U.K. scientists have developed a new system of sterilizing medical equipment that they say is cost-effective and could be useful in military and disaster zone field hospitals, according to a BBC story.
Scientists at Glyndwr University have found that with a few modifications a regular microwave oven can perform effective sterilization.
Their system generates an intense electric field inside a microwave running at low power, which leads to plasma discharges of oxygen and ozone that attack and kill bacteria, according to the story.
"The oven we chose is the simplest type commercially available," Andy Wright, who developed the system along with his team at the university's Advanced Materials Unit, told the BBC. With the modifications they made, the cost of the system is less than 2,000 pounds ($3,000 U.S.), he said, noting that the most reliable sterilization systems currently cost about 70,000 pounds ($108,000).
The researchers believe this system could be useful for physicians, dentists, and veterinarians as a quick and cheap way of cleaning equipment, and could also be used in military and disaster zone field hospitals to speed up emergency treatment, the story concluded.
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