Using plasma, something that you find in the big TVs on your wall, researchers have demonstrated a prototype device capable of sanitizing the body parts off bacteria, viruses and fungi. The plasma creates some kind of a mix of disinfectant chemical in the air by spraying which, bacteria can be killed on hands, feet, armpits and wounded human skin. The plasma by interacting with the oxygen, nitrogen, and water vapor in the air to creates this disinfectant that kills bacteria but is absolutely harmless to skin.
Gregor Morfill, of the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, who led the research told BBC:
It’s actually similar to what our own immune system does. The plasma produces a series of over 200 chemical reactions that involve the oxygen and nitrogen in air plus water vapour - there is a whole concoction of chemical species that can be lethal to bacteria.
The actual advancement here is that the plasma can be produced efficiently and at low costs, making devices as such pretty inexpensive to reach hospitals and elsewhere need. The other phenomenon of mixing plasma with argon instead of plain air has shown an effect to heal wounded human skin. The researchers aren’t sure if this happens because of bacteria disinfection or by some other reason, but whatever, the approach is actually commendable.
Via: Engadget
