23 research outputs found
Spatially resolved simulation of a radio frequency driven micro atmospheric pressure plasma jet and its effluent
Radio frequency driven plasma jets are frequently employed as efficient
plasma sources for surface modification and other processes at atmospheric
pressure. The radio-frequency driven micro atmospheric pressure plasma jet
(APPJ) is a particular variant of that concept whose geometry allows
direct optical access. In this work, the characteristics of the APPJ
operated with a helium-oxygen mixture and its interaction with a helium
environment are studied by numerical simulation. The density and temperature of
the electrons, as well as the concentration of all reactive species are studied
both in the jet itself and in its effluent. It is found that the effluent is
essentially free of charge carriers but contains a substantial amount of
activated oxygen (O, O and O). The simulation results are
verified by comparison with experimental data
Separation of VUV/UV photons and reactive particles in the effluent of a He/O2 atmospheric pressure plasma jet
Cold atmospheric pressure plasmas can be used for treatment of living tissues
or for inactivation of bacteria or biological macromolecules. The treatment is
usually characterized by a combined effect of UV and VUV radiation, reactive
species, and ions. This combination is usually beneficial for the effectiveness
of the treatment but it makes the study of fundamental interaction mechanisms
very difficult. Here we report on an effective separation of VUV/UV photons and
heavy reactive species in the effluent of a micro scale atmospheric pressure
plasma jet (-APPJ). The separation is realized by an additional flow of
helium gas under well-defined flow conditions, which deflects heavy particles
in the effluent without affecting the VUV and UV photons. Both components of
the effluent, the photons and the reactive species, can be used separately or
in combination for sample treatment. The results of treatment of a model plasma
polymer film and vegetative Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli cells are
shown and discussed. A simple model of the He gas flow and reaction kinetics of
oxygen atoms in the gas phase and at the surface is used to provide a better
understanding of the processes in the plasma effluent. The new jet
modification, called X-Jet for its appearance, will simplify the investigation
of interaction mechanisms of atmospheric pressure plasmas with biological
samples.Comment: 10 pages, 7 figures, submitted to Journal of Physics D: Applied
Physic
Mechanisms behind surface modification of polypropylene film using an atmospheric-pressure plasma jet
Plasma treatments are common for increasing the surface energy of plastics, such as polypropylene (PP), to create improved adhesive properties. Despite the significant differences in plasma sources and plasma properties used, similar effects on the plastic film can be achieved, suggesting a common dominant plasma constituent and underpinning mechanism. However, many details of this process are still unknown. Here we present a study into the mechanisms underpinning surface energy increase of PP using atmospheric-pressure plasmas. For this we use the effluent of an atmospheric-pressure plasma jet (APPJ) since, unlike most plasma sources used for these treatments, there is no direct contact between the plasma and the PP surface; the APPJ provides a neutral, radical-rich environment without charged particles and electric fields impinging on the PP surface. The APPJ is a RF-driven plasma operating in helium gas with small admixtures of O2 (0-1%), where the effluent propagates through open air towards the PP surface. Despite the lack of charged particles and electric fields on the PP surface, measurements of contact angle show a decrease from 93.9° to 70.1° in 1.4 s and to 35° in 120 s, corresponding to a rapid increase in surface energy from 36.4 mN m-1 to 66.5 mN m-1 in the short time of 1.4 s. These treatment effects are very similar to what is found in other devices, highlighting the importance of neutral radicals produced by the plasma. Furthermore, we find an optimum percentage of oxygen of 0.5% within the helium input gas, and a decrease of the treatment effect with distance between the APPJ and the PP surface. These observed effects are linked to two-photon absorption laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy (TALIF) measurements of atomic oxygen density within the APPJ effluent which show similar trends, implying the importance of this radical in the surface treatment of PP. Analysis of the surface reveals a two stage mechanism for the production of polar bonds on the surface of the polymer: a fast reaction producing carboxylic acid, or a similar ketone, followed by a slower reaction that includes nitrogen from the atmosphere on the surface, producing amides from the ketones
Absolute ozone densities in a radio-frequency driven atmospheric pressure plasma using two-beam UV-LED absorption spectroscopy and numerical simulations
