Biomedical subjects

Klaus S Lassen

Publications and source records attributed to Klaus S Lassen.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Comparison of two radio-frequency plasma sterilization processes using microspot evaluation of microbial inactivation.

In this study, we evaluated gas plasma surface sterilization methods in a specific sterilizer. We have introduced a new monitoring method using 0.4 microm pore size membranes, which in this study gave the information corresponding to 3000 exposed biological indicators per treatment cycle. This enabled us to compare the fraction of inoculates that showed no growth after exposure for 30 different locations in the chamber, and hereby identify weak and strong spots in the chamber with regard to sporicidal effect. Membranes were also used to expose a broad spectrum of soil bacteria for plasma treatment at four different conditions. The organisms were identified using PCR and sequencing. The test showed that Bacillus stearothermophilus spores were inactivated at the slowest rate among the tested microorganisms. Further alpha-proteobacteria (Gram negative) seemed more sensitive than the rest of the tested organisms. The microspot evaluation approach has been a most useful tool in the assessment of sterilization performance in sterilizers that do not have clear measurable parameters related to the sterilization.

Biocompatible Materials↗

PubMed2005

The dependence of the sporicidal effects on the power and pressure of RF-generated plasma processes.

The sporicidal effect of 20 different radio-frequency plasma processes produced by combining five different gas mixtures [O(2), Ar/H(2) (50/50%), Ar/H(2) (5/95%), O(2)/H(2) (50/50%), O(2)/H(2) (95/5%)] with four power/pressure settings were tested. Sporicidal effects of oxygen-containing plasmas were dependent on power at low pressure settings but not at high pressure settings. In the absence of oxygen no power dependency was observed at either high or low pressure settings. Survivor curves obtained with the use of nonoxygen plasmas typically had a tailing tendency. Only a mixture-optimized Ar/H(2) (15/85%) plasma process was not encumbered by tailing, and produced a decimal reduction time (D value) below 2 min for Bacillus stearothermophilus spores. Scanning electron microscopy showed that a CF(4)/O(2) plasma did more damage to the substrate than the 15/85% Ar/H(2) plasma. The present results indicate that UV irradiation inactivation is swift and power and pressure independent. Additionally, it is produced at low energy. However, it is not complete. Inactivation through etching is highly power and pressure dependent; finally, inactivation by photodesorption is moderately power and pressure dependent. A sterilization process relying on this mechanism is very advantageous because it combines a highly sporicidal effect with low substrate damage.

Analysis of Variance↗

PubMed2003

Optimization of a RF-generated CF4/O2 gas plasma sterilization process.

A sterilization process with the use of RF-generated (13.56 MHz) CF(4)/O(2) gas plasma was optimized in regards to power, flow rate, exposure time, and RF-system type. The dependency of the sporicidal effect on the spore inoculum positioning in the chamber of the RF systems was also investigated. Dried Bacillus stearothermophilus ATCC 7953 endospores were used as test organisms. The treatments were evaluated on the basis of survival curves and corresponding D values. The only parameter found to affect the sterilization process was the power of the RF system. Higher power resulted in higher kill. Finally, when the samples were placed more than 3-8 cm away from a centrally placed electrode in System 2, the sporicidal effect was reduced. The results are discussed and compared to results from the present literature. The RF excitation source is evaluated to be more appropriate for sterilization processes than the MW source.

Equipment Contamination↗