Plasma characteristics of repetitively-pulsed electrical discharges in saline solutions used for surgical procedures

Characteristics of plasmas formed by repetitively-pulsed electrical discharges in sodium chloride and barium chloride saline solutions are reported. Spectroscopic observations in conjunction with an analysis of the voltage and current behavior of the discharge lead to a model in which the liquid is vaporized and ionized to form a plasma containing excited water fragments H* and OH* as well as ions and neutrals from the salt. For typical conditions under which plasma is formed, the plasma density is estimated to be of order 10(12) cm(-3) and the electron temperature about 4 eV.