Description: This proposal offers a novel method to sterilize sensitive materials, electronics, and instruments using a Radio Frequency (RF) induced plasma. This approach does not use steam, high pressure, or harsh chemicals which are not compatible with sensitive materials and electronics. The technology will be used to sterilize spacecraft assemblies and components prior to launch. It may also be used to sterilize equipment and samples taken during planetary exploration, or from studies conducted on space stations, prior to returning them to Earth. The funding provided for this project will be used to conduct laboratory experiments to determine the ability of the plasma to sterilize into cracks, crevices, and through dirt/dust coated surfaces. The specific technical objectives for this project will be to: Objective 1: Demonstrate dry plasma can penetrate into a variety of surface crevices, undulations, and cracks. Objective 2: Demonstrate dry plasma can penetrate through dirt and dust coatings to sterilize a surface. Objective 3: Demonstrate that exposure to RF induced plasma does not degrade electronics or optics. The target commercial market for this technology includes the healthcare industry, as well as the logistics services industry (i.e., delivery services). The primary healthcare market will be hospital and dental surgical scopes and other high value, electronic equipment. For the logistic services companies, the technology will be used to clean their electronic signature devices between deliveries and/or between driver shifts. As companies move away from non-contact deliveries, cleaning between deliveries is important, as well as for shift changeover to prevent spread of diseases.

Benefits: Conventional equipment disinfection processes use harsh liquid disinfectants or high temperature/wet processes such as steam autoclaving or plasmas combined with chemical additives such as hydrogen peroxide. These processes are not viable for use with sensitive electronic hardware. NASA's Contamination Control (CC) and Planetary Protection (PP) program requires the ability to sterilize sensitive equipment, including electronics and instruments, that will be used on planetary probes. The proposed innovation uses a dry plasma process that does not require any additives or consumables; deactivates viruses and other contagions in minutes (i.e., disinfects); and uses low power. This technology is directly applicable to NASA's for active decontamination approaches to clean spacecraft surfaces prior to final assembly and launch, as well as potential in situ/in-flight sterilization approaches for equipment used in onboard studies and sterilization prior to returning collected samples to Earth. Whether used on deep planetary exploration probes, or onboard manned flight spacecraft/stations, the dry plasma sterilization process provides an effective improvement over current chemical or UV processes. Based on preliminary market research and discussions with potential clients, the healthcare market is expected to be the initial point of entry for the plasma sterilizer to disinfect high value items that cannot undergo conventional autoclaving. Competition in this market primarily comes from large, expensive systems that require significant logistical support such as the Sterrad 100NX system and the Sterizone VP4 Plasma Sterilizer made by Advanced Sterilization Product and Stryker Inc respectively. Feedback from staff at Sparrow Hospital in Lansing, MI identified several operational issues with Sterrad and Sterizone units which are resolved by the MagPlasma sterilization method. Their primary interest in the MagPlasma sterilization method is for sterilization of surgical equipment such as endoscopes and rechargeable batters. Their interest is primarily due to the reduced cycle time and no consumables, such as hydrogen peroxide, needed by the MagPlasma method. Unlike competitor systems, the MagPlasma sterilizer can be scaled to the size of a conventional microwave oven. This opens several other markets to include outpatient medical facilities, dental offices, and research laboratories. In addition to sterilizing sensitive medical equipment, its size and speed makes it viable as a point-of-use sterilizer for personnel protective equipment (PPE) that was used extensively during the COVID-19 pandemic. PPE disinfection, as well as the ability to sterilize electronic signature devices is expected to open non-healthcare markets. In early discussion with a potential manufacturing partner, they identified UPS, Amazon, USPS, etc. as potential clients to clean their electronic signature devices between deliveries and/or between driver shifts. As companies move away from non-contact deliveries, cleaning between deliveries is important, as well as for shift changeover to prevent spread of diseases.