Microwave plasmas for low-temperature dry sterilization.

The use of microwave plasmas for dry sterilization has been investigated. The dry-sterilization process is a process similar to plasma etching. Bacteria and viruses can be killed by chemical reactions which disintegrate their bodies and remove them from the surface to be sterilized. The removal of bacteria or viruses from material surfaces is caused by the reaction of activated oxygen species in the plasma with hydrocarbon bonds of the cell wall of the bacteria or the capsid of the viruses. Preliminary experiments indicate that the low-temperature dry sterilization method is easy to use, requires much less time than other methods for sterilization, and is also non-toxic. It is feasible for use in the field of sterilization in dental and medical clinics.