Chemical-free disinfection of surfaces is a major challenge
Cold plasma has a germ-reducing effect – completely without chemicals, heat, radiation or UV – and is therefore particularly suitable for sensitive objects that cannot be freed from microorganisms using the conventional methods mentioned above. In addition, cold plasma is created in a sustainable and natural cycle and is generated from normal ambient air with the targeted addition of a little energy. As soon as the energy supply is stopped, the Cold Plasma turns back into normal room air and leaves no waste products behind.
Since physical mechanisms of action are also used against microorganisms (the microorganisms are literally “drilled open” by the cold plasma – see press images), there is also no resistance to the increasingly dangerous MREs such as the well-known ESKAPE germs. These include
- Vancomycin-resistant Eenterococci (VRE)
- Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)
- Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae
- Acinetobacter baumannii
- Pseudomonas aeruginosa
- Enterobacterales (extended-spectrum beta-lactamase formers/ESBL)
Aerosol acts as a "booster" for the disinfection performance
As an invisible gas, cold plasma gets into even the smallest crevices of an object or surface to be decontaminated – unlike UV, for example, there are no shadows. However, this unstable gas dissipates quite quickly and is therefore most effective when used in an enclosed treatment room such as a mobile object disinfection unit like the CBC PlasmaEgg from Kimetec.
By using a water-based aerosol (a very fine water mist) in addition to cold plasma, terraplasma has now been able to significantly speed up the decontamination process: it previously took several minutes to achieve deactivation of 99.9% of microorganisms, but this result is now achieved in just a few seconds. The aerosol enables significantly more efficient distribution and targeted application of the so-called “reactive species” (active substances) of the plasma to the areas to be disinfected. This speeds up the overall process and makes it ideal for the fast and efficient disinfection of surfaces in seconds.
Looking for partners for the further development of this universally applicable rapid disinfectant
By using the “tpTop” prototype, terraplasma was able to successfully test and trial a concept for disinfecting (irregular) surfaces within a very short time using cold plasma for the first time. The promising results motivate the terraplasma team to continue testing this topic and to develop an optimised setup for disinfection – preferably with a partner company with experience in the fields of cleaning and hygiene, as terraplasma’s technology can be used as a complementary technology in various cleaning devices such as vacuum cleaning robots or floor cleaning machines due to its compact design and low power consumption.
