ES1235450U - Antiseptic device or device for hands (Machine-translation by Google Translate, not legally binding) - Google Patents

Abstract

Antiseptic device or device for cold plasma hands at atmospheric pressure (1) that provides a two-sided disinfection action, the back and the back of both hands are simultaneously disinfected, provided with a compact and rigid main body of ABS plastic (2) as a housing and support body that has a section or portion (3) at the top for inserting the hands into a deep, slightly inclined and concave shaped aseptic chamber (4) composed of a front front internal wall (6) facing a rear front internal wall (7) which as a whole is configured as an open collector on both sides so that the hands can be inserted and move in a vertical, horizontal and diagonal direction when both hands are aligned within a plane, characterized in that it contains DBD dielectric barrier cold plasma generators at atmospheric pressure (9, 10); a piezoelectric power supply (8) that generates electrical signals of alternating current, low voltage and high frequency (AF); a power controller for generating a suitable AF voltage; two AF filters to avoid outwardly disturbing electromagnetic radiation; a suction pump (11) to renew the air in the aseptic chamber; an organic filter that removes residual plasma; and a sensor (13) that detects the presence of hands inside the aseptic chamber. (Machine-translation by Google Translate, not legally binding)

Description

DESCRIPTION

Antiseptic device or device for hands.

Field or sector of the invention

The present invention concerns a cold plasma device at atmospheric pressure configured as a hand antiseptic method.

Object of the invention

We all have microorganisms in our skin and hands that help us stay healthy ( resident flora ). In addition to the microorganisms that are normally present in our skin we are also collecting microorganisms from other people, objects or the environment, through contact with them (contaminating or non-colonizing flora) that are usually the cause of most infections.

So the best way to avoid any kind of spread of infections is to disinfect the hands.

Washing (cleaning) and disinfecting are two different things. Cleaning refers only to the use of water and soap to remove dirt. Disinfection, on the other hand, refers to the use of physical or chemical methods capable of killing or inactivating bacteria, fungi, viruses, other pathogens and parasites.

The present invention relates to a cold plasma device at atmospheric pressure that prevents the absence of germs or pathogens in the hands, therefore its infection, then configured as an ideal and suitable method of aseptic hands, thus preventing the spread of diseases. and avoids cross contamination to third parties, whether in the food industry, in healthcare, public toilets, hospitality, etc.

The invention has as an exclusive objective the asepsis of hands, decontaminating them by means of cold plasma at atmospheric pressure.

State of the art

Plasma is a state of matter similar to gas in which a certain portion of the particles ionize. Plasma is considered the fourth state of matter, the concept of the fourth state of matter results from the idea that phase transitions occur progressively providing energy to matter, that is, from the solid state to the liquid state until the gas state The plasma state is considered as an additional phase transition, which from the gas state passes to the plasma state.

Basically, plasma is a partially or totally ionized gas consisting of electrons, ions and neutral species. In a more detailed description, excited atomic and molecular species must be added; photons; free radicals that are highly reactive neutral species; and other intermediate reactive species.

In a first classification the plasma is divided into thermal, if the energy of the electrons is equal to that of the ions and neutral particles (heavy species); and in non-thermal or cold plasmas if the energy of the electrons is superior to that of the species heavy, which are at a temperature close to that of the environment. However, there may be plasmas that are non-thermal but not cold, with a temperature of the heavy species less than an order of magnitude below the temperature of the electrons.

In a second plasma classification, it can be carried out taking into consideration the pressure parameter under which it is produced. There is a low working pressure plasma which is easily controlled, typically homogeneous in space and requires gas discharge between 0.1 and 10 Pa of pressure, in addition to needing vacuum chambers which represents an important initial capital investment; and on the other hand there is the high working pressure plasma, which allows a high speed of treatment and consumption of gases. Therefore, alternative plasma procedures that work at atmospheric pressure were developed, being substantially more economical and can be more easily integrated into industry lines, therefore the most obvious advantage of working with atmospheric pressure plasma is, apart from the absence of vacuum equipment and compressors, their ability to integrate in lines with any other system for different applications in the industrial sector, since the operating pressure is the same. which greatly simplifies the equipment and lowers both plasma production costs and maintenance costs, also allow to work with live tissues "in situ" and especially sensitive materials.

There are several ways to generate a plasma, this is created by applying energy to a gas to reorganize the electronic structure of neutral particles (atoms and molecules) to produce neutral species, excited ions, electromagnetic radiation and electrons that make up the plasma . This energy can be thermal or provided by an electric current or electromagnetic radiation (microwave). Electric shocks are the most used to produce plasma. These electrical discharges, depending on how the discharge occurs, are classified as corona discharge, arc discharge, glare discharge and dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) and according to plasma morphology they are classified as micro holes, jet or jet, of needle, SMD (Surface micro-discharge), etc. To obtain the electric shock it is necessary to have one or several voltage sources, which can be direct current (DC), alternating current (AC) working at the grid frequency (~ 50 Hz) or low frequency (KHz) or radio frequency (RF or AF) (MHz). Then it consists in the application of electrical energy at a certain voltage and frequency on a carrier gas, with no chemical agents being required. In other words, plasma generation simply results from the application of an electric field to a neutral gas.

