CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is related to U.S. nonprovisional patent application Ser. No. 14/922,975, filed Oct. 26, 2015, pending, entitled “Method and System for Generating Non-Thermal Plasma” (which application included a claim of priority to U.S. provisional application No. 62/187,410, filed 1 Jul. 2015, entitled “System to Reduce the Pathogens, Volatile Organic Compounds and Viruses in Air”). Each of these applications is hereby incorporated by reference as though fully set forth herein.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to apparatuses and methods for generating non-thermal plasma which can form reactive oxygen species, which in turn, can be used to neutralize bacteria and other pathogens in the air and surrounding area. The present invention also relates to apparatuses and methods for neutralizing bacteria and other pathogens using reactive oxygen species generated through the use of non-thermal plasma. The present invention also relates to a monitor that analyzes operational characteristics of a plasma field generated by the aforementioned devices and/or the electrical consumption characteristics of the power supply being used to generate the plasma field, which analyzed characteristics can be used to trigger an alarm to indicate that the device is not functioning optimally or as otherwise expected.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Today's high-efficiency particulate arrestance (HEPA) filters do not have the capability to deal with all aspects of indoor air pollution. Although HEPA filters may be effective at filtering out as much as 99.97% of air borne particles that have a size of 0.3 μm or larger, they are not always effective at treating or removing airborne contaminants made up of microorganisms, viruses, and bacteria smaller than 0.3 μm, all of which are potentially harmful. The inventions disclosed herein, through new devices for and new methods of producing Reactive Oxygen Species (“ROS”), have the ability to treat and remove airborne contaminants using processes that produce a non-thermal plasma field from ambient air within a reaction chamber.

One of ordinary skill in the art would understand “non-thermal plasma” to refer to plasma that is not in thermodynamic equilibrium. In particular, as used herein, “non-thermal plasma” refers to plasma that is produced by a process that does not involve the use or generation of substantial heat; in other words, the temperature of the fluid used to generate the plasma (e.g., ambient air) is not substantially increased during the process of generating plasma. It is known in the art that non-thermal plasma contains reactive forms of oxygen, i.e., ROS, that have a much higher reactivity than oxygen in the form of stable oxygen molecules, which include atomic oxygen, singlet oxygen, hydrogen peroxide, superoxide anion, tri-atomic oxygen and hydroxyl radicals. It is known that ROS can react with particles as small as and smaller than about 0.3 microns. The antimicrobial properties of ROS in the air and on surfaces is known, and the mechanisms by which ROS inactivate bacteria has been studied. See, e.g., Suresh G. Joshi, M. Cooper, A. Yost, M. Paff, U. K. Ercan, G. Fridman, G. Friedman, A. Fridman, and A. D. Brooks, “Nonthermal dielectric-barrier discharge plasma-induced inactivation involves oxidative DNA damage and membrane lipid peroxidation in Escherichia coli,” Antimicrobial Agents Chemotherapy, vol. 55, no. 3, pp. 1053-1062, March 2011 (which article is incorporated by reference in its entirety into this application). It is understood, for example, that the different ROS attach themselves to the surfaces of contaminants and other pathogens at bond sites to create strong oxidizing radicals. These radicals draw out the hydrogen that is present in these contaminants and other pathogens, breaking down the surface membranes and rendering them inactive (in other words, neutralizing the contaminants and pathogens). The end result may be that the hydroxide and hydrogen radicals combine and form water, and the contaminants and pathogens are inactivated and neutralized. Viruses, however, are bundles of nucleic acid surrounded by a protein bases capsid. When viruses are exposed to ROS both the capsid and viral RNA can be destroyed.

Furthermore, the ROS generated in the non-thermal plasma fields described herein can also breakdown Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC). When carbon based VOCs (alcohols, aldehydes, and ketones) pass through the non-thermal plasma, the covalent bonds in the molecules can be broken, which can also produce carbon dioxide and/or oxygen.

Unlike many other low energy technologies, the present invention avoids producing toxic intermediates. The inventions disclosed herein can be used for food preservation, in medical applications, and other industries in which airborne contaminants can be problematic.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One aspect of the inventions disclosed is to provide a system and method for utilizing ambient air to generate ROS to neutralize pathogens, viruses and volatile organic compounds from the air for the purpose of treating the air and the surrounding areas.