International audienceThe efficient generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in cold atmospheric pressure plasma jets (APPJs) is an increasingly important topic, e.g. for the treatment of temperature sensitive biological samples in the field of plasma medicine. A 13.56 MHz radio-frequency (rf) driven APPJ device operated with helium feed gas and small admixtures of oxygen (up to 1%), generating a homogeneous glow-mode plasma at low gas temperatures, was investigated. Absolute densities of ozone, one of the most prominent ROS, were measured across the 11 mm wide discharge channel by means of broadband absorption spectroscopy using the Hartley band centred at lambda = 255 nm. A two-beam setup with a reference beam in Mach--Zehnder configuration is employed for improved signal-to-noise ratio allowing high-sensitivity measurements in the investigated single-pass weak-absorbance regime. The results are correlated to gas temperature measurements, deduced from the rotational temperature of the N2 (C 3 {{{\Pi }}}u \to B 3 {{{\Pi }}}g , upsilo = 0 \to 2) optical emission from introduced air impurities. The observed opposing trends of both quantities as a function of rf power input and oxygen admixture are analysed and explained in terms of a zero-dimensional plasma-chemical kinetics simulation. It is found that the gas temperature as well as the densities of O and O2(b{}1{{{Sigma }}}g ) influence the absolute O3 densities when the rf power is varied
Spectroscopic characterization of atmospheric pressure um-jet plasma source
A radio frequency um-jet plasma source is studied using He/O2 mixture. This
um-jet can be used for different applications as a source of chemical active
species e.g. oxygen atoms, molecular metastables and ozone. Using
absolutely-calibrated optical emission spectroscopy and numerical simulation,
the gas temperature in active plasma region and plasma parameters (electron
density and electron distribution function) are determined. Concentrations of
oxygen atoms and ozone in the plasma channel and in the effluent of the plasma
source are measured using emission and absorption spectroscopy. To interpret
the measured spatial distributions, the steady-state species' concentrations
are calculated using determined plasma parameters and gas temperature. At that
the influence of the surface processes and gas flow regime on the loss of the
active species in the plasma source are discussed. The measured spatial
distributions of oxygen atom and ozone densities are compared with the
simulated ones.Comment: 29 pages, 10 figure
Reproducibility of `COST Reference Microplasma Jets'
Atmospheric pressure plasmas have been ground-breaking for plasma science and technologies, due to their significant application potential in many fields, including medicinal, biological, and environmental applications. This is predominantly due to their efficient production and delivery of chemically reactive species under ambient conditions. One of the challenges in progressing the field is comparing plasma sources and results across the community and the literature. To address this a reference plasma source was established during the `Biomedical Applications of Atmospheric Pressure Plasmas' EU COST Action MP1101. It is crucial that reference sources are reproducible. Here, we present the reproducibility and variance across multiple sources through examining various characteristics, including: absolute atomic oxygen densities, absolute ozone densities, electrical characteristics, optical emission spectroscopy, temperature measurements, and bactericidal activity. The measurements demonstrate that the tested COST jets are mainly reproducible within the intrinsic uncertainty of each measurement technique
Architecture of a web-based DICOM viewer showing segmentations and simulations
In teleradiology doctors view the image data of a healthcare institution from a remote site. To do so they typically connect to an image repository, download the necessary data and finally view it in a locally installed DICOM viewer. Recent research activities in teleradiology [1, 2, 3, 4] focus on the implementation of ubiquitously accessible web-based DICOM viewers which simplify the access and the collaboration among radiologists. However, these solutions either have a weak performance, they run on the client side only, or they are not as feature rich as their desktop counterpart. In this contribution we present an architecture of a web based DICOM viewer which has both, good performance as well as advanced features such as the visualization of anatomical structures. On the client side only native web technologies are used. The whole architecture has been implemented and evaluated in the GoSmart environment, a planning tool for minimally invasive cancer treatment
Power coupling and electrical characterization of a radio-frequency micro atmospheric pressure plasma jet
We propose an efficient RF power coupling scheme for a micro atmospheric pressure plasma jet operating in helium. The discharge gap is used as a resonant element in a series LC circuit. In resonance, the voltage across the discharge gap is amplified and the ignition of the plasma is enabled with the input RF power as low as 0.5 W. High power coupling efficiency and simplicity of the circuit allow accurate electrical characterization of the discharge. Systematic measurements of the dissipated power as a function of the applied voltage are reported for the discharge operating in helium with molecular admixtures of N2 and O2