The nature of a plasma varies greatly depending on the type of gas used, as noble process gases (helium, argon, etc.), air, oxygen or nitrogen or any type of mixtures of combinations of said gases that generate in particular reactive species (free radicals) and intermediate reactive species that have a high oxidation power and ultraviolet radiation with photochemical effect, giving the plasma microbicidal properties, that is, with the ability to inactivate or destroy a wide range of microorganisms, including bacteria, molds , yeasts, spores, protozoa and even viruses, prions and parasites.

Plasma technology and its generation techniques, especially at high temperatures and high gas pressures; and at low temperatures and low pressure, they have been known for a long time, being described multiple times in numerous inventions and academic scientific literature. The cold plasma technology at atmospheric pressure has been developing this last decade and is also known today

Plasma technology, especially at high temperatures and high gas pressures, has been described in multiple inventions, for example US 4626648, DE 4108499 A1 and DE 10140298 B4. In WO 03/026365 A1 a device is described that allows to generate a plasma by means of microwaves, allowing the device described in WO 03/026365 to generate a stable plasma flame despite eventual pressure fluctuations in the gas of the process. The German publication 1639257 describes another plasma generator that generates a plasma with high temperatures. In this case, it is a high frequency plasma jet generator.

However, these types of generators are not suitable for the generation of a cold plasma at atmospheric pressure.

Low temperature at low pressure plasmas are also known; and these are used successfully in numerous applications: surface treatment for activation purposes, corrosion, polymerization, layer deposition, germ disinfection, sterilization of surgical instruments, etc. However, low pressure plasma procedures are not suitable for both cost reasons and technical reasons. Therefore a more suitable and cost effective alternative is that of plasma at atmospheric pressure.

The cold plasma at atmospheric pressure, for the most part, is generated by electric discharge such as arc discharges, spark discharges, corona and dielectric barrier discharges. Jet plasmas generated on this basis are subject to different patents. Thus, for example, in patent DE 3733492 a device for generating a jet plasma by means of corona discharge is presented which is suitable for the treatment of surfaces with plasma. In this case, a gas stream is conducted through a corona discharge path between an inner rod-shaped electrode and a tubular-shaped outer electrode. Patent DE 19532412 describes a procedure for the treatment of surfaces with plasma that is based on the generation of a plasma jet by arc discharge with a non-transmitted voltaic arc. Subject of US 6194036, US 6958063 and US 6262523 are provisions based on the RF excitation of normal pressure plasmas. In another patent document (US 2002/122896) different arrangements are described for generating normal pressure plasmas based on RF-induced discharges into tubes of insulating material.

US 2006/162741 A1 describes a method and apparatus for cleaning and conditioning surfaces through the use of plasma. A described example of the method comprises providing a plurality of elongated dielectric barrier (DBD) plates disposed adjacent to each other, where the plates have inner electrodes connected therein, introducing objects close to the plates and producing a discharge of dielectric barrier for form plasma between objects and plates to clean at least part of the objects.

US 2003/0108460 describes a method and an apparatus for producing a surface dielectric barrier discharge, Surface micro-discharge (SMD) type. A base electrode and a mesh electrode are separated by a dielectric separator. The mesh electrode is grounded. An alternating voltage of 2.5-3.6 kV at 60 Hz is applied to the base electrode to produce a surface discharge for ozone production. The discharge is formed in the openings of the mesh electrode. US 2003/0108460 describes the sterilization of objects in a plastic bag, such as tissues, organs, food products, etc. In this case, a lid of the plastic bag is formed with the ozone producing apparatus, separated from the rest of the volume of the plastic bag by a porous dielectric plate. The ozone produced by the ozone-producing apparatus is dispersed in the objects of the plastic bag through the porous dielectric plate.

Description of the invention

The aseptic hand device proposed by the invention basically consists of two non-thermal plasma generators at atmospheric pressure of dielectric barrier discharge (hereinafter DBD), which in turn are composed of two plate-type electrodes separated by a dielectric material; It also includes a piezoelectric source or generator of electrical signal of alternating current, low voltage and high frequency (AF); a power controller for generating a suitable AF voltage; and two AF filters to avoid outwardly disturbing electromagnetic radiation that may affect users thus complying with the requirements of electromagnetic compatibility (EMC).