Disclosed herein is an air treatment apparatus having an intake portion, an output portion, and a reaction chamber located between the intake portion and output portion. The reaction chamber includes an anode rail assembly and a cathode rail. The anode rail assembly may include a helical anode rail made of a first conductive material and having a shape of a helix along a longitudinal axis, and a plurality of discharge anode elements spaced along the helix. Each of the plurality of discharge anode elements has a proximal end and a distal end, such that the proximal ends of the discharge anode elements are secured to the helical anode rail, and each of the plurality of discharge anode elements is electrically coupled to each other and to the helical anode rail. The plurality of discharge elements may face the central inner axis of the helical anode rail. The cathode rail may be made of a second conductive material, and may be positioned such that it is substantially along the inner longitudinal axis of the helical anode rail, such that the cathode rail may be opposite and facing the plurality of discharge anode elements. The helical anode rail assembly and the cathode rail are located relative to each other so as to form a hollow cylindrical space that separates the cathode rail from the plurality of discharge anode elements such that the discharge anode elements do not cross the cylindrical space. The air treatment apparatus may also include an intake blower located in the intake portion, wherein the intake blower is configured to draw air into the reaction chamber. The air treatment apparatus also includes an alternating current power supply capable of delivering sufficient energy to generate a non-thermal plasma field in the space between the helical anode rail assembly and the cathode rail. The air treatment apparatus may optionally include a sensor (e.g., configured to monitor tri-atomic oxygen), and preferably, the sensor may be located externally to the apparatus. In one embodiment the air treatment apparatus may utilize the same material for the first conductive material and the second conductive material, though in another embodiment, the first conductive material may be different from the second conductive material. For example, the first conductive material and second conductive material may each be selected from the group consisting of silver, copper, gold, aluminum, zinc, brass, steel and alloys of the foregoing elements. Optionally, at least a portion of an outer surface of the distal ends of the discharge anode elements may be textured to facilitate formation of plasma, including for example, one or more of grooves, etchings, ridges, dimplings, and pittings. The air treatment apparatus may have a cathode rail which has an outer surface, at least a portion of which surface is textured, such that the textured surface faces the distal ends of the discharge anode elements. The textured surface of the cathode rail may include, for example, comprises one or more of grooves, etchings, ridges, dimplings, and pittings. In addition, the air treatment may include one or more filters, either on the air intake portion or the air output portion. Preferably, the cathode rail may be cylindrical. Preferably, each of the plurality of discharge anode elements on the helical anode rail is spaced a fixed distance from a neighboring discharge anode. More preferably, the spacing is fixed between approximately ⅛ inch and approximately 3 inches. One of skill in the art would appreciate that using a greater number of discharge anode elements may require increasing the wattage of the power supply being used.

Also disclosed is an ambient air treatment device, comprising: a reaction chamber having an anode assembly and a cathode rail spaced opposite the anode assembly, an airflow input on a first side of the anode assembly and the cathode rail, and an airflow output on a second side of the anode assembly and the cathode rail; and a power supply coupled to the anode assembly and to the cathode rail capable of generating a plasma field between the anode assembly and the cathode rail. The anode assembly may include a common electrical bus and a plurality of discharge anode elements extending outward from the common electrical bus, said discharge anode elements having a textured surface on a distal end for discharging electrical current. The cathode rail may include one or more conductive elements placed in electrical contact with each other so as to form an electrically-conductive, elongated cathode having an outer surface, wherein at least a portion of the outer face contains a textured surface for receiving electrical current. The elongated cathode may be a cylindrical rod. The ambient air treatment device can operate using different power supplies in order to create different volumes of ROS. For example, the ambient air treatment device can operate using a power supply outputting greater than about 1,000 VAC at a frequency of about 60 Hz. Alternatively, the ambient air treatment device can operate using a power supply outputting greater than about 1,000 VAC at a frequency of greater than about 1,000 Hz. Alternatively, the ambient air treatment device can operate using a power supply outputting greater than about 2,000 VAC at a frequency of greater than about 10,000 Hz. Each of the anode assembly and the cathode rail may be made using a conductive material comprising at least one of silver, copper, gold, aluminum, zinc, brass, and steel. For example, the anode assembly may be made using a first conductive material selected from: silver, copper, gold, aluminum, zinc, brass, steel, and stainless steel, and the cathode rail is made using a second conductive material, different from the first conductive material, selected from: silver, copper, gold, aluminum, zinc, brass, steel, and stainless steel. The ambient air treatment device can include an elongated helical anode assembly having a distance of D as measured on a longitudinal axis, and a cathode rail that is elongated, is substantially cylindrical, is positioned along the longitudinal axis of the helical anode assembly, and has a distance of about the same or less than D, wherein the plurality of discharge anode elements extend towards the cathode rail but remain spaced from the cathode rail to permit the creation of a plasma field in a cylindrical space between the helical anode assembly and the centrally-located cathode rail. The textured surface on the distal end of each of the plurality of discharge anodes, as well as the textured surface on the outer surface of the cathode rail, may each be formed using a variety of formations to facilitate formation of plasma, including for example, one or more of: a cross-hatch pattern, grooves, etchings, ridges, dimplings, and pittings. The ambient air treatment device may optionally include a blower to generate an air flow across the plasma field during operation of the ambient air treatment device.

