Pulse Generator Characteristics Determine Helium/Oxygen Plasma Efficacy: An Insight Into Enhanced Bacterial Decontamination

Abstract

This study examined two distinct pulse generators operating with the same reactor, utilizing helium and helium/oxygen mixtures as the working gases. The research focused on the distribution of RONS on the agar surface, their concentration, and the bacterial inhibition halo. The findings demonstrate that modifying the gas mixture influences the concentration of RONS, thereby altering the dominant reactive species and affecting the levels of others during plasma exposure. The incorporation of O2 into the gas mixture leads to less homogeneous treatment, thereby complicating the eradication of microbes. Nevertheless, it also broadens the spectrum of RONS delivery, which may be beneficial for demanding clinical applications, including tracheal T-tube biofilm control, as preliminary investigated in this work.