Dielectric barrier discharges (DBD) are electrical discharges that take place between two metal electrodes when one or more insulating layers, usually dielectric, are placed between them in different geometric configurations. The presence of these layers necessarily forces the DBD discharge to be generated with alternating voltages, since a direct current cannot pass through an insulating material. The dielectric layers act as current limiters, preventing the formation of electric or voltaic arcs that are electric discharges that form between two electrodes subjected to a potential difference and placed within a gaseous atmosphere ionizes the surrounding gas generating a halo Luminous (electromagnetic radiation) of bluish color, this discharge is produced by electrons deposited in the electrodes that go from the negative to the positive electrode, but also, these electrons when ionizing the gas in its path increases the number of electrons that contribute to the ionization initial in a process called avalanche ionization, causing more voltaic arcs and increasing the degree of ionization (higher electronic density) reaching a situation of thermal equilibrium (temperature increase), between electrons that have a temperature of 5000 ° C to 100,000 ° C and heavy particles (atoms, molecules and ions) that have an ambient temperature of plasma. When a high voltage is applied between the electrodes of a DBD, we reduce the amount of electrons in play therefore the degree of ionization (lower electronic density) is reduced, thousands of micro arcs or filaments of short-lived currents are generated in a way random among them due to the accumulation of a small amount of charges on the surface of the dielectric material that generates thousands of micro discharges in microseconds which provides the degree of ionization required (low ionization) to produce a stable plasma that does not reach a situation of thermal equilibrium between the electrons and the heavy particles of the plasma, since the number of electrons at play is very small compared to the heavy particles of the plasma, this is called cold plasma. Then the DBD prevents the formation of voltaic arcs and the increase in temperature, allowing the formation of a low ionization plasma, not thermal, at atmospheric pressure and stable over time.

Atmospheric pressure dielectric barrier discharges have recently received considerable attention due to their numerous industrial and medical applications, such as surface modification, ozone generation, plasma display panels, food disinfection, biological sterilization , aseptic surgical instruments, etc.

In our case, the gas used in the process to generate plasma is the ambient air and since the air is composed of 21% oxygen, the plasma will be composed of ERO Oxygen Reactive Species (species with high chemical interaction capacity) that have a high oxidation power such as free radicals (hydroxyl,) and intermediate reagents (superoxides, ozone, hydrogen peroxide, singlet oxygen, etc.), with the ability to inactivate or destroy a wide range of microorganisms, including bacteria, molds, yeasts, spores, protozoa and even viruses, prions and parasites, then the plasma has broad spectrum microbicidal properties.

The reactive species (atomic or molecular or ions) of the plasma mentioned above have oxidizing properties, then they are molecules with oxidation power, that is they are oxidizing agents. The oxidizing capacity is what is known as oxidation potential (Eh), which the higher it is, the greater the oxidative capacity of the system and the higher the concentration of the reduced form. The oxidation potential is measured in volts, although since its value is very small it is usually expressed in millivolts (mV).

The chemical molecules with oxidizing power are reactive against organic matter, pathogenic microorganisms and parasites, therefore they possess microbicidal and antiparasitic qualities; and according to its oxidation potential, the more effective it will be and the greater the range of action it will have. Detailed determinations of effectiveness of oxidation power values for microorganisms of interest, studies completed to date strongly support the use of 650 mV as the minimum threshold value for a typical antibacterial activity.

The photochemical effect of ultraviolet radiation consists of significant negative effects on proteins and nucleic acids, since it damages nucleic acids. DNA and cellular RNA absorb the high energy associated with short wavelength UV energy. This UV energy absorption forms new bonds between adjacent nucleotides creating double bonds or dimers. Dimerization of adjacent molecules, especially thymine, is the most frequent photochemical damage. The formation of numerous thymine dimers in the DNA of bacteria and viruses prevents replication and the ability to infect.

The mechanisms of inactivation of microorganisms (microbicidal effect) by plasma can be explained as follows:

■ In the oxidation of the sulfhydryl groups and the double bonds of the enzymes of the bacteria, causing a conformational modification of the proteins that form said enzymes, with the loss of their function, and therefore, cell death.

■ At the virus level it has the ability to denature proteins acting on those of the capsid, so that it can subsequently act on the genetic material of the virus.

■ At the spore level, it can transfer its oxidizing power to the disorganization of dipocolinic acid, the molecule that gives such important resistance to the vegetative forms of these spores.

■ It can decompose by oxidation the nutrients (organic matter) therefore the interruption of the transport of nutrients through the cell membrane, causing starvation.

■ It also breaks down the cell wall of the microorganisms by oxidation by destroying it, then emptying them.

■ Degradation of genetic material by ultraviolet radiation emitted by plasma: In plasma, atoms, molecules, ions, and radicals carry high intrinsic energy and lose energy by emitting UV photons. These photons are similar to those emitted by a spectral lamp, and have a similar effect. However, they have the advantage of not being subjected to the effects of shading and stacking of germs. In fact, UV light emitted in situ with the uniform gas surrounds and bathes germs from all directions and can cover the surface by exposing microorganisms evenly.

