Evaluation of the Sterilization Effect of a Plasma Generator with a Flexible Electrode Structure on Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Abstract

In this study, the sterilization ability of S. aureus and P. aeruginosa was evaluated using a plasma generator with a flexible electrode structure. Both strains were prepared at a concentration of 1.5×106 CFU/mL and inoculated and spread evenly on two medium plates. The medium were kept at a distance of 3 cm and 9 cm from the plasma generator and were plasma discharged from 30 sec to 10 minutes. The growth of colonies on the media, were subsequently compared with the control group. The mean colonies of S. aureus formed at a 3 cm distance were 9.2×102 (log value 2.96) CFU/mL for the 5 min discharge period and 8.0×10 (1.90) CFU/mL for the 10 min discharge period. When the medium was exposed for 5 min and 10 min at a 9 cm distance, the mean colonies of S. aureus formed were 2.16×103 (3.33) and 2.4×102 (2.38) CFU/mL, respectively. The medium containing P. aeruginosa kept at a 3 cm distance and exposed to 3, 5, 10-minute discharge, did not form any colonies. When kept at a 9 cm distance for 3 minutes, 6.0×102 (2.78) CFU/mL mean colonies were formed but no colonies were formed at exposure periods of 5 and 10 minutes. This enhanced sterilization effect was confirmed in experiments of S. aureus and P. aeruginosa using TiO2.

Keywords

• flexible electrode
• p. aeruginosa
• s. aureus
• sterilization