A plasma generator including an excitation electrode and an opposite electrode confronting the excitation electrode such that plasma is generated upon impression of a high voltage between the excitation electrode and the opposite electrode. The plasma generator further includes granular material which is at least partially composed of dielectric grains and is provided between the excitation electrode and the opposite electrode.

A multi-electrode plasma generator is arranged with each electrode held at a potential with respect to ground that is a fraction of the breakdown potential so that no spurious discharges to ground are possible. The potential between electrodes exceeds the breakdown potential so that plasma is generated between electrodes. The generated plasma is thus contained between the electrodes, resulting in a more uniform plasma and better power efficiency.

A plasma torch head adapted to cut longitudinal slots in tubes from the interior is disclosed. The plasma torch head includes an outer body made of reinforced fiberglass. An adhesive is used to affix fiberglass components of the torch head together to form a gas tight seal. As a cut is made, the outer body of the torch becomes charred. At the end of each cut the torch head is either replaced or rebuilt. Gas to support the plasma and electric power is supplied to the torch head via an electricall...

A plasma furnace including an upper chamber having three electrodes radially spaced from an ore feed tube. The ore is gasified by a plasma arc in a central crucible and allowed to condense in the space between the central crucible and an outer crucible. The outer crucible forms the boundary between the upper chamber and a lower chamber. The lower chamber is filled with molten copper which acts as a filter. Since there is no agitation in the lower chamber, molten ore entering from the upper chamb...

The invention relates to a plasma apparatus where plasma is generated utilizing microwave discharge and laser excitation is performed and plasma processing is performed. More specifically, in a plasma apparatus where a microwave from a microwave oscillator is transmitted through a microwave transmission path to a microwave circuit, and plasma is generated by a microwave discharge within the microwave circuit, a plasma generating medium for generating the plasma is filled in a space formed betwee...

A plasma separator for receiving a blood sample includes a central chamber of inverted conical shape and an outer annular chamber connected to the central chamber by a downwardly inclined passageway. The separator is designed to be rotated at high speed about a vertical axis so that red blood cells in the sample migrate down the passageway and into the outer chamber, leaving clear plasma in the central chamber that can then be removed by pipette.

A plasma apparatus which is; provided with a pair of plasma generation chambers at both sides of a specimen chamber provided therein with two specimen mounts for fixing specimens to be subjected to the predetermined processing such as plasma CVD; designed to use the specimen chamber in common so as to simultaneously process by plasma generated by the pair of plasma generation chambers the specimens fixed to the two specimen mounts to thereby be compact as a whole; and provided with a load lock c...

A plasma torch includes an annular cathode having an annular peripheral edge from which an arc is discharged. A pair of annular nozzle elements are coaxially disposed on the opposite sides of the cathode. Each nozzle element has an annular edge hanging over the annular peripheral edge of the cathode, and the annular edges of the nozzle elements define therebetween an annular outlet opening for the torch. Gas is introduced between the cathode and the nozzle elements and emitted through the annula...

A filter membrane housed in a casing is a microporous membrane manufactured by the phase separation method and having a pore size of 0.1 to 0.8.mu., preferably 0.2 to 0.6.mu., and a thickness of 100 to 300.mu.. At least one membrane unit comprising of such a membrane covering a core material is arranged inside the casing to define a blood channel of 50 to 150.mu. channel thickness.

A plasma monitor which measures the distribution of particular chemical species (atom, molecule, ion) in plasma generated inside an instrument making use of the plasma. Laser light having a particular wavelength is radiated to the particular chemical species so as to let it generate fluorescence. The fluorescence is picked up for each of a plurality of zones divided in the radiating direction of the laser light and the construction of the chemical species in each zone is determined on the basis ...