Then we can conclude that the exposure of the hands on cold plasma allows a remarkable reduction of a wide range of pathogenic microorganisms without any effect of heat or burning, since the gas remains at room temperature, leaves little residue (reactive species that have not chemically interacted ), in the event that there is residue, in theory, since these reactive species have a very short duration (half-life) in a range of milliseconds to seconds, depending on the species, due to: a) under normal conditions (atmospheric pressure and temperature environment) they are very molecularly unstable and b) they are very reactive, that is to say, a great capacity for chemical interaction since they tend to capture an electron of stable molecules in order to reach their electrochemical stability, therefore any exposure risk is minimized avoiding possible poisoning by inhalation

The plasma interacts on the surface to be treated either inert material or biological tissue indirectly or directly: a) indirectly when the long-lived reactive species produced by the plasma are those that interact with the surface to be treated and b) direct when ions, electrons and reactive plasma species are what interact directly with the surface to be treated.

The cold plasma at atmospheric pressure of DBD in its various applications in medicine such as antifungal treatment, dental care, skin diseases, asepsis and in several other fields of medicine direct plasmas are preferred because they are more flexible and easy to direct to the point you want to deal with. In some cases, however, indirect or hybrids are used, especially when it is necessary that the plasma should be placed at a respectable distance from the surface on which it is to be applied. The two modalities apply in the field of medicine. In the present invention the ultimate purpose of its application has been taken into account, which is the biological decontamination of living tissue, therefore especially sensitive material such as the surface of the hands, the plasma action is exclusively superficial with no penetration capacity In our case, it would act on the outer layer of the skin of the hands, the epidermis, without damaging the cells of the epidermis since there is a high resistance of cells and tissues to the influence of plasma.

Preferably in the present invention the plasma interacts directly with the surfaces of the hands but according to the present invention also offers an alternative modality where the plasma interacts with the surface of the hands indirectly.

It is known and recognized that the cold plasma aseptic treatment at atmospheric pressure can be optimized by varying the contact time (exposure time). Similarly, it is also known that the following parameters can be varied empirically to optimize plasma aseptic treatment: a) the non-thermal plasma application route (direct or indirect), b) plasma energy or density , c) the distance to the surface of the hands to be treated, d) the average velocity of the plasma and e) the residence time of the reactive species of the plasma on the surface of the hands, this last parameter must possibly be matched with the duration of the different reactive plasma species so that a sufficient amount of them can reach any point on the surface of the hands to efficiently complete the aseptic treatment.

In accordance with the present invention, a wall-mounted hand aseptic device or apparatus is provided, which provides an "two-sided" aseptic action, ie both the back and the back of the hands are treated at the same time, in this way, both sides of one user's hands are operated at the same time, it has two plasma generators, located on the front and rear (opposite) internal sides respectively of the device, offering a plasma generation section on each side of the apparatus, each plasma generation section has an area (length x width) sufficient to cover the two faces of the two open hands of a user and being arranged to direct the plasma to and over the entire surface of both faces of the two hands, back and reverse.

The present invention consists of an apparatus that includes a main body as a housing that in its upper part has a portion for inserting the hands in a concave aseptic chamber composed of a front front inner wall facing a rear front inner wall, it has a piezo source that generates electrical signals of alternating current, low voltage and high frequency included in the main body of the housing; and two plasma generating sections of dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) one in the front front inner wall and the other in opposition to the rear front inner wall of the aseptic chamber. Both plasma generating sections are formed by two flat electrodes, a first internal electrode (in forward E1) with a flat and rectangular shape connected to the electric signal generator (connected to power) and a second external electrode with the same shape as the previous one (hereinafter E2) coupled to ground, separated by a dielectric material, the first and second electrode have the same space or occupation area (length x width) that together form a substantially rectangular pattern of the treatment surface, alternative arrangements are possible, for example, square. Therefore the apparatus has a treatment surface that is immediately adjacent to the occupation area of electrode E2. Through the two treatment surfaces of the apparatus, electric micro-discharges are produced, which ionizes the gas (ambient air) surrounding the aseptic chamber forming plasma, so that when from the top of the apparatus (insertion portion) they are inserted hands longitudinally and frontally to the treatment surfaces of the aseptic chamber of the apparatus, an aseptic action of both faces of both hands is provided simultaneously.

