Sterilization of materials using a one atmosphere uniform glow discharge plasma

Summary form only given, as follows. We report that the active species in a one atmosphere uniform glow discharge plasma can be applied to the sterilization of fabrics, films, solid materials and microbiological culture medium. By using atmospheric air to generate the uniform glow discharge, we can eliminate vacuum systems or batch processing. With an exposure time of as little as 30 seconds, a complete sterilization of microorganisms can be achieved with less unwanted byproducts and with less expense, compared to several conventional sterilization methods, which could take a treatment time of 30 minutes or more. The process of this method is a passive plasma mechanism, and we report an apparatus, process, and recent results of plasma sterilization of a variety of surfaces of commercial interest.