A method of generating a non-drifting plasma field is also disclosed. The method may include the steps of: drawing air into a reaction chamber, wherein the reaction chamber having an anode rail assembly, a cathode rail, and a gap located between the anode rail assembly and the cathode rail; supplying energy to the anode rail assembly to generate a plasma field in the gap between the anode rail assembly and the cathode rail; and causing the air to flow through the plasma field created in the reaction chamber. The anode rail assembly may include a helical anode rail made of a first conductive material, in a shape of a helix having a longitudinal axis, and a plurality of discharge anode elements arranged on the helical anode rail. The cathode rail may be a rod located along the longitudinal axis of the helix. The gap between the anode rail assembly and the cathode rail is cylindrical and the cathode rail is positioned along the longitudinal axis of the helical anode rail, said gap separating the cathode rail from the plurality of discharge anode elements such that the discharge anode elements do not cross the cylindrical gap. Each of the plurality of discharge anode elements has a proximal end and a distal end, and the proximal ends may be secured to the helical anode rail, and each of the plurality of discharge anode elements may be electrically coupled to each other and to the helical anode rail. The method may be performed using discharge anode elements having a distal end in the form of a pointed tip, and optionally, the distal ends of the discharge anode elements have a rough surface to assist with discharging electrical current. The cathode rail is made of a second conductive material. The method may generate a plasma field using power characterized by greater than about 1,000 VAC at a frequency of about 60 Hz. Alternatively, the method may generate a plasma field using greater than about 1,000 VAC at a frequency of greater than about 1,000 Hz. Alternatively, the method may generate a plasma field using greater than about 2,000 VAC at a frequency of greater than about 10,000 Hz. The method may be used to create a fan-shaped non-thermal plasma field that emanates from one or more of the plurality of discharge anode elements towards the cathode rail. Preferably, the energy is used to create a plasma field that is substantially homogenous throughout the gap.