According to the present invention, in each plasma generating section E1 is inside the housing, out of reach and contact with the user and E2 is external located in front of the first electrode, both electrodes are separated and well insulated by a material dielectric with respect to each other, so that the front surface of the first electrode E1 is of dielectric material thus preventing the formation of a voltaic arc discharge that would lead to involuntary heating of the plasma. E2 is covered (or embedded in) with a thin layer of insulating material, so that the front or outer surface of E2 is an insulating and smooth surface, providing a smooth, uniform and homogeneous topography of the treatment surfaces, this also It is preferred so that the plasma is generated substantially uniformly across the treatment surfaces and thus all the plasma is used, in addition it allows the treatment surfaces to be cleaned more easily, protects E2 from environmental degradation and prevents contact with the user Examples of suitable dielectric insulating materials are plastic, quartz glass, mica, ceramics, etc., which can be used individually or in combination.

In other embodiments of the present invention the front part of E2 is a smooth metal conductor, instead of an insulating layer, which is exposed on the treatment surface, so that also the external surface of E2 is a flat and smooth surface. , providing a smooth, homogeneous and uniform topography to plasma treatment surfaces. In this case, the second electrode is typically visible to the user and can touch it, since E2 is grounded and does not represent any electrical hazard to the user.

Preferably, the insulating layer interposed between E1 and the structure of E2 completely fills the space between the first electrode and the structure of the second electrode, otherwise, if there is any space a plasma can be generated in said spaces, which would reduce efficiency and The longevity of the device.

The operation of the plasma generator is very simple, an electric signal is applied to the electrode E1 that is to say it is energized, the electrode E1 capacitively coupled to the electrode E2, which thus drives a dielectric barrier discharge that crosses the structure of the second electrode E2 and finally escaping from the surface treatment out, ionizing the air surrounding the aseptic chamber, thereby producing plasma inside the chamber.

In accordance with the present invention it provides an apparatus, whose corresponding plasma generators have been designed and structured such that they produce plasma with a thickness (plasma diffusion flow zone) of approximately 2 cm respectively. The total width of the aseptic chamber is 5 cm, then the plasma diffusion flow zones corresponding to each plasma generator do not collide with each other, that is, they do not overlap, so that both sides of the two hands are completely exposed to plasma that is distributed evenly over the hands, achieving a complete, uniform and stable aseptic treatment, then efficient.

It is known and recognized that non-thermal plasma aseptic treatment at atmospheric pressure can be optimized by varying the contact time (exposure time), whereby the invention offers a contact time of 1 to 60 seconds. So that it offers a sufficient exposure time, that is to say that the necessary residence time of the reactive species of the plasma on the surface of the hands is guaranteed so that the effectiveness of the asepsis treatment is achieved, since this parameter has to be match as much as possible with the duration of the different reactive species of the plasma so that a sufficient amount of them can reach any point on the surface of the hands to efficiently complete the aseptic treatment.

It is preferred that the apparatus operates in a pulsed mode, although its operation in continuous mode is possible. The main reason why the pulsed mode is preferred is to control the thermal effects to minimize them, work cycles in the 30-50% interval and cycle times in the 0.2-0.4 second interval will be used (sg). For example, for a 50 % duty cycle with a cycle time of 0.2sg, plasma generators would turn on for 0.1sg and turn off for 0.1sg repeatedly.

The main cause of greater outwardly disturbing electromagnetic radiation is the long cable connection between the plasma generator and the electrical signal source, as the invention includes said generator and source inside therefore this cable connection is suppressed, whereby the problem of electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) defined by European directives is solved, but in addition the invention has two AF filters as an additional measure to increase safety and avoid disturbing electromagnetic radiation so as to guarantee the preconditions EMC techniques for approval regarding their use, in our case the hand aseptic device.

Preferably, the apparatus includes a hand detection sensor. Based on a sensor signal the presence of hands, previously inserted up to near the wrists in the aseptic chamber, is detected and then the sensor detection signal is sent to the control circuit equipped with a micro-controller so that it I sent the order to energize the system. In other words, the device is activated only when the hands are inserted up to near the wrists completely in the aseptic chamber, in this way the hand detection sensors can act as an element of safety to prevent the device from generating plasma when there is no presence of hands in front of the treatment surfaces.

The present invention consists of a suction pump that is included inside the housing of the apparatus; and it has a narrow, elongated and perforated suction grid located in the inner, lower and concave part of the aseptic chamber. By operating the pump, any possible reminiscence of residual plasma contained in the aseptic chamber is removed or expelled and new ambient air (gas refill) is introduced into the chamber, then the process gas for plasma generation is renewed in the next aseptic treatment operation. The residual plasma aspirated by the pump through the grid is guided through a conduit to then pass through an organic filter that destroys ozone and hydrogen peroxide and is finally expelled to the outside, dispersing in the environment, through a ventilation outlet located at the bottom or base of the device. Then the aspiration prevents the accumulation of any reactive species with a longer half-life (more molecularly stable) in the aseptic chamber, such as ozone or hydrogen peroxide, that have not reacted chemically (residual) during the treatment of hand asepsis, being destroyed by the organic filter, thus preventing users from being exposed and inhaling said residual compounds.

