Sub-Project 3

The contamination of medical equipment and environmental surfaces which are inadequately disinfected or sterilized exposes patients to a high risk of nosocomial infection due to cross-transmission of pathogenic organisms. 

Reusable critical and semi-critical devices and instruments provide a potential route for the transmission of pathogenic agents including MDRO between patients in healthcare facilities. As such, the decontamination process between uses is a vital component in the prevention of healthcare-associated infections. The clinical challenge highlights the critical demand for alternative antimicrobial strategies, with a main breakthrough targeting biofilms. The main contribution of this project is the careful use of the physical plasma-producing reactive species in the electrical discharge induces chemistries to the removal of biofilm. It is foreseen that the plasma plume produced with RF when tuned to the right condition will give enhanced antimicrobial efficacy and biofilm removal. The plasma treats the targeted pathogen and biofilms while remaining safe for administration in the hospital. The efficacy of plasma is the synergies of the plasma reactive species, free radicals, energetic electrons and UV photons; such interpenetrating pathways may encounter drawbacks without selectivity. It is also foreseen that the treatment is supported by the micro-plasma in a continuous flow consisting of energetic particles and the electro-physical interactions of plasma with bacteria biofilm. Furthermore, the proposed plasma source has several advantages over DBD with larger electrodes and can be made cost-effective in the near future. The electrical properties, including power and discharge frequency, may be tailored and adapted to existing hospital disinfection machines. This transdisciplinary research has a huge potential in training highly skilled human capital in the electrical, plasma and medical fields.

Researchers: Assoc Prof Dr Yap Seong Ling (1), Dr Vanitha Mariappan (2), Dr Farina Binti Muhamad (3), Prof Dr Thong Kwai Lin (4), Dr Lim Lian Kuang (1), Assoc Prof Dr Khanom Simarani (5)
Student(s): Muhammad Arif Fikri bin Shah Bana(1), Tan Shun(1)

Affiliations:

1. Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Universiti Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 

2. Center of Toxicology and Health Risk Studies, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Raja Muda Abdul Aziz, 50300 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 

3. Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

4. Nanotechnology & Catalysis Research Centre (NANOCAT), Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research & Innovation) Office, Universiti Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 

5. Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Universiti Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia