EU researchers to clean medical equipment with plasma

Focusing on plasma the ionised gas, rather than the blood fluid, the EU-funded Biodecon research project wants to kill bacteria, viruses and even prions on dirty scalpels, clamps and catheters by surrounding used medical equipment with plasma. This could replace current toxic chemical washes, followed by hour-long rinses.

'This is a very long treatment time which not only uses a lot of energy but also produces a large amount of waste,' said project coordinator professor Achim von Keudell of Germany's Ruhr University in Bochum.

Biodecon researchers are developing practical ways of producing plasma in hospitals and then blowing it onto medical kit. The equipment required is still being examined, but cold plasma gases will be used, allowing soft plastics - such as catheters - to be cleaned: now they are thrown-out. Another advantage is that plasma kills prions, which are hard to kill.