The apparatus that the present invention advocates is suitable for disinfecting the hands because the smooth, homogeneous and uniform surface of its treatment surfaces, front and rear, are themselves configured as an ideal disinfection treatment area for the hands. In use, the hands to be treated are placed inside the aseptic chamber, then the device is automatically activated to generate electric discharges (DBD) for a time between 1 to 60 seconds, according to the user's need and the generated plasma is then placed substantially on the surface of the previously introduced hands, preferably, the entire hands overlap between both treatment surfaces of the apparatus thus achieving that the entire surface of both faces of both hands have been disinfected and if the fingers are opened The contours of the fingers are also disinfected.

Depending on the form of interaction of the plasma on the surface to be treated, in our case the hands, the present invention offers two additional alternative preferred embodiments: A) a first mode consisting of two plasma generators type SMD electrodes (micro surface discharge), which indirectly interact with the surface of the hands to be decontaminated, therefore it is the long-lived reactive species produced by the plasma that interact with the surface of the hands to be treated and B) a second modality that It consists of a jet or jet plasma generation device in which the plasma interacts directly with the surface to be decontaminated, then the ions, electrons and reactive species of the plasma interact directly with the surfaces of the hands, the jet can be so fine as a needle or as large as a torch flame, the size and scope of the jet depends on the design of the plas generator ma DBD, the power supply (apparent power) and the gas flow of the device.

A. Device with plasma generator of flat electrodes type SMD: The plasma generators of this device are specifically a particular type of DBD based on SMD (Surface micro-discharge) technology. In this type of technology, the electrode configuration is of the sandwich type and follows the following arrangement; internal flat and rectangular power electrode (E1), dielectric and flat and rectangular external ground electrode type mesh (E2); The aseptic apparatus has two DBD type SMD dielectric barrier plasma discharge generators, one in the front front inner wall and the other, in opposition to the rear front inner wall of the aseptic chamber. The mesh-like structure of the ground electrode allows plasma filaments to be produced between said electrode and the dielectric barrier. This plasma filament does not exceed the thickness of the mesh, so the plasma does not act directly on the surface of the hands under treatment, thus avoiding damage by heat or local ions produced in the plasma, which allows treatment of surfaces of hypersensitive living materials and tissues.

B. Apparatus with a jet or jet plasma generator: the discharge occurs in the space between the internal power electrode (E1) and the dielectric, electric discharge space known as GAP, the plasma formed in this space is driven to the outside by a flow of gas (air) supplied in turn by a mechanical device of forced air (compressor), so that the plasma is directed directly towards the surface of the hands with which there is a direct interaction between the surface to Treat and plasma. In this type of technology the electrode configuration follows the following arrangement; internal power electrode (E1), free space, dielectric and external electrode (E2) grounded. The apparatus has two plasma generators of dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) by jet, one on each side (in opposition) of the aseptic chamber of the apparatus. The plasma corresponding to each plasma generator is ejected to the aseptic chamber through a pair of narrow and elongated nozzles in the form of a slit located in the front front inner wall and the other slit, in opposition, in the rear front inner wall of the aseptic chamber, each slit is approximately 1 mm wide. These slits produce two plasma jets in the form of thin sheets or "blades", opposite, inside the aseptic chamber that act by decontaminating the palm and the back of both hands of a user simultaneously.

Description of the drawings or figures

To complement the description that is being made and in order to help a better understanding of the features of the invention, a descriptive sheet is attached as an integral part thereof, with an illustrative character and not limiting the following has been represented:

Figure number 1.- Shows a perspective view of the aseptic equipment according to the present invention.

Figure number 2.- Shows a partial schematic cross-sectional view of the plasma generator represented in Figure number 1 according to the present invention.

Figure number 3. - Shows a partial schematic cross-sectional view of a modification of the plasma generator depicted in Figure 2 according to the present invention.

Figure number 4.- Shows a perspective view of the aseptic equipment according to another additional preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Figure number 5.- Shows a partial schematic cross-sectional view of the plasma generator represented in Figure number 4 in accordance with the present invention.

Figure number 6.- Shows a perspective view of the aseptic equipment according to another additional preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Preferred embodiment of the invention or Detailed description of the preferred embodiments

In reference to the Figures. 1 to 6 explains the preferred embodiments of the present invention. Figure 1 shows the external appearance of a plasma-based hand aseptic device (1). As shown in Fig. 1, this aseptic hand apparatus (1) has an ABS plastic housing main body (2) that forms an outer cover and has a hand insertion section (3) in the upper portion of the apparatus; an aseptic chamber (4) formed by a concave space (5) and two internal front walls, one front (6) and one rear (7), oriented in opposition, this hand asepsis chamber (4) is in the form of a collector Open on both sides, it is deep and slightly inclined so that the hands can be inserted and move in a vertical, horizontal and diagonal direction when both hands are aligned within a plane.

