Nanosecond Dielectric Barrier Discharge (nsDBD) Device Characterization in In Vitro Biomedical Exposure Conditions

In this study, an electrical device was proposed to generate and electrically characterize plasmas of nanosecond dielectric barrier discharges (nsDBDs) for biological samples exposure. The influence of biological solution contained in Petri dish on the discharge characteristics was studied under exposure conditions. The solution surface operated as a counter electrode directly in contact with the discharge plasma and was considered in both classical floating or grounded configurations. The device also allowed large-bandwidth voltage and current measurements assessments. An electrical model of the discharge cell including the Petri dish was developed to electrically characterize the discharge under biological exposure conditions. The discharge current, the dynamic resistance of the discharge, and the energy deposited in the discharge were determined. Circuit simulations supported and completed the experiments.