DEVELOPMENT OF DESIGN PARAMETERS AND CONCEPTUAL DRAWING FOR A PLASMA ETCHER TO CLEAN AND STERILIZE SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS

THE PROPOSED PROCESS WILL USE ACCELERATED IONS TO REMOVE ORGANIC MATTER BY PHYSICALLY DESORBING MOLECULAR FRAGMENTS AND BY REACTING CHEMICALLY TO PRODUCE VOLATILE, NON-TOXIC GASES SUCH AS CO2. STUDIES WITH RELATED EQUIPMENT HAVE DEMONSTRATED FEASIBILITY. PHASE I RESEARCH IS TO DETERMINE THE OPTIMAL SIZE OF THE PROCESS CHAMBER AND HOW SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS CAN MOST EFFECTIVELY BE ARRANGED IN IT; THE OPTIMAL AIR PRESSURE INSIDE THE CHAMBER; THE REQUIRED POWER DENSITY; AND EVALUATE ALTERNATIVE PROCESS GENERATED BY DIRECT CURRENT, ALTERNATING CURRENT AND RADIO FREQUENCY. THE RESULT OF PHASE I WILL BE A SET OF DESIGN PARAMETERS AND A CONCEPTUAL DRAWING OF THE PROPOSED ETCHER.