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    From patent to product? 50 years of low-pressure plasma sterilization
    (Weinheim : Wiley-VCH, 2018-10-18) Fiebrandt, Marcel; Lackmann, Jan-Wilm; Stapelmann, Katharina
    The development of new sterilization methods is still a major topic. The need for new techniques arises from the development of new instruments and the usage of different materials. Especially in the case of plastics with their beneficial properties, for example, in the field of implantology, plasma sterilization is seen as a promising alternative to the standard methods. However, 50 years after the first patent and although low-pressure plasmas show excellent inactivation performance (>log 6 reduction), only one commercial system is available on the market for a distinct application. We will give a short review about known plasma sterilization mechanisms, the different plasma sterilization systems in use, analyze possible challenges for an industrial process and comment on possible solutions for a broader acceptance and utilization of low-pressure plasma sterilization.
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    Continuously operating biosensor and its integration into a hermetically sealed medical implant
    (Basel : MDPI, 2016) Birkholz, Mario; Glogener, Paul; Glös, Franziska; Basmer, Thomas; Theuer, Lorenz
    An integration concept for an implantable biosensor for the continuous monitoring of blood sugar levels is presented. The system architecture is based on technical modules used in cardiovascular implants in order to minimize legal certification efforts for its perspective usage in medical applications. The sensor chip operates via the principle of affinity viscometry, which is realized by a fully embedded biomedical microelectromechanical systems (BioMEMS) prepared in 0.25-µm complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor (CMOS)/BiCMOS technology. Communication with a base station is established in the 402–405 MHz band used for medical implant communication services (MICS). The implant shall operate within the interstitial tissue, and the hermetical sealing of the electronic system against interaction with the body fluid is established using titanium housing. Only the sensor chip and the antenna are encapsulated in an epoxy header closely connected to the metallic housing. The study demonstrates that biosensor implants for the sensing of low-molecular-weight metabolites in the interstitial may successfully rely on components already established in cardiovascular implantology.
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    Sterilization of liquid foods by pulsed electric fields – an innovative ultra-high temperature process
    (Lausanne : Frontiers Media, 2015) Reineke, Kai; Schottroff, Felix; Meneses, Nicolas; Knorr, Dietrich
    The intention of this study was to investigate the inactivation of endospores by a combined thermal and pulsed electric field (PEF) treatment. Therefore, self-cultivated spores of Bacillus subtilis and commercial Geobacillus stearothermophilus spores with certified heat resistance were utilized. Spores of both strains were suspended in saline water (5.3 mS cm−1), skim milk (0.3% fat; 5.3 mS cm−1) and fresh prepared carrot juice (7.73 mS cm−1). The combination of moderate preheating (70–90°C) and an insulated PEF-chamber, combined with a holding tube (65 cm) and a heat exchanger for cooling, enabled a rapid heat up to 105–140°C (measured above the PEF chamber) within 92.2–368.9 μs. To compare the PEF process with a pure thermal inactivation, each spore suspension was heat treated in thin glass capillaries and D-values from 90 to 130°C and its corresponding z-values were calculated. For a comparison of the inactivation data, F-values for the temperature fields of both processes were calculated by using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). A preheating of saline water to 70°C with a flow rate of 5 l h−1, a frequency of 150 Hz and an energy input of 226.5 kJ kg−1, resulted in a measured outlet temperature of 117°C and a 4.67 log10 inactivation of B. subtilis. The thermal process with identical F-value caused only a 3.71 log10 inactivation. This synergism of moderate preheating and PEF was even more pronounced for G. stearothermophilus spores in saline water. A preheating to 95°C and an energy input of 144 kJ kg−1 resulted in an outlet temperature of 126°C and a 3.28 log10 inactivation, whereas nearly no inactivation (0.2 log10) was achieved during the thermal treatment. Hence, the PEF technology was evaluated as an alternative ultra-high temperature process. However, for an industrial scale application of this process for sterilization, optimization of the treatment chamber design is needed to reduce the occurring inhomogeneous temperature fields.