%0 Journal Article
%T Acinetobacter baumannii Deactivation by Means of DBD-Based Helium Plasma Jet
%A Anastasia Spiliopoulou
%A Evangelos D. Anastassiou
%A Kristaq Gazeli
%A Panagiotis Svarnas
%A Petros G. Koutsoukos
%J -
%D 2019
%R https://doi.org/10.3390/plasma2020008
%X Abstract Acinetobacter baumannii is a typically short, almost round, rod-shaped (coccobacillus) Gram-negative bacterium. It can be an opportunistic pathogen in humans, affecting people with compromised immune systems, and it is becoming increasingly important as a hospital-associated (nosocomial) infection. It has also been isolated from environmental soil and water samples. In this work, unlike conventional medical methods like antibiotics, the influence of atmospheric-pressure cold plasma on this bacterium is evaluated by means of a colony count technique and scanning electron microscopy. The plasma used here refers to streamers axially propagating into a helium channel penetrating the atmospheric air. The plasma is probed with high resolution optical emission spectroscopy and copious reactive species are unveiled under low-temperature conditions. Based on the experimental results, post-treatment (delayed) biochemical effects on Acinetobacter baumannii and morphological modifications appear dominant, leading to complete deactivation of this bacterium. View Full-Tex
%K DBD discharges
%K plasma jets
%K bacteria
%K Acinetobacter baumannii
%K sterilization
%U https://www.mdpi.com/2571-6182/2/2/8