| Serious drawbacks of conventional sterilization techniques (Autoclaves, Ethylene oxide, Irradiation, Glutaraldehyde) with respect to polymer-based medical devices and Prions sterilization, have stimulated intense research in order to find innovative and efficient solutions. In this context, plasma sterilization, a relatively young field of research, shows great potential owing to its specific properties as a sterilizing medium. Plasma state contains many active species like UV photons and free radicals, one of the several consequences of exposure to plasma is the erosion of the surfaces that are in contact with it.; UV photons, along with the erosion induced by oxygen atoms, lead to fast spore inactivation. In order to better control and understand the plasma sterilisation process, one should assess the erosion rate and how it varies with the plasma operating parameters involved. For this purpose, we have evaluated the effects of plasma afterglow on Bacillus subtilis spores and on some biomedical polymers by subjecting them to the afterglow of a microwave discharge in N2-O2 mixtures, at reduced pressure. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)... |