Inside the main housing body (2) a piezoelectric generator (8) is installed that generates electrical signals of alternating current, low voltage and high frequency; it comprises a power controller (not shown) for generating a suitable AF voltage; It also includes two AF filters inside (not shown) to avoid outwardly disturbing electromagnetic radiation and a suction pump (11). The aseptic device (1) consists of two DBD dielectric barrier discharge plasma generators, one (10) located on the front wall (6) and the other (9) located in opposition, on the rear wall (7) of the aseptic chamber (4), which produce cold plasma at atmospheric pressure inside the aseptic chamber (4); In the lower part and on the concave space (5) of the aforementioned chamber it has a narrow, elongated and perforated suction grid (12).

Figure 2 shows in more detail the appearance of the two plasma generators (9, 10) of Figure 1, each consisting of: a first flat and rectangular internal electrode E1 (16) connected to the piezoelectric generator (8), that is to say the voltage source (18), this electrode is embedded in the housing (2); a second flat and rectangular external electrode E2 (19) grounded (20) and located in front of the first electrode E1 (16); and an insulating layer of dielectric material (17) interposed between electrode E1 (16) and electrode E2 (18), both electrodes have the same space or total occupancy area (length x width) that together form a pattern substantially rectangular of the treatment surface (14, 15) of the apparatus (1), alternative arrangements are possible, for example, square, ie the treatment surface (14, 15) is immediately adjacent to the electrode occupancy area E2 (19) that composes it.

The second electrode E2 (19) can be covered with a thin layer of insulating material (21) as shown in Figure 3 or it can be a metallic conductor as shown in Figure 2, both materials (conductor or insulator) being exposed in the treatment surface (14, 15) of the aseptic chamber (4); The first electrode E1 (16) is connected to a signal generating source (8) to apply a high voltage and alternating voltage (RF) signal to the second electrode E2 (19), causing E1 (16) to capacitively couple. to electrode E2 (19), which thus drives a dielectric barrier discharge that escapes through the structure of the second electrode E2 (19) generating micro-discharges or electric micro-ejections of DBD (22) along and width of the entire treatment surface (14, 15) and ionizing the surrounding air of the aseptic chamber (4), thereby producing plasma inside the aforementioned chamber.

The first electrode E1 (16) is inside the housing (2), out of reach and contact with the user and the second external electrode E2 (19) located in front of the first electrode E1 (16), separated and well insulated by a dielectric material (17) with respect to each other, so that the front surface of electrode E1 (16) is made of dielectric material thus preventing the formation of a voltaic arc discharge that would lead to involuntary heating of the plasma. Electrode E2 (19) includes an insulating layer (21) as shown in Figure 3 or a metal conductive material as shown in Figure 2, in both cases the front surface of electrode E2 (19) will be a smooth surface , homogeneous and uniform, providing a smooth and flat topography to both treatment surfaces (14, 15), this is also preferred so that the plasma is generated substantially uniformly across the treatment surfaces (14, 15) of the apparatus (1) and thus all the plasma is used, in addition this insulating layer (21) allows the treatment surfaces (14, 15) to be cleaned more easily and protects the electrode E2 (19) from environmental degradation and prevents contact with the user. Examples of suitable insulating materials are plastic, quartz glass, mica, ceramics, etc., which can be used individually or in combination.

The plasma generators (9, 10) have been designed and structured in such a way that they generate a plasma dielectric barrier discharge with a thickness (22), known as the plasma diffusion flow zone, of approximately 2 cm respectively. The total width of the aseptic chamber (4) is 5 cm, therefore the collision between the plasma diffusion zones (22) is avoided by not overlapping and leaving both sides of the two hands completely exposed to the plasma that It is distributed evenly over the hands, thus achieving a complete, uniform and stable disinfection treatment, then efficient.

Inside the device (1) a suction pump (11) is installed, and in its concave space (5) there is a narrow, elongated and perforated suction grid (12), by means of the pump operation (11 ) any possible reminiscence of residual plasma contained in the aseptic chamber (4) is removed or expelled and new ambient air (recharge) is introduced into said chamber, then the process gas (air) is renewed to Plasma generation in the next aseptic treatment operation. The gas sucked by the pump through the grid is guided through a conduit, then it passes through an organic filter (not shown), which destroys ozone and hydrogen peroxide and is finally expelled to the outside through a ventilation outlet (not shown) located in the base of the apparatus (1), dispersing in the environment. Therefore, the aspiration prevents the accumulation of reactive species of longer half-life (more molecularly stable) such as ozone and hydrogen peroxide and that have not reacted (residual concentration) in the aseptic treatment, being finally destroyed by the organic filter, thus preventing users from being exposed and inhaling said residual reactive species.