An ambient air treatment device capable of operating in at least two modes is also disclosed. The ambient air treatment device includes a reaction chamber having: a first anode assembly and a first cathode rail, wherein the first anode assembly has a first helical anode rail and a first plurality of discharge anode elements extending inwardly from the first helical anode rail toward the first cathode rail which is centrally located within the first helical anode rail; a second anode assembly and a second cathode rail, wherein the second anode assembly has a second helical anode rail and a second plurality of discharge anode elements extending inwardly from the second helical anode rail toward the second cathode rail which is centrally located within the second helical anode rail; an airflow input on a first side of the first anode assembly, the first cathode rail, the second anode assembly, and the second cathode rail; and an airflow output on a second side of the first anode assembly, the first cathode rail, the second anode assembly, and the second cathode rail. In addition to the reaction chamber, the ambient air treatment device includes: a first alternating current power supply electrically coupled to the first anode assembly and to the first cathode rail capable of generating a first plasma field in a cylindrical space between the first anode assembly and the first cathode rail; a second alternating current power supply electrically coupled to the second anode assembly and to the second cathode rail capable of generating a second plasma field in a cylindrical space between the second anode assembly and the second cathode rail; and a control switch. The control switch is configured to permit the ambient air treatment device to operate in at least two modes, including a first mode that uses the first alternating current power supply to generate a first plasma field and a second mode that uses the second alternating current power supply to generate a second plasma field. Each of the first cathode rail and the second cathode rail may include one or more conductive elements placed in electrical contact with each other so as to form an electrically-conductive, elongated cathode having an outer surface, wherein at least a portion of the outer surface contains a textured surface for assisting in the generation of plasma. The first anode assembly and said first cathode rail may be positioned in spaced relationship, with the first cathode rail being positioned along the central longitudinal axis of the first helical anode rail, and the second anode assembly and said second cathode rail are positioned in spaced relationship, with the second cathode rail being positioned along the central longitudinal axis of the second helical anode rail. Each of the first plurality of discharge anode elements for each of the first anode assembly and the second anode assembly may include a textured surface on a distal end for assisting in the generation of plasma. The first and second alternating current power supplies preferably differ in both the magnitude and frequency of the power source being used to generate plasma. For example, the ambient air treatment device may have a first power supply that operates using greater than about 1,000 VAC at a frequency of about 60 Hz, and may have a second power supply may use greater than about 1,000 VAC at a frequency of greater than about 1,000 Hz. Of course, the second power supply may use other power characteristics as well, including for example a second power supply that operates using greater than about 2,000 VAC at a frequency of greater than about 10,000 Hz. Each of the first and second anode assemblies and each of the first and second cathodes rail may be made out of a conductive material comprising at least one of silver, copper, gold, aluminum, zinc, brass, and steel. For example, each of the first and second anode assemblies may be made using a first conductive material selected from: silver, copper, gold, aluminum, zinc, brass, steel, and stainless steel, and each of the first and second cathode rails may be made using a second conductive material, different from the first conductive material, selected from: silver, copper, gold, aluminum, zinc, brass, steel, and stainless steel. The first anode assembly may optionally be an elongated helix having a longitudinal distance of D1, and the first cathode rail may be an elongated rod, substantially cylindrical and having a distance of less than or about the same as D1. The second anode assembly may optionally be an elongated helix having a longitudinal distance of D2, and the second cathode rail may be an elongated rod, substantially cylindrical and having a distance of less than or about the same as D2. The first plurality of discharge anode elements may extend inwardly toward the first cathode rail, and yet remain spaced from the first cathode rail to permit the creation of a first plasma field in the hollow, cylindrical gap there between. Similarly, the second plurality of discharge anode elements may extend inwardly toward the second cathode rail and yet remain spaced from the second cathode rail to permit the creation of a second plasma field in the cylindrical gap there between. The ambient air treatment device may, further comprise a blower to generate an airflow across at least the first plasma field during operation of the ambient air treatment device. The blower can also be used to generate an airflow across the first and second plasma fields during operation of the ambient air treatment device. The blower may optionally have at least two speeds, whereby the air treatment device can operate the blower at a lower speed when generating plasma in the first mode of operation, or can operate the blower at a higher speed when generating plasma in the second mode of operation. The textured surface on the distal end of each of the plurality of discharge anodes may each be formed using a variety of formations to facilitate formation of plasma, including for example, one or more of: a cross-hatch pattern, grooves, etchings, ridges, dimplings, and pittings. Similarly, the textured surfaces on the outer surface of the cathode rails may be formed using a variety of formations to facilitate formation of plasma, including for example, one or more of: a cross-hatch pattern, grooves, etchings, ridges, dimplings, and pittings. The first anode assembly and second anode assembly may be aligned along a common axis and spaced sufficiently to provide electrical isolation from each other during operation. Similarly, the first cathode rail and the second cathode rail may be aligned along a common axis and spaced sufficiently to provide electrical isolation from each other during operation. The control switch can be configured to permit the ambient air treatment device to operate in a first mode using the first power supply to generate a first reactive oxygen species having a first set of characteristics and to permit the ambient air treatment device to operate in a second mode using the second power supply to generate a second reactive oxygen species having a second set of characteristics, different from the first set of characteristics. For example, the first mode may generate a first volume of ROS which have longer-half lives when compared to the second mode which may generate a smaller volume of ROS with longer half-lives. The ambient air treatment device may utilize power supplies that vary in terms of voltage magnitude and frequency. For example, the ambient air treatment device may use a first power supply that generates plasma using greater than about 5,000 VAC at a frequency of about 60 Hz, and the second power supply may generate plasma using greater than about 5,000 VAC at a frequency of greater than about 10,000 Hz. Alternatively, the ambient air treatment device may use a first power supply that generates plasma using greater than about 2,000 VAC at a frequency of about 60 Hz, and wherein the second power generates plasma using greater than about 1,000 VAC and a frequency of greater than about 1,000 Hz.

Optionally, the control switch can be configured to permit the ambient air treatment device to operate in at least a third mode that uses the first power supply to generate a first plasma field while simultaneously using the second power supply to generate a second plasma field.

Also disclosed is an air treatment apparatus comprising: an intake portion and an output portion; a reaction chamber located between the intake portion and output portion, wherein the reaction chamber includes an anode rail assembly and a cathode rail assembly; an intake blower located in the intake portion, wherein the intake blower is configured to draw air into the reaction chamber; and power supply circuitry capable of delivering sufficient energy to generate a plasma field in the space between the anode rail assembly and the cathode rail assembly. The anode rail assembly may include a helical anode rail made of a conductive material and having a longitudinal axis; and a plurality of discharge anode elements, each of which elements has a proximal end and a distal end, with the proximal ends of the discharge anode elements being secured to the helical anode rail, and with each of the discharge anode elements being electrically coupled to each other and to the helical anode rail. The cathode rail assembly may include a cathode rail made of a conductive material and having a longitudinal axis; and a plurality of cathode elements, each of which elements has a proximal end and a distal end, with the proximal ends of the cathode elements being attached to and protruding from the cathode rail, and with each of the plurality of cathode elements being electrically coupled to each other and to the cathode rail. Preferably, the cathode rail is substantially co-located along the longitudinal axis of the helical anode rail, and the anode rail assembly and the cathode rail assembly are spaced relative to each other so as to form a space between them, such that the space has a central longitudinal axis and further separates the plurality of cathode elements from the plurality of discharge anode elements such that the discharge anode elements are on one side and do not cross the central longitudinal axis of the space and the plurality of cathode elements are on the opposite side of and do not cross the central longitudinal axis of the space. The air treatment apparatus may optionally include a sensor to monitor tri-atomic oxygen. In one embodiment, the sensor is located externally to the apparatus and wirelessly communicates with the air treatment apparatus. While the anode rail assembly and the cathode rail assembly may be made of the same conductive material, they can also be formed using different conductive materials. For example, the anode rail assembly and the cathode rail assembly may be made of conductive materials selected from the group consisting of silver, copper, gold, aluminum, zinc, brass, steel and alloys of the foregoing elements. Optionally, at least a portion of an outer surface of the distal ends of each of the plurality of discharge anode elements and of each of the plurality of cathode elements is textured to facilitate formation of plasma. Optionally, the plurality of cathode elements may be spaced such that each of the cathode elements is equally distant from the two closest discharge anode elements to facilitate the generation of a plasma field in the space between the anode rail assembly and the cathode rail assembly. The power supply may generate plasma using a variety of voltage levels and frequencies. For example, the power supply circuitry may generate plasma using greater than about 1,000 VAC at a frequency of about 60 Hz. Alternatively, the power supply circuitry may generate plasma using greater than about 1,000 VAC at a frequency of greater than about 1,000 Hz. Alternatively, the power supply circuitry may generate plasma using greater than about 2,000 VAC at a frequency of greater than about 10,000 Hz.

Also disclosed herein is a method of generating a plasma field comprising the steps of: drawing air into a reaction chamber having an anode rail assembly, a cathode rail assembly and a gap there between; supplying energy to at least the anode rail assembly to generate a plasma field in the gap between the anode rail assembly and the cathode rail assembly; and causing the air to flow through the plasma field created in the reaction chamber. The anode rail assembly may include: a helical anode rail made of a conductive material and having a longitudinal axis; and a plurality of discharge anode elements; wherein each of the plurality of discharge anode elements has a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal ends of the discharge anode elements are secured to the helical anode rail, and each of the plurality of discharge anode elements are electrically coupled to each other and to the helical anode rail. The cathode rail assembly may include: a cathode rail made of a conductive material and having a longitudinal axis; and a plurality of cathode elements extending from the cathode rail; wherein each of the plurality of cathode elements has a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal ends of the cathode elements are attached to the cathode rail, and each of the plurality of cathode elements are electrically coupled to each other and to the cathode rail. The cathode rail may be substantially coaxial to the helical anode rail; and the anode rail assembly and the cathode rail assembly may be spaced relative to each other so as to form a hollow, cylindrical gap between them. The gap has a central longitudinal axis and further separates the plurality of cathode elements from the plurality of discharge anode elements such that the discharge anode elements are on one side and do not cross the central longitudinal axis of the gap and the plurality of cathode elements are on the other side and do not cross the central longitudinal axis of the gap. The distal ends of each of the discharge anode elements and of each of the cathode elements may comprise a pointed tip, and optionally, the distal ends of each of the discharge anode elements and of each of the cathode elements have a rough surface to assist with discharging electrical current. The step of supplying energy may be met by supplying energy using greater than about 1,000 VAC at a frequency of about 60 Hz. Alternatively, the step of supplying energy may be supplying energy using greater than about 1,000 VAC at a frequency of greater than about 1,000 Hz. Alternatively, the step of supplying energy may be supplying energy using greater than about 5,000 VAC at a frequency of greater than about 10,000 Hz.

Yet another method of generating non-thermal plasma is disclosed, which includes the steps of: using a first power supply to create plasma in a first plasma field in a reaction chamber wherein the plasma created by the first power supply includes a first volume of reactive oxygen species having a half-life of less than about 10 seconds and includes no more than a second volume of a reactive oxygen species having a half-life of greater than about 1 minute; using a second power supply to create plasma in a second plasma field in the reaction chamber wherein the plasma created by the second power supply includes less than the first volume of reactive oxygen species having a half-life of less than about 10 seconds and includes more than the second volume of a reactive oxygen species having a half-life of greater than about 1 minute. The method may include operating the first power supply to generate plasma while the second power supply is not being used to generate plasma. Alternatively, the method may include operating the second power supply to generate plasma while the first power supply is not being used to generate plasma. Alternatively, the method may include operating the first power supply to generate plasma while simultaneously operating the second power supply to generate plasma. The method may include using the first power supply to generate plasma using energy at greater than about 1,000 VAC at a frequency of about 60 Hz. Alternatively, the method may include using the second power supply to generate plasma using energy at a voltage of about 1,000 VAC or greater and at a frequency of about 1,000 Hz or greater.

Yet another device for generating non-thermal plasma is disclosed, which device has at least two modes of operation. The multi-mode device includes a reaction chamber having: a first reactor and a first power supply to create plasma in a first plasma field, wherein the plasma created by the first power supply includes a first volume of reactive oxygen species having a half-life of less than about 10 seconds and includes no more than a second volume of a reactive oxygen species having a half-life of greater than about 1 minute; and a second reactor and a second power supply to create plasma in a second plasma field, wherein the plasma created by the second power supply includes less than the first volume of reactive oxygen species having a half-life of less than about 10 seconds and includes more than the second volume of a reactive oxygen species having a half-life of greater than about 1 minute. Power supplies having at least one of different voltage magnitudes and frequencies are used. For example, the first power supply can generate plasma using energy at greater than about 1,000 VAC at a frequency of about 60 Hz, and the second power supply can generate plasma using energy having a voltage of about or greater than 1,000 VAC and a frequency of about or greater than 1,000 Hz. Alternatively, the second power supply can generate plasma using energy having a voltage of about or greater than 10,000 VAC and a frequency of about or greater than 10,000 Hz.

Also disclosed herein is a performance monitor that can be incorporated into the devices described above. The performance monitor includes at least one of: a) one or more sensors (e.g., light sensors) that monitor the optical characteristics of a plasma field that is generated in the space between the anode rail assembly and the cathode rail; and b) a power supply sensor that analyzes the electrical consumption characteristics of the power supply being used to generate the plasma field. The performance monitor may include an optical receiver that analyzes the optical characteristics of the generated plasma field. The performance monitor may also include a comparator that: a) compares the analyzed optical characteristics of the generated plasma field to a predetermined set of optical characteristics; and/or b) compares the analyzed electrical consumption characteristics of the power supply to a predetermined set of electrical consumption characteristics. The comparator can be programed to issue an alarm to indicate that the device is not functioning optimally if either or both of the following conditions are met: a) the analyzed optical characteristics deviates by more than a first predetermined minimum threshold from the predetermined set of optical characteristics; and b) the analyzed electrical consumption characteristics deviates by more than a second predetermined minimum threshold from a predetermined set of electrical consumption characteristics. The first and second predetermined minimum thresholds may be set using a common measurement stick (e.g., 10%) and/or may be set independently using the same or different measurement sticks.

Also disclosed herein is a treatment device that includes: an intake portion; an output portion; a reaction chamber located between the intake portion and output portion, an intake blower located in the intake portion, wherein the intake blower is configured to draw air into the reaction chamber; and an alternating current power supply that delivers sufficient energy to reaction chamber so as to generate a non-thermal plasma field therein. The reaction chamber includes an anode rail assembly and a cathode rail. The anode rail assembly has an anode rail made of a conductive material, and a plurality of discharge anode elements, each of which has a proximal end and a distal end, whereby the proximal ends are secured to the anode rail, and each of the plurality of discharge anode elements is electrically coupled to each other and to the anode rail. The cathode rail is made of a conductive material, and it is spaced relative to the anode rail assembly to form a space that separates the cathode rail from the plurality of discharge anode elements such that the discharge anode elements do not cross the space. The alternating current power supply is coupled to both the anode rail and the cathode rail, wherein the alternating current power supply delivers sufficient energy to generate a non-thermal plasma field in the space between the anode rail assembly and the cathode rail. The reaction chamber also includes a performance monitor that includes at least one of: a) one or more light sensors that monitor the optical characteristics of a plasma field that is generated in the space between the anode rail assembly and the cathode rail; and b) a power supply sensor that analyzes the electrical consumption characteristics of the power supply being used to generate the plasma field. The performance monitor may include an optical receiver that analyzes the optical characteristics of the generated plasma field. The performance monitor also includes a comparator that: a) compares the analyzed optical characteristics of the generated plasma field to a predetermined set of optical characteristics; and/or b) compares the analyzed electrical consumption characteristics of the power supply to a predetermined set of electrical consumption characteristics. The comparator can be programed to issue an alarm when either or both of the following conditions are met: a) the analyzed optical characteristics deviates by more than a first predetermined minimum threshold from the predetermined set of optical characteristics; and b) the analyzed electrical consumption characteristics deviates by more than a second predetermined minimum threshold from a predetermined set of electrical consumption characteristics. Optionally, the anode may be in the shape of a helix, in which case, the space between the helical anode and the cathode may be a hollow, cylindrical space.

Also disclosed herein is an air treatment apparatus having an intake portion, an output portion, and a reaction chamber located between the intake portion and output portion. The reaction chamber includes a first rail assembly and a second rail assembly. The first rail assembly may have a first rail made of a first conductive material and may be shaped to form a helix along a longitudinal axis. The first rail may include a plurality of protruding elements, each of which has a proximal end and a distal end, with the proximal ends of the protruding elements being secured to the first rail. Each of the plurality of protruding elements is electrically coupled to each other and to the first rail. The second rail assembly may have a second rail made of a second conductive material and may be elongated so that it can be positioned along the longitudinal axis of the helical first rail. The first rail assembly and the second rail assembly are located relative to each other so as to form a hollow, cylindrical space that separates the second rail from the plurality of protruding elements of the first rail, such that the protruding elements do not cross the cylindrical space. An intake blower may be located in the intake portion, wherein the intake blower can draw air into the reaction chamber. An alternating current power supply may be coupled to both the first rail and the second rail, such that the alternating current power supply can deliver sufficient energy to generate a non-thermal plasma field in the space between the first rail and the second rail. In one alternative embodiment, the first rail assembly functions as an anode and the second rail assembly functions as a cathode. In another alternative embodiment, the first rail assembly functions as a cathode and the second rail assembly functions as an anode.

