Devices for creating non-thermal plasma and ozone
A plurality of non-thermal plasma emitters is disposed on a rigid or flexible substrate. The rigid substrate enables the device to be pre-formed in any shape and the flexible substrate enables the device to conform to any surface topography at the time of treatment. The substrate is a dielectric material and in a preferred embodiment is made of thin FR-4. Each of the plasma emitters has a drive electrode on one side of the substrate and a ground electrode on the opposing side of the substrate. In the preferred embodiment both electrodes are centered over a through-hole in the substrate. A conductive drive track is connected to each drive electrode and a conductive ground track is connected to each ground electrode. A drive terminal is connected to the drive track and a ground terminal is connected to the ground track.
1. A non-thermal plasma device comprising:
a. a substrate having a top surface and a bottom surface, the substrate having no through-holes between the top and bottom surfaces, the substrate made of a dielectric material;
b. a plurality of drive electrodes on the top surface of the substrate; and
c. a plurality of ground electrodes on the bottom surface of the substrate, such that
a plurality of plasma emitters are formed on the surface of the substrate between the drive electrodes and the ground electrodes.
2. The device according to claim 1 wherein the substrate is flexible.
3. The device according to claim 2 wherein the substrate is made of FR-4.
4. The device according to claim 1 wherein each drive electrode and ground electrode are centered over each other.
5. The device according to claim 1 further comprising:
a. a conductive drive track on the top surface of the substrate connected to each drive electrode; and
b. a conductive ground track on the bottom surface of the substrate connected to each ground electrode.
6. The device according to claim 5 further comprising a drive terminal connected to the drive track and a ground terminal connected to the ground track.
7. The device according to claim 6 further comprising a voltage source connected to the drive terminal.
8. The device according to claim 7 wherein the voltage source is a cell phone.
9. The device according to claim 1 further comprising an insulative sheath covering at least a portion of the plasma emitters.
10. The device according to claim 1 wherein the plasma emitters are aligned in rows that are offset from the previous row.
11. The non-thermal plasma device of claim 1 wherein each of the ground electrodes comprises a sharp point.
12. A non-thermal plasma device comprising:
a. a voltage source;
b. a plurality of plasma emitters connected to one another to form an array such that, when the array is connected to the voltage source, a plurality of corona discharges is emitted from the plasma emitters; and
c. a removable insulative sheath covering at least a portion of the plasma emitters.
13. The device according to claim 12 wherein the plasma emitters are formed in a flexible substrate.
14. The device according to claim 12 wherein the rigid substrate conforms to the shape of a human body part.
15. The device according to claim 12 wherein the plasma emitters are formed in a substrate that has the shape of a tube.
16. The device according to claim 12 wherein the sheath is removable.
17. A non-thermal plasma device comprising:
a. a substrate having a top surface and a bottom surface, the substrate made of a dielectric material;
b. a plurality of drive electrodes on the top surface of the substrate;
c. a plurality of ground electrodes on the bottom surface of the substrate, with each ground electrode comprising a sharp point; and
d. a plurality of through-holes in the substrate,
wherein the drive electrodes and the ground electrodes are centered over the through-holes on the surface of the substrate such that a plurality of plasma emitters are formed in the substrate between the drive electrodes and the ground electrodes.
18. The device according to claim 17 further comprising:
a. a conductive drive track on the top surface of the substrate connected to each drive electrode;
b. a conductive ground track on the bottom surface of the substrate connected to each ground electrode;
c. a drive terminal connected to the drive track and a ground terminal connected to the ground track; and
d. a voltage source connected to the drive terminal.
19. The device according to claim 18 wherein the voltage source is a cell phone.
20. The device according to claim 17 further comprising a sheath made of PTFE covering at least a portion of the plasma emitters.