The rear front wall (7) of the invention includes a hand detection sensor (13). Based on a sensor detection signal, the presence of hands inserted up to near the wrists in the aseptic chamber (4) through the hand insertion portion (3) is detected, then the sensor detection signal (13) is sent to the control circuit equipped with a micro-controller (not shown) so that it sends the order to energize the system to start the aseptic hand treatment. In this way, when both hands are inserted close to the wrists through the hand insertion portion (3), the hand sensor (13) detects the presence of hands, activating the two plasma generators (9, 10 ) in response to the processing of the microcontroller and starting the production of plasma necessary for the disinfection of the palms and backs of both hands previously inserted in the aseptic chamber (4), in this way the section is activated only when the hands are They introduce completely close to the wrists in the mentioned chamber. Then the hand sensor (13) acts as a safety element, to prevent the device from generating plasma when there is no presence of hands in front of the treatment surfaces (14, 15) of the aseptic chamber (4).

Figure 4 shows an additional modality, it should be considered as a preferred embodiment or embodiment of the present invention. Elements similar to those shown in Figure 1 are represented with the same reference numbers as in Figure 1 and are not described again. In Figure 4, a special embodiment of the plasma generators (23, 24) is shown compared to that of Figure 1, they are DBD plasma generators, specifically a particular type of DBD based on SMD (Surface micro technology) -discharge). In this type of technology, the electrode configuration is of the sandwich type and follows the arrangement according to Figure 4: flat internal electrode E1 (16) connected to voltage (18), dielectric (17) and external electrode E2 (25) with type structure grounded mesh (20). The aseptic device has two DBD type SMD dielectric barrier plasma generators (23, 24), one on the front wall (6) and the other, as opposed to the rear wall (7) of the aseptic chamber ( 4). The mesh-like structure of the ground electrode (25) allows plasma filaments to be produced between said electrode and the dielectric barrier (17). This plasma filament does not exceed the thickness of the mesh, so the plasma does not act directly on the surface of the hands under treatment, thus avoiding damage by heat or local ions produced in the plasma, which allows treatment of surfaces of very sensitive materials and living tissues.

Figure 6 shows a further alternative embodiment of Figure 1, also considered as a preferred embodiment or embodiment of the present invention. In Figure 6, the plasma generators of Figure (1) are represented, as DBD plasma generators, specifically a particular type of DBD based on jet technology, the discharge occurs in the space between the electrode of power E1 and the dielectric, known as the GAP space, and the formed plasma is ejected to the outside by the flow of gas (air) supplied by a compressor (not shown), located inside the apparatus, whereby the plasma is directed directly towards the surface of the hands therefore there is a direct interaction between the surface to be treated and the plasma. In this type of technology the electrode configuration follows the following arrangement; internal electrodes (not shown) connected to power, free space, dielectric (not shown) and external electrodes (not shown) connected to ground. The apparatus has two plasma dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) generators (not shown), one on each side (as opposed) of the aseptic chamber (4) of the apparatus. The plasma produced by each plasma generator is ejected to the aseptic chamber (4) through a pair of narrow and elongated nozzles in the form of slits (26, 27), each slit is approximately 1 mm wide. These slits (26, 27) produce two plasma jets (28) in the form of thin sheets or "blades", opposite, inside the aseptic chamber that act by decontaminating both the front and the back of both hands of a user simultaneously.

Due to the nature of the invention of both the physical entity and its activity, it is not considered necessary to make this description of the figures more extensive so that any person skilled in the art understands the operation, the scope of the invention and the advantages thereof They derive.

The terms in which this report has been described must always be taken broadly and not limitatively.

Claims (3)

1. Antiseptic device or device for cold plasma hands at atmospheric pressure (1) that provides a two-sided disinfection action, the back and the back of both hands are simultaneously disinfected, provided with a compact and rigid main body of ABS plastic (2) as a housing and support body that has a section or portion (3) at the top for inserting the hands into a deep, slightly inclined and concave shaped aseptic chamber (4) composed of a front front internal wall (6) facing a rear front internal wall (7) which as a whole is configured as an open collector on both sides so that the hands can be inserted and move in a vertical, horizontal and diagonal direction when both hands are aligned within a plane, characterized in that it contains DBD dielectric barrier cold plasma generators at atmospheric pressure (9, 10); a piezoelectric power supply (8) that generates electrical signals of alternating current, low voltage and high frequency (AF); a power controller for generating a suitable AF voltage; two AF filters to avoid outwardly disturbing electromagnetic radiation; a suction pump (11) to renew the air in the aseptic chamber; an organic filter that removes residual plasma; and a sensor (13) that detects the presence of hands inside the aseptic chamber. 2. Hand antiseptic device according to claim 1, wherein the plasma generators are surface dielectric barrier discharge type Surface Micro-Discharge (SMD) (23, 24). 3. Hand antiseptic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plasma generators are jet or jet type dielectric barrier discharge (26, 27).