Investigation on the sterilization mechanisms of a double inductively coupled plasma

Gentile plastic materials used for medical implants are a challenge for common sterilization processes which are either too hot or toxic. Plasma sterilization promises a way to achieve cold, gentile and fast sterilization of medical objects. Different sterilization mechanisms inside a plasma are known: radicals, ion bombardment and radiation. Radicals etch the spore coat, ions with enough energy break bonds, UV and VUV photodesorption can produce volatile species in the spore coat. This can lead to cell death during proliferation. Additionally, radiation below 275 nm can cause strand breaks in the DNA. This contribution focuses on sterilization caused by radiation in the range of 110 - 450 nm. Sterilization results are presented to show the efficiency of optical emission as an important sterilization mechanism in plasmas.