On-Site Sterilization of Small Medical Devices Using Dbd-Generated Reactive Species and Disposable Indicator

This study presents a novel DBD-based sterilization system for the on-site treatment of small medical devices in local clinics. In a specially designed chamber, potent antimicrobial agents-namely, ozone and hydroxyl radicals-are generated to inactivate microorganisms. The ability to sterilize is verified through two commercial chemical sterilization indicators. This study also describes the development of a disposable chemical indicator that can monitor and verify the sterilization process in real time. The system has been shown to achieve a qualified sterilization within six minutes, which is approximately 10% of the process time compared to that of commercial facilities. The self-developed indicator exhibits a significant color change during the sterilization process, showing that this self-developed indicator is potentially a low-cost and disposable indicator for plasma sterilization.