several years. A cold plasma is an ionized gas in which only a small fraction of the gas molecules are ionized, and is formed by passing an inert gas, such as argon or helium, over a sharp conductive point that is held at high voltage and high frequency. An additional benefit in the medical application of this technology is enhanced wound healing due to the destruction of infectious microbial agents without damaging healthy tissue. By expanding the cold plasma applicator to an area of a square meter or more, a general purpose decontamination device results with uses in the destruction of biological and chemical agents, and in assisting in the removal of radiological agents, while causing minimal or no damage to the contaminated substrate material. This approach is especially useful on porous surfaces. The use of large-area low cost applicators, utilizing numerous simultaneous independent plasma emitters for CBRN decontamination